NEW YORK

For this week’s “Modern Family,” producers put down their expensive professional cameras and shot the episode with iPhones and other Apple devices. Seen through the eyes of character Claire Dunphy as she uses a Mac laptop, characters only appear on her computer’s FaceTime video-calling app.

The Associated Press spoke with series co-creator and executive producer Steve Levitan about the thinking behind shooting with a smartphone and lessons learned. The episode, “Connection Lost,” airs on ABC at 9 p.m. EST Wednesday and is available online Thursday (Hulu Plus, cable or satellite subscription required until next week).

Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length.