How’s this for an ensemble cast: An iPhone, an iPad, and a Mac Book?

Each plays a starring role in Wednesday night's episode of ABC’s hit comedy, 'Modern Family.'  The episode called, "Connection Lost" was filmed entirely using Apple (AAPL) products, and follows lead character Claire Dunphy as she tries to track down her family while stuck in an airport.

The whole episode takes place on her Mac laptop, and the other characters only appear through the laptop's FaceTime video-calling app.  Executive Producer Steve Levitan told the Associated Press, "We wanted it to look as real as possible, so rather than shoot it on this incredible camera and then dumb the image down a bit so it looks like an iPhone, why not just shoot it with an iPhone?"

It's product placement taken to a new level. While Apple did not sponsor the episode, the company did provide the devices for the production.

This isn't the first time Apple products have been used to shoot and produce entertainment.  An Apple commercial which aired during Sunday’s broadcast of the Academy Awards featured students at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts on iPads.  As an assignment, the students were asked to make a movie with the iPad. Martin Scorsese’s voice tracks the one-minute ad.

Filmmakers are testing out the technology as well. Tangerine, a surprise hit at this year's Sundance Film Festival, was shot using an iPhone 6 and an $8 app.

The phenomenon speaks to how much Apple has become part of every day life.  “Think about the primacy of Apple in our culture today,” says Yahoo Finance Technology Reporter Aaron Pressman. “Twenty years ago, in ‘You’ve Got Mail,’ it was AOL at the center of the movie. It was the center of culture and everybody knew what you were talking about.  Now if you want to shoot and show you are modern," says Pressman, "What are you using? You’re using Apple products.”

While iPhone sales remain strong, iPad sales have plateaued. Apple is trying to convince consumers their devices can do more for them. The use of these devices in TV and film help with that push.  Apple wants to show you that "You can make things with [these devices], you can create. It can replace your camera or PC and who knows what else,” says Pressman.

Apple isn't the only winner with the episode of 'Modern Family'. “Apple is the prime beneficiary of a show like this. But there’s going to be a spillover effect," says Pressman. "They are not making this about Apple in the show. So if you prefer some other Samsung smartphone or some other brand of smartphone," he says, "it really also is about the cultural domination of the smartphone at this time.”

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