nofilmschool » apps

Finally the Reason for Vine's Existence: 'Ryan Gosling Won't Eat His Cereal'

Joe Marine — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:13:58 +0000

Vine, the Twitter-owned iOS app that lets you take, upload, and now embed 6 seconds of video, has been making the rounds since it was released back in January of this year. Tribeca held a contest for filmmakers to make movies with Vine, but similar to Twitter itself when it began, we haven’t quite figured out its true purpose. That is, until now. Ryan McHenry, who directed a BAFTA-winning short film called Zombie Musical, has created something of true genius with the app. Behold, Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat Cereal, the very reason Vine, and possibly the internet, was created: (more…)

Everybody Could Use a Little Self Control, or an App That Does It for You

Micah Van Hove — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 22:50:59 +0000

Too often have I experienced the doubled-edged nature of the internet: it’s a great tool, but also a great distraction. We all need to buckle down sometimes and get to work, and the insta-grat (yes) of the internet can be crippling. In comes SelfControl, a free and open-source application that blocks your own access to chosen websites for a designated amount of time. Hit the jump for the details. (more…)

ProCutX, an iPad Control App for Final Cut Pro X, is Now Free for a Limited Time

Joe Marine — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:36:18 +0000

We’ve seen a few apps capable of controlling different programs on your computer with an iPad. A recent app that caught our eye, ProCutX, is capable of controlling Final Cut Pro X with your iPad, and replacing many of the functions normally done with a keyboard. For a limited time (possible only a few more hours), the full app, which is normally around $25, is now free on iTunes. Click through for a video walk-through of ProCutX. (more…)

3 Useful On-Location Apps for Filmmakers: Sun Seeker, Dark Sky, FiRe 2 Field Recorder

Micah Van Hove — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:43:22 +0000

The iPhone and app store is constantly evolving into an important tool for independent filmmakers. From camera manuals, to slates, to light meters, the versatility and ease of the device has impacted just about every filmmaker I know — and it’s here to stay. There are countless iPhone apps out there that can make life on location easier, all without breaking the bank. Click through to check out three that I use regularly. (more…)

Movies Are Too Long, That's Why You Should Enter Tribeca's Vine Contest and Make a 6 Second Film

Joe Marine — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:02:09 +0000

A few months ago Twitter launched a new iOS app called Vine that is aiming to take a piece of the video sharing pie. Similar to the company’s 140 character limit, Vine is a video sharing service limited to videos that are no more than 6 seconds in length. There have been plenty of interesting applications for the service, and Tribeca is trying to take advantage of the storytelling possibilities by starting a contest that challenges you to come up with a short film in 6 seconds that has a beginning, middle, and end. Think you’re up for it? Read on for more details. (more…)

Your iPad is Now a Controller for Apple Final Cut Pro X with Pixel Film Studios' ProCutX

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:08:43 +0000

The keyboard can certainly be a powerful and efficient control surface for non-linear editing, especially with the mastery of hot-keys and short-cuts. Despite this, some editors desire a more visually intuitive way of interfacing with their NLE. There are those that prefer specialized color-coded editing keyboards or keyboard covers, while others swear by their tactile controllers. Those can go for around $80, but what about using an infinitely configurable iPad to take the place of one of these consoles? We’ve already seen one iOS app capable of controlling a wide range of video software, but with a new iPad app called ProCutX, Apple editors have yet another way to turn their tablet into a Final Cut Pro X console. Check out some images and details below. (more…)

Need to Keep Track of Major Film Festival Deadlines? There's an iFilmfest App for That

Justin Minich — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:54:20 +0000

Every once in a while I am reminded that I live in an age with an eerie yet delightful attribute: I can ask why isn’t there a device or piece of software that does a certain thing, and then usually within 6 months the thing I wanted becomes a reality. Case in point: I was wondering how a friend of mine went about keeping track of a bunch of major film festival deadlines. The most obvious answer was that he probably spends time on Withoutabox and enters in deadlines into some calendar software. Still, I couldn’t help but ask myself “why isn’t there an all-in-one app that helps filmmakers keep track of film festivals?” As if on cue, a few days later iFilmfest popped up on my digital radar. (more…)

Twitter Launches Vine, the 'Instagram of Video' (in Lieu of Owning the Instagram of Pictures). End Saga?

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:32:43 +0000

Twitter is “the internet’s SMS.” Instagram is the Twitter of pictures. Some app somewhere is prophesied to be “the Instagram of Video.” I’ve used epic words for social media’s ‘cinemaminigram’ before, because it’s apparently that big of a deal — or it may just be YouTube. Then again, if Instagram is Twitter for photos, but Facebook nabbed Instagram — all while ‘Instagram for Video’ is still out there — what’s a Twitter to do? The next best thing, or better: Twitter has just dropped Vine for iOS. It’s a lot like Instagram, but for 6 second looping videos. Given that Twitter already is, well, the Instagram of words, this app could be the ‘IoV.’ Is this saga at the beginning of its end? (more…)

Your iPhone is a Light Meter, Waveform Monitor, and False-Color Display with $5 Cine Meter App

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:38:19 +0000

Talk about your digital leatherman: The number of ridiculously handy — and practical, and portable, all in one — apps for filmmaking on mobile devices is probably one of the greatest tech-vantages we’ve got going for us these days second to low-cost high-res acquisition. Uses range from lighting plot diagramming and shooting scheduling all the way to Canon DSLR control via Android and RED control via iOS — there’s an app for all that, and more. Now, thanks to Adam Wilt of Pro Video Coalition (and a lot of other great stuff), your iPhone is now more of an asset on set than ever before — and that’s because his new $5 app Cine Meter turns your iOS device into a light meter, waveform monitor and false-color display. (more…)

Want an Interactive Master Class with Legendary Spielberg Color Timer? There's an App for That

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:41:14 +0000

Is it possible we’re losing something through the non-destructive way in which we decide the final look of our shots? The answer, quaintly enough, is absolutely yes — but what, exactly? Simplicity. True finesse in color timing is something Dale Grahn (Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, Munich, Apocalypse Now: Redux) knows a lot about, and in a true chemical timing sense — which says a lot about the power of bold and minimal control over imagery. Lucky for any of us looking to learn from the experience, Mr. Grahn is asking you to match his own color grades by way of a new iPad app — and in the process interact with the very essentials of color grading. (more…)

New Lomography Kickstarter Makes Your Smartphone a Mobile Film Scanner

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:30:23 +0000

Though I understand where these things come from, calling something like Lomography “the analog Instagram” is like calling Kodak’s new Super 8 stock “the chemical MiniDV,” or even better, “the new digital from back before digital” — for the sake of modern analog (dear lord I just said that) we’re getting our chicken-and-egg orders mixed up. That said, we’ve seen some pretty interesting blends of the old and the new… and then back to the old again. There was The Impossible Project’s Impossible Instant Lab, which made Polaroids of cell phone stills — which we also called “the Real Instagram,” though again, I understand why. Thanks to (both a hobby and) a company called Lomography, the opposite chicken-egg process is possible — with some help, your smartphone is now also a digital scanner of film negatives. Read: Instant scanning, insta… sharing. (more…)

YouTube is on Your Actual Tube, and Your Android Device is the Controller

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 03:45:17 +0000

YouTube is doing a lot to make itself a media service platform that rivals the traditional television you’re used to. Original channels are getting a major push, creators are being given some big perks as incentive, and shooting/uploading elegance now trumps native video-sharing options on rival mobile devices. There’s still plenty of things that need to be ironed out before all of us may seriously consider YouTube as a hub for our own content — but Google is still looking toward the future and forging ahead. The ability to watch YouTube on your home TV set is already proliferating, but now, Google has announced an app update that allows you to control browsing and viewing directly with your Android phone or tablet. (more…)

Google Shaking Up Video Recording/Sharing on Apple's iOS with the New 'YouTube Capture' App

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:09:14 +0000

I wasn’t really expecting to have to refer to the theoretical ‘Instagram of Video’ for another while — major choices for mobile users are already in place and ‘in the running’ for such a title, and it could be a while before everyone in the discussion unanimously declares one app the victor (if ever). The Verge (seemingly in a nod to comments) acknowledged YouTube as the elephant in the room for these apps, because even on iOS where the YouTube app is read-only (well, watch-only — no uploads), the service is the megalith for easily-socialized video. A complete YouTube experience is already native on Android (again, YouTube is Google is Android), perhaps to the chagrin of recent Android-joiner Viddy. A new development may totally shift the dynamics of this interplay, however: Google just yesterday released YouTube Capture for iOS. (more…)

'Video Instagram' Crusade Rages On: Viddy Goes Android, Lumify Asks 'Why do Mobile Videos Suck?'

Dave Kendricken — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:34:14 +0000

Where is the supposed ‘Instagram of Video?’ Is it even possible for a motion-based media/social service to be as lightweight, sharable, and just plain easy as Instagram makes stills? The jury is still out, the verdict on which of the contenders will stick — if any at all — is still to be determined. We covered a bit on some of the startups stepping into the ring already, and since then, some other relevant material has surfaced. In one corner, heavyweight Viddy (one of the favorite bets) has just released an Android version of its service for many smartphones, while in the other, small independent startup Lumify wants to make “filmmaking for everyone” and attempts to answer “Why our mobile videos suck.” (more…)

Shoot a Film on Your iPhone, Control Canon DSLRs with an Android Tablet Monitor Rig

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:28:19 +0000

There’s no doubt that modern mobile technology has the capacity to streamline or benefit many aspects of filmmaking. Whether it’s the micro-video art emerging in social media, script supervision capabilities, lighting-fast previsualization softwares, or the surprisingly high-resolution video some phones and tablets can shoot (given what they are), there’s something to be said for their place in the industry. For goodness sake, modern smartphones are better at giving directions than my GPS navigator and shoot higher quality video than my first camcorder. With all that said, though, how far can things like the Apple iPhone or an Android tablet be taken down-and-dirty in the trenches of shooting? (more…)

Update for Vimeo iPhone App Adds New Features, but Loses Some Major Ones

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:37:23 +0000

Vimeo has recently announced a major update to its iPhone App, adding some elegance with a new tab-based design and features like background-uploading and native Facebook/Twitter video sharing. It also retains some of the basic browsing and managing capabilities that previous generations provided. Judging by some of the feedback the Vimeo staff is publicly receiving, though, the app may have some ways to go before it’s optimally useful for busy and on-the-go users. (more…)

Social Media Quests for Its Next Holy Grail: a 'Video Instagram.' But What Might It Mean for Filmmakers?

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:30:37 +0000

Instagram has proven to be a social media force to be reckoned with, and none of the major players already entrenched (or looking to break into) that world are treating it lightly. In fact, several are attempting to reinterpret its model in some fashion or another for a more video-based type of platform. There are already a few startups offering Instagram-type creation and integrated sharing, though it’s unclear what staying power or growth any of them will have in the long run. If one does start growing roots, an ‘Instagram for video’ could become another prime facet of the increasingly cross-pollinated social media ecosystem. But what, if anything, does this all mean for we who deal in pretty moving pictures as our profession? (more…)

Sylights is an Intuitive Lighting Diagram App for iOS Devices

Benjamin Dewhurst — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 05:04:55 +0000

Thoughtful, artistic lighting is necessary to set your film apart from the competition. Some great planning and pre-production on lighting design can make a $5,000 short film sell a $50,000 look. And the good news is there are many tools that can help you achieve your intended look on an indie budget, from a good book lighting setup to a bit of well-managed haze. As a new iPad owner, I recently stumbled upon Sylights, an app geared at photographers that (like many things DSLR) also has great digital filmmaking applications. Hit the jump for some screen caps and a brief rundown of this handy FREE app/website: (more…)

CTRL+Console App: Turn Your iPad into a Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro 7/X Editing Console

Joe Marine — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:58:55 +0000

If you’ve ever worked in linear tape-to-tape editing, there’s a good chance you’ve dealt with an edit controller device that has jog or shuttle wheels. With everything being software based now, many have simply reassigned to a keyboard the tasks that used to be associated with a console. Well, short of buying an expensive console to interface with your NLE or remembering dozens of keyboard shortcuts, what’s a video editor to do? That’s where Jeff Chow’s CTRL+Console iOS app comes in. Click through to check out the Kickstarter video. (more…)

Join 70,000+ Members on the Digital Creative Community Stage 32

Benjamin Dewhurst — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 23:10:05 +0000

There are many great ways to connect to other filmmakers today. We have sites like Production Hub, Mandy.com, and even Craigslist that are fantastic for crewing up and getting on crews. However, when I’m playing “closer to the chest”, I find myself sourcing locally nowadays on Facebook. I like to see who knows who of closer friends, and I prefer direct connections to general callouts. This merger of production resources and social networking is the theme behind Stage 32, a 70,000+ member network for film, television, and theatre creatives. (more…)