» Posts Tagged ‘iphone’
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 »
On the other side of the lens spectrum at NAB 2013 this year, Schneider has introduced some lenses for a little camera known as the iPhone. The iPro Lens System, released last year, has received an upgrade this year, adding 2 lenses and a system for the iPhone 5. Hit the jump for the details. More »
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 »
It’s far too easy to get caught up in the technological aspects of filmmaking, whether it be with new cameras, lenses, NLEs, or anything else. Focusing on gear is easy when something new comes out practically every day, but all of this technology is in place for the purpose of helping us tell better stories. What better way to remind ourselves of this than to see a great story made with what is widely considered to be “less than adequate” equipment? Such is the case with Searching for Sugar Man, the Academy Award winner for Best Feature Documentary at this year’s Oscars, part of which was shot on, as you might have already guessed, an iPhone. Check out the trailer for this fascinating film below: More »
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 »
RØDE's New smartLav iOS Lavalier, VideoMic Upgrade, Plus Apogee's iPortable Recording Studio
We recently posted about RØDE’s iXY microphone and Rec app for iOS devices. While perhaps not suitable for everyone’s needs (or inversely, budget), it marks another step toward a lone multi-purpose tool handy to the crafty filmmaker — the iOS iPhone/iPad. While I’ll never own one, even I have to hand it to the iLeatherman. In a pinch, it’s a light meter, it’s a GoPro, it’s a shot designer, and with iXY and RØDE Rec, it’s a dual-system audio recorder, too. Now, RØDE continues its drive to make iOS a viable field sound-rec system with the smartLav lavalier microphone — as does the Apogee ONE, a like-minded iPad portable ‘recording studio’ system. RØDE has also upgraded its VideoMic for those run-and-gun shooters unsatisfied with smartphone sound — check out the details of each below. More »
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 »
Can't Afford a GoPro? You Already Own One. Just Add G-Form's G90 Indestructible iPhone Case
The iLeatherman* for filmmakers is very real. Case in point: let’s say you can’t afford the $400 GoPro HERO3 (or justify the purchase for whatever reason), but you still need a tiny HD rig that laughs in the face of danger, damage, and almost certain death — and you do own a smartphone. Meet G-Form’s waterproof/impact-resistant technology — your freefalling iPhone will survive a 100,000+ foot drop from space with it. The thing about that of course is, that same smartphone also has an HD video-capable camera built into it… you can see where this is going. Say ‘hello’ to G-Form’s G90 ‘Action Sports Camera’ cellphone cases — including variants for Android models. More »
Your iPhone is a Light Meter, Waveform Monitor, and False-Color Display with $5 Cine Meter App
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 »
More than anything, users appreciate the undeniable consistency (and therefore, customer confidence) that comes with any Apple machine or app. This applies to both consumers and professionals, though some of the latter may hesitate in days to come. Of course, achieving this consistency can be a double-edged sword — the very measures that guarantee the quality you’ve come to know and respect of Apple computing are the same tendencies that see them labeled as “notoriously controlling.” This too goes for the staunchly unwavering prices of Apple products across the marketplace — that double-edged sword extends all the way out to how such pricing is so firmly set. And, in terms of sword metaphors, this is more often the kind that cuts a hole in your pocket than the kind that “slashes prices.” More »
New Lomography Kickstarter Makes Your Smartphone a Mobile Film Scanner
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 »
Ever been in a situation and needed a high quality microphone and recording, but didn’t want to carry around a few extra devices? Well RØDE has introduced the iXY Microphone, which is the first device for iOS capable of 24-bit/96k audio recordings. The new microphone has a high-quality on-board A/D converter, and attaches to the data connection port on the bottom of the iPhone or iPad. It works with RØDE’s own recording app to achieve the highest-fidelity recordings possible. Here is the video introduction from RØDE: More »
Shoot a Film on Your iPhone, Control Canon DSLRs with an Android Tablet Monitor Rig
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
RED’s new Meizler Module was recently introduced, and it does almost everything you think a module should be able to do. It’s wireless functionality and proxy capabilities are the main selling point, but RED is also developing their own app that allows control of a RED EPIC or SCARLET through an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Here is another video from Sean Ruggeri at RED giving a brief overview of the Meizler Module as well as the new REDsync app: More »
This is a guest post by Whitney Adams.
There are literally thousands of apps on the iOS and Android platforms, and plenty of them are actually useful for filmmakers. Having some of these apps is like having an entire production office or studio in your pocket. App developers have created tools for all different skill levels, so whether you are just starting your career or have been at it for a while, there is an app for you. Here are 5 that just might make your filmmaking experience more productive: More »
We posted a DIY stabilizer not too long ago that should actually prove to be very capable, but if building your own isn’t something you’re interested in (and you need one specifically designed for a smaller camera), some brothers from Cambridge, MA have come up with their own stabilizer that is specifically designed for that purpose. While it will work well with camera phones like the iPhone and compact cameras, it can also handle smaller mirrorless cameras and DSLRs like the Canon T2i. Check out the intro video below, but if you want a discount you’ll have to hurry ($140 vs. $180 at retail), as the Kickstarter campaign is ending at 6:53pm Eastern. More »
Aurasma: A Great Self-Promotion Tool and a Way to Get Your Film into Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality has been slowly making its way into our lives, mostly in the form of demo videos, games, and Google’s forthcoming Glass project. But Aurasma is a cool little app that puts the tools to create AR content into the hands of everyone, and has implications that could put an interesting twist in filmmaking for the web: More »
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