» Posts Tagged ‘iphone’
Less Than 48 Hours Left to Support The Kick Light on Kickstarter: Update on Features and Accessories
You might recall that last month I wrote about The Kick –a camera mounted LED light that you can control with the iPhone– and what it’s features could mean for the future of studio lighting. The makers of The Kick have less than 48 hours to go on their Kickstarter campaign, and have shared more information about the Kick’s features and upcoming accessories: More »
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about The Kick camera light and what it’s features could mean for the future of studio lighting, one of which was the possibility of controlling the attributes of multiple lights from a smart phone . While this is a feature that hasn’t yet come to pass for studio lights, it is starting to appear in practicals: More »
We’ve all used shot lists on set (or most of us, anyway), and the one inevitability with all shot lists is that they’re going to change. Whether you’re way behind or way ahead, shot lists help you and the Assistant Director (if you have one) figure out where and when you’ll be shooting next. It’s usually a given that something will have to change with the shot list and it’ll be crossed out or erased and rewritten. It’s amazing that in 2012 this is still predominately how things are done for one simple reason: because it works. Well, a new iOS app called Shot Lister wants to change the way we’ve been doing things for the last 100 years of cinema, and it’s got a few tricks up its sleeve that just might convince you. More »
At CineGear 2012, there were some interesting developments in lighting, particularly Kino Flo’s Celeb LED Panel, which allows for 5 customizable color temperature presets ranging from 2700K to 5500K. But aside from that, the features of the Celeb and the other lights shown at the expo were pretty much what one would expect from a typical studio light: a color temperature ranging somewhere between tungsten and daylight, dimmable bulbs, and either soft light panels or harder lights in the form of adjustable fresnel fixtures. But what if there was a studio light that more fully took advantage of the low heat, low power draw, and color changing abilities of LED’s? It might look something like The Kick: More »
I’ve used (and unfortunately paid for) a couple of iPhone slates in the past. They both worked in their own ways, but they weren’t really as good as the real thing. The one positive that I’ve enjoyed from these slate apps is that they can be much easier to read, whether you’re in the dark, or your AC is getting sloppy with their handwriting. QRSlate is a whole different animal. So if you’re looking for a new slate app to go with that new iPad, this one can give you automatic metadata when you transfer your footage. It’s a pretty clever solution to help save you time and aggravation in post. More »
Vimeo has always been a huge supporter of artists, musicians, filmmakers – anyone in the arts. They’ve fostered a community that lets artists be who they want to be, and post their work without restrictions, something that’s a bit harder to find on YouTube. Today they updated their iOS app, and like most of their website, it’s still free. The big news, however, is that it finally works natively on those millions of iPads you creatives have been carrying around. More »
Many have lauded Avid’s latest version of Media Composer (6), and it seems Avid is not content to cede the lower-end editing market to Adobe and Apple. To that end, they have released a new iPad app, Avid Studio, which at a special introductory price of $4.99 is surely the lowest-price piece of paid Avid software. Here’s a look at the app in action (no sound, some Japanese text): More »
Pro Audio To Go is a new $30 iPhone app designed for higher-end audio applications than you’d typically think of for the iPhone. I’ll just let the developers say it: “Pro Audio to Go turns your iPhone into a 48 kHz professional audio recorder for use on location by news reporters, journalists, documentarians, musicians, DSLR videographers, filmmakers, producers and editors. With a single tap on your phone, you can record an AIFF audio file in 48 kHz. Upload the file directly to an FTP server or email it, then download and instantly begin using it in your editing system’s Timeline. No conversion necessary!” Here’s the full feature set: More »
If Google and Apple were politicians — and if this blog were actually a legitimate news site — I’d have to give each of them equal time. So, since I mentioned the improved video and photo capabilities of the iPhone 4S, I would be remiss if I did not also mention Google’s demonstration of Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” last week, which, to contextualize things, will make most mobile phones higher resolution and more feature-laden for shooting video video than the first digital video camera I used a dozen years ago (which retailed for $3,500 at the time). And if you think this doesn’t relate to filmmaking at all, it turns out DP Seamus McGarvey used an iPhone to shoot parts of The Avengers — actually this has since been debunked, but the Android headline still stands: More »
The new iPhone 4S shoots 1080/30p video. No, I’m not saying you should use it to shoot a narrative film, but in terms of ubiquity we’re going to see a lot of footage from the 4S going forward — as an indicator of this ubiquity, the iPhone 4 is the single most popular camera on flickr. Those blurry cameraphone videos used on the news for eyewitness reports are certainly going to be a lot sharper, but how does the much-hyped new lens fare against the video quality of a Canon 5D Mark II? Here’s a shootout video from Robino Films, who set both cameras up on the same tripod and rolled simultaneous video: More »
I know the rest of the internet is already clogged with news about the new iPhone 4S — which looks the same as the previous iteration, the iPhone 4 — but there are some video-specific features worth noting. The 4S ships with an 8 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor that records 1080p video at 30 FPS. With an f/2.4 aperture and a gyro for video stabilization, those movies shot on iPhones should start looking a bit better. Per usual with Apple promo videos, the new iPhone spot is rife with “amazing,” “incredible,” and every other hyperbolic term in the dictionary, so here it is starting with the part focused on its photo/video capabilities: More »
My daily sojourn to the coffee shop to work on my feature screenplay — of which I’m happy to report I’ve just completed a third draft — is often accompanied by the sight of other folks working on their own script. I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which is probably the Aspiring Screenwriter capital of New York, so it’s a common sight. But I’ve been surprised recently at the number of times I’m seeing Celtx instead of Final Draft — probably due to the fact that the former is free. On the desktop, that is: the mobile version is $9.99, and just went version 2.0. More »
Have you ever found yourself holding an SLR lens in one hand and an iPhone in the other, thinking, “if only I could use these two together?” If so — really? — you’re in luck. The iPhone SLR Mount is exactly what it sounds like — a $250 adapter that allows you to use any Nikon or Canon mount SLR lenses with your iPhone. The two-piece device looks like this (lens not included): More »
DSLR Filmmaker Toolkit is a new app for iOS devices that combines a number of handy tools for, you guessed it, DSLR filmmakers. Current features include an electronic slate, shot log, depth-of-field calculator, level (for dolly/slider shots), daylight calculator, director’s viewfinder and more. It’s priced at $7.99 and available now through iTunes. I can’t test it myself as I’m on Android, but here’s a look at the app in action: More »
Gamma & Density make high-end tools for DIT (Digital Imaging Technicians) such as their complex 3cP data management system. However, as more and more productions go digital, it seems to me there will be a need for a more budget-friendly DIT solution. Utilizing the iPad seems like a perfect way to allow cinematographers and directors to communicate their aesthetic intentions on-set. However, G&D’s $400 pricing seems a bit high for the indie crowd; anyone know of any alternatives? Here’s the promo video: More »
Vimeo has had HTML5-enabled video for quite some time, which means all of their videos are viewable on iOS devices. But now they’ve released the official Vimeo iPhone app, which includes far more functionality than you’d expect from a first version. In fact, it looks as if the Vimeo app — which is free — could give the iOS version of iMovie a run for its money (which, it’s worth noting, is priced very affordably at $4.99). Here’s a look at the Vimeo application in action: More »
Apple has released iOS 4.2, which comes with a slew of improvements for iOS devices. However, iOS isn’t the only kid on the block, with reports that Samsung’s Android-powered iPad competitor shipped 600,000 units in the first month. Amid reports that Android phones are outselling iPhones (possibly 2-to-1), and the news that Apple and Google are locked into competition over who will premiere “tap to buy” first (which will allow us to use our smartphones as virtual credit cards), I thought I’d delve into NoFilmSchool’s analytics to see what percentage of visitors are running iOS versus Android. Both mobile OSes will be a growing distribution platform for movies, but which OS will help independent filmmakers? More »
When the iPad was first announced I wrote an article about how the device could affect filmmakers, saying, “when you’re developing a cross-platform story, what happens if you can’t define your project along clear lines? Should I say it? ‘There’s an app for that.’” Stonehenge Productions has stepped in to create these very apps, which basically package your film along with a number of extras in a manner similar to a DVD release. This allows you to sell your film in the App store — thereby circumnavigating your way onto an Apple device without having to go through the iTunes movie store. More »
Lifehacker is currently running a great series called “Lifehacker Packs,” wherein they round up all their favorite applications for the iOS, Android, and Mac platforms (no Windows love yet). Many of these applications are free, and each post is a great resource for anyone looking to add some creative/productive/fun tools to their computerized lives. The compilations are aimed at anyone, not just filmmakers (the full links are at the bottom of this post), but I’ve grabbed a number of relevant apps (and Lifehacker blurbs) for independent creatives: More »
As a desktop screenwriting application, Celtx has never threatened industry stalwarts Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter, despite its advantage (in terms of adoption) of being free. However, it seems the just-released mobile version of Celtx is ahead of the game instead of playing catch-up. “Digital rebel” Stu Maschwitz kick off his post on Celtx with the following: More »
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Ben Howling: guys, this is awesome. i really appreciate it. Luke Neumann on Canon 5D Mark III RAW Video and a Comparison with the RED …