NoFilmSchool » mobile

Your iPhone is Now a 48kHz Audio Field Recorder with an XLR Input

Ryan Koo — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:42:13 +0000

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…)

Android 4.0 Adds New Video Features, and Part of 'The Avengers' Was [Update: NOT] Shot on an iPhone

Ryan Koo — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:21:06 +0000

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…)

Apple's iPhone 4S Adds 1080p Video Recording, Fast Lens, and Gyro Stabilization

Ryan Koo — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:11:07 +0000

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…)

This is Just Silly. Or is It? Movie Mount Turns iPad into Oversized Video Camera

Ryan Koo — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:18:22 +0000

This seems like a terrible idea. The iPad makes for the least ergonomic camcorder form factor: a big, flat slate. This hasn’t stopped an iPad accessorizer by the name of Mayakama from creating a case for the iPad 2 that allows for an on-camera (on-iPad, really) light, shotgun microphone, lens attachments, and a proper tripod mount. Priced at $70, this seemingly Bad Idea actually makes a bit of sense when you watch the launch video: (more…)

Adobe Takes 'Story' to the Next Level (the Mobile Level)

Ryan Koo — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:30:53 +0000

In-the-cloud screenwriting app Adobe Story is free until April 12th, 2012. I got a chance to use it recently (instead of my normal app — and industry standard — Final Draft) because I was in search of a two-column, A/V writing layout and I find Celtx’s A/V mode disappointing. In the process I found out Story now has an iPhone app that’s also free. Unlike the mobile version of Celtx, Story doesn’t let you edit the screenplay through iOS, but it does let you read scripts, add comments, read notes from others, and sync everything to the cloud. Adobe’s making a play to offer a complete script-to-screen solution, and Story is a central piece. Here’s the desktop version in action: (more…)

Mobile Version of Celtx Goes 2.0, Touts New Screenwriting Features for iPhones and iPads

Ryan Koo — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:56:29 +0000

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…)

'DSLR Filmmaker Toolkit' Vies to Be the Swiss Army Knife of On-set iPhone Apps

Ryan Koo — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:14:24 +0000

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…)

Vimeo Launches iPhone App with Advanced Sharing and Editing Tools

Ryan Koo — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:19:59 +0000

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…)

DoddlePRO Aims to Enable Paperless Film Production with Mobile Interactive Call Sheets

Ryan Koo — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:54:22 +0000

Doddle, an iOS/Android application that has to date functioned primarily as a database of contacts for film professionals, has launched doddlePRO. The pro version brings to the table interactive callsheet functionality and is designed to help producers manage cast and crew with a paperless approach. Here are some screenshots, and the feature list of the pro version: (more…)

Use your Mobile Device to Control your DSLR with blueSLR or DSLR Camera Remote

Ryan Koo — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:16:39 +0000

blueSLR is a new application/dongle combination that allows you to control a DSLR using your mobile device. You plug a Bluetooth dongle into your Nikon DSLR (support for Canon is “coming soon”), pair it with your iOS device, and now you’ve got a remote control for your DSLR. The dongle also allows you to geotag your shots, as it adds location data. (more…)

Android vs iOS - Which Mobile OS Will Help Filmmakers?

Ryan Koo — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:24:42 +0000

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…)

What Features Do You Want to See in a Tablet?

Ryan Koo — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:18:33 +0000

Soon, the iPad won’t be the only tablet on the block. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab was first out of the gate, but a bevy of other Android-powered tablets have also been announced. And while this first wave of Android tabs looks a bit hacked-together (Google has referred to their current rev of Android as “not optimized for tablets“), one thing’s for sure: we’re going to see a lot of iPad knockoffs in the months to come. Whether or not you already have an iPad, what features would you like to see added to the iPad’s basic feature set? For my own filmmaking and creative purposes, there are two things I’d want to see in a tablet: (more…)

Dozens of the Best Android, iPhone, and Mac Apps

Ryan Koo — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:09:34 +0000

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…)

A Veritable Cornucopia of Apps for Filmmaking

Ryan Koo — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:47:22 +0000

One of the many items on my “to write” list is a “helpful applications for filmmakers” article. I was thinking if I spent some time on the Moon I could write all of these articles, but short of that (anyone who’s seen the Duncan Jones/Sam Rockwell film will know what I mean), there are just too many potential articles to crank out while also trying to make movies! Thankfully FilmmakerIQ and Filmmaker Magazine have both posted application roundups, which, as you can guess from the “filmmaker” in each publication’s name, focus on applications for filmmakers. Highlights from both articles include: (more…)

Google App Inventor for Android Means Your Next Film or Video Project Can Have an App - No Coding Required

Ryan Koo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:06:25 +0000

As transmedia pioneer Lance Weiler recently wrote in the pages of Filmmaker, mobile devices “offer opportunities for filmmakers to reach audiences directly, with little to no intervention from middlemen. While the selling of a film on iTunes requires a filmmaker to go through one or maybe two aggregators, it is possible to go direct to the App Store as long as the mobile app receives approval from Apple.” But while Apple’s iOS requires approval, Google’s Android does not. Not only is Google’s app marketplace more open than Apple’s ecosystem, but Android has rapidly rising market share, and now Google is releasing App Inventor for Android, a new tool for creating applications with drag-and-drop simplicity — no coding (or approval) required. (more…)

Square allows independent creatives to accept credit cards anytime, anywhere

Ryan Koo — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:50:33 +0000

Is your film playing at a film festival? Are you selling DVDs or T-shirts? What if you’re a photographer selling prints out of your home? Maybe you’re a street artist doing sketches of tourists, or an artist selling paintings or sculptures at a street fair. Hell, you could be mowing lawns for money. Now imagine you had a miniature cash register that takes credit cards, accept signatures, and send receipts automatically, all using the mobile device you’re already carrying in your pocket. For filmmakers and other independent creatives, Square is a big deal.

Helpful app: PdaNet

Ryan Koo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:00:53 +0000

File this under “too good to be true, therefore it probably won’t last.” PdaNet is an application that allows you to use your phone’s data connection on your laptop. It connects iPhone, Palm, Android, Blackberry, or Windows Mobile phones to Macs or PCs (in my case, it’s an Android phone connected to a Mac). This means you essentially have internet everywhere; if you’re on a decent 3G connection it’s surprisingly fast. I ran a speed test and got 2.5 megabits/second (Time Warner cable internet in NYC typically peaks out at 5 megabits). Considering many carriers are soon going to charge you for tethering, the $30 one-time fee for PdaNet is more than worth it if you find yourself working on the road a lot (or in coffee shops and airports, where free Wi-Fi is still rare). While the connection is sometimes finicky, PdaNet has more than paid for itself; I’m writing this from an internet-free house in Queens, yet I’ve been able to FTP large video files to clients.

Link: PdaNet

Seen: Chat Roulette

Ryan Koo — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:00:36 +0000

When moviegoers started going to theaters less frequently in favor of watching a videotape or DVD on a home screen, the movie-watching experience became less social. But once you connect that home screen to the internet, suddenly that device can help you become more social. I’m interested in the ways connected devices help us meet and interact with strangers; specifically I think the mobile dating arena is primed to take off, as it combines the convenience of meeting someone in a bar (meaning, it’s local) with the filtration abilities of the internet (clicking a mouse or touching a screen is a much easier, and often more civil, way to get rid of would-be suitors). In light of all this, I found this video about the barebones site Chat Roulette interesting:

If I were to bootstrap a non-film-related startup, I think it would be in the “mobile meeting” space, but I don’t have the infrastructure to support that kind of thing. Regardless, while this technology might be depressingly primitive today — and depressingly populated by what Casey terms “perverts” — where it’s headed tomorrow is the (multi)million-dollar question.

[via NewTeeVee]

The Google Phone will be free

Ryan Koo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:22:33 +0000

UPDATE: It seems I was wrong, but not before others picked up on this idea. As it turns out, the Google Nexus One isn’t nearly as disruptive as a VOIP-driven, ad-supported device could be. I still maintain that the below is possible, and hopefully we’ll see it one day soon.

This isn’t specific to film, but considering mobile devices today are much more than just phones — they’re connected computers that serve as our digital, personal assistants — this has bearing on how all of us will be interacting with each other (and content) in the future. So I thought I’d throw around some unqualified and totally speculative speculation about What’s Next when it comes to mobile platforms. (more…)