Get Rid of Paper Waste with the ikan Cinema Forms iPad App

Though ikan has traditionally been involved in hardware and rigs, they have now designed their own iPad app. Having a professional looking call sheet or talent release can go a long way when you're on location. If you've ever been a UPM or Producer, you know that it can be a pain working with the loads of paperwork. The new app, called Cinema Forms, tries to simplify that entire process and keep it all electronic. If you do eventually need paper copies, the app can sync with iCloud and Dropbox, as well as send the forms through email.

The app comes with 10 templates when you purchase, and you can purchase additional form bundles via the in-app Form Shop with over 90 forms to choose from. Here are those 10:

1. Call Sheet
2. Breakdown Sheet
3. Shot Log
4. Talent Release Form
5. Location Release Form
6. Location Scout Worksheet
7. Asset Inventory Log
8. Cast Contact List
9. Crew Contact List
10. Pre-production checklist

While this is useful for professionals and amateurs alike, it could definitely come in handy for those just starting out in film production who aren't quite sure which forms they really need or what they are supposed to look like. The templates are also fully searchable, so if you need to find a specific form but it's been lost in the mix, you can use search terms to find it. You can also get signatures right in the app using your finger (which isn't as nice), or one of the many capacitive stylus devices out there.

Paper has always been the sure thing, but technology is slowly but surely starting to creep its way into every facet of filmmaking. At $10, the app with those first templates is about the money you'd save on making hundreds paper copies of forms. Many productions, companies, and workers will still want hard copies of everything, but it's looking like Cinema Forms could simplify workflows for plenty of people out there.

You can find out more about the app on the Cinema Forms website, and you can download it right now from the app store using the link below.

Links: Cinema Forms - App Store & Cinema Forms - Website

Disclosure: ikan is a No Film School advertiser.