The days of pen and paper are over. Screenwriting, line rehearsals, pre-production and accounting – everything is done on iPads and iPhones nowadays, even directing is made easier with the help of nifty apps. So, to help you move with the times, here are top 10 apps for the modern filmmaker.
Whether you need help with your storyboard or lighting, you can bet that there is an app to help you solve the problem.
We are pleased to share recommendations of which apps were the most handy for those working in the TV and film industry. Digging through hundreds of options, this is our final top 10 – a sort of ‘something for everybody’ list with which you can’t go wrong.
Take a look below, we hope you agree. And if you think we missed any, Please let us know !
Forget drawing a storyboard – for just over £20 you can now do it digitally with Cinemek’s storyboard composer. Not only will you be able to create, change and export your boards easily, now you can even add things such as tracking, tilts and dolly moves. An all-round handy app.
MovieSlate can’t be left off this list. This app is an easy to use, all-in-one clapper board, shot log, digital slate and shot notepad. It lets you log footage and take notes during your shoot. Though not the cheapest at £17.49, it would still be a way to save some money.
Handy for the forgetful but also for those who want to make the most of their time standing in a queue or sitting on busses is an app called ProPromter. For £6.99 the app can help make sure that no line is ever forgotten.
Perhaps it sounds a little daft to explore vintage film effects with the help of a modern device but the beauty of authentic film has never gone away. iSupr8 is a recorder which grades each pixel based on exposure adding old school effects. It’s super easy to use and at £1.49, a lot cheaper than film ever was.
This app has been around for quite some time and aims to help cinematographers to quickly calculate depth of field, focal length, exposure, running time to length, shooting to screen time, diopter, underwater distance and much, much more. The list is quite long and for £20.99 Pcam should help you save some time during production.
This is another slightly technical one. At £10.49 BeamCalc can be used to gauge the geometry and photometrics of spotlight beams. Place and direct up to three light sources (from the included library) to assess and compare lighting characteristics: elevation angle, beam and field pool width, illumination, and shadow length.
Nothing is as beautiful as a sunrise and sunset – but unfortunately they never last that long. With the clock ticking it’s always nerve-racking to see that yellow ball move out of sight before you have managed to get the shot you need. Sun Seeker can offer you some help. This app, which has a free ‘lite’ version and a full version for £5.99, will tell you the sun’s path and how much time you have left to film in the right light.
iMovie does what it says on the tin; it lets you make HD movies on your mobile (or iPad). With the programme’s in-depth editing features you can make entire films, all of reasonably good quality. The price tag? A very nice £2.99 – well worth the download we think.
This app offers you a fully-functional mobile screenwriting service. So, though they might still need to seek out a quiet place, screenwriters can now write a complete movie and television screenplays anywhere and anytime. As it comes highly recommended, KFTV thinks that for £10.49 this app is a good buy.
For a mere £1.49 you can purchase CinemaFX for Video, a video effects app that helps you create a vintage look and feel. Effects include 8mm, 8mm Vanilla, 8mm Magenta, 70s, Pop, 70s Dusty, 1920, Techcolor, Dust & Scratch, Film Grain, Quick Blur and Smooth Blur. You can stack up effects and export the footage in various resolutions – what more do you need ?