iPhone Apps For Lighting Professionals
Filed under: Computing, Equipment, Internet, Lighting
I came across several applications for lighting professionals while researching our recent post iPhone Apps For Filmmakers. Lighting engineers can enjoy a full array of sophisticated apps to assist in their work.
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PowerCalc by West Side Systems, LLC (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots 
PowerCalc performs basic electrical power calculations with watts, volts, amps, and motor power factor. More Info
Luminair (DMX Remote) by Synthe FX, LLC (Cost: $99.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
Luminair enables you to wirelessly control, view, record and manage intelligent DMX lighting fixtures, consoles, media servers and other software directly from your iPhone or iPod touch. Using Artistic License’s Art-Net protocol over your device’s built-in Wi-Fi connection, Luminair communicates with other compatible hardware and software nodes on your network. A gorgeous user interface provides desktop-calibre features and performance, all on a mobile platform. Use Luminair as the ultimate remote focus tool, for advanced architectural lighting, or simply as the centerpiece of your intelligent lighting rig. Video Demo
User Manual More Info
DMXCalc by West Side Systems, LLC (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
Entertainment lighting equipment uses a control system called DMX512. DMXCalc is a simple and elegant calculator which does address arithmetic for DMX equipment. More Info
DMXtoolSet by Holger Blümler (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
Most features and functions of this app require external hardware interface at docking connector. This hardware receives audio output signal that carries the DMX data. This works like a modem via FSK (frequency shift key). But the app also works without external hardware. In this case you can use the DIP-switch tool. It calculates DMX channels to DIP-switch settings. The DMX hardware interface may be purchased separately at hmb-tec.de or futuresoundfactory ebay shop.
iSwitch DMX by Michael Zinman (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
iSwitch DMX is an easy to use binary DIP switch utility for stage lighting electricians, technicians and programmers. Selecting a DMX address updates the DIP switch graphic with the correct DIP switch settings. You can also select an offset for your next DMX device to display the next subsequent address & DIP switch settings.
iSwitch by Michael Zinman (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
iSwitch is an intuitive binary DIP-Switch calculator for engineers, technicians and programmers. Selecting a Device address updates the DIP switch graphic with the correct DIP switch settings. You can also select an offset for your next device to display the next subsequent address & DIP switch settings.
Light Calc by Michael Kohler (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshot
Light Calc is a photometric calculation tool for professional lighting designers and theatrical electricians. It allows you to carry a pocket database of commonly used theatrical lighting fixtures that you can quickly access in the field. Light Calc allows a user to select a type of lighting fixture, choose one of several lamp types, and set a throw distance. The calculator will then return a beam diameter and field diameter, in feet, as well as center field illumination, in footcandles.
Light Calc Lite by Michael Kohler (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshot
Light Calc Lite is a simple beam calculator application for Lighting Professionals. Simply enter a beam angle or a field angle and a throw distance to calculate the expected diameter.
PocketLD by Michael Zinman (Cost: $19.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
PocketLD is a photometric database and calculation tool for theatrical and TV/Film lighting professionals. Simply enter your throw distance, than select manufacturer, fixture and a lamp to calculate beam/field diameter and fc/lux. More Info
ML Finder PRO by Michael Zinman (Cost: $39.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
For lighting designers, stage electricians, programmers and techs, ML Finder PRO is the perfect companion to any toolkit. ML Finder PRO is a complete list of parameters and channel assignments for over 500 lights, LEDs and media servers. For the tech addressing a light plot, a designer determining the functionality of a moving light, or a programmer building a profile for their lighting console. This information is nicely integrated into one app. More Info
ML Finder by Michael Zinman (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
For the stage lighting tech addressing a light plot. ML Finder displays the DMX footprint for over 500 moving lights, LED’s and media servers. Know how many DMX channels each device uses, in any mode. Simple to navigate and FREE to download!
GelCalc by Michael Zinman (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
iSwitch DMX is an easy to use binary DIP switch utility for stage lighting electricians, technicians and programmers. More Info
Gel Swatch Library by Wybron, Inc. (Cost: $19.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
The Gel Swatch Library by Wybron, Inc., lets lighting production personnel browse, search, and compare more than 1,000 gel color filters. More Info
CXI Color Calculator by Wybron, Inc. (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
The CXI Color Calculator from Wybron helps lighting production personnel find and program colors for the CXI dual-gelstring color changer. Scroll through two overlapping gelstrings of cyan, magenta, and yellow to blend the ideal shade, then plug its numerical values into your lighting control console to have a CXI color changer move to that color. The Color Calculator also gives you the values needed to replicate several colors from the GAM, Lee, and Rosco collections of theatrical filters.
ShowTool LD by Daniel Murfin (Cost: $3.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
ShowTool LD is an easy to use, yet powerful suite of utilities for Lighting Designers and Electricians.. More Info
BeamCalc by West Side Systems, LLC (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
Use BeamCalc to calculate the geometry of spotlight beams. Enter the height of the fixture above the focus point, the horizontal distance between the fixture and the focus point, and the fixture’s beam angle. BeamCalc displays the resulting throw distance, elevation angle, and beam width at the focus point. Adjust the position to achieve a specific elevation angle. Adjust the position and beam size to achieve a specific width. For use in architectural, display and entertainment lighting design.
ProjectorCalc by Michael Kohler (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
ProjectorCalc is a program for professional lighting technicians and projectionists. Its primary purpose is to determine the size of a projected image given various information about the projector and it’s location. ProjectorCalc allows users to enter details for a projector and its location in relation to a projection surface.ProjectorCalc will calculate image width, image height, diagonal length, brightness in Nits, total projected area, and how many pixels per inch the projected image will be. Additionally, ProjectorCalc can give you an estimate of how much keystone distortion will occur by calculating the length of each side of the distorted image.
Moiré Gobo Library by Wybron, Inc. (Cost: $9.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
The Moiré Gobo Library from Wybron, Inc. lets lighting production personnel browse, search, and experiment with more than 3,600 different A-size gobos. More Info
iGobo by Richard Williamson (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2 or later) Screenshots
Rosco iGobo for iPhone and iPod Touch is the perfect tool for lighting designers, technicians and creative directors on the go. Containing the entire Rosco gobo library of more than 2300 images, iGobo makes it easy to browse, compare and select steel, glass or effects gobos, black and white or color, no matter where you are — in your studio, at the tech table, in a design meeting or even in transit. More Info
Black Steel Gobo Catalogue by HILLA Limited (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
GOBOLAND is an independent, specialized manufacturer of high quality glass and steel gobos for all lighting fixtures.Easily browse the award winning Black Steel Collection™ gobos. The App doesn’t require an internet connection while you browse the 1200+ gobo patterns available in high quality Black Steel or Glass.
Light by Digital Film Tools (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
Light can be added to a scene where none existed before just as if you were adding light at the time of photography. Realistic lighting and shadow is introduced using digital versions of the gobo library created by Gamproducts. More Info
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iPhone Apps For Filmmakers
One of the hottest commodities on the market today is the iPhone and iPod Touch. It is expected that Apple will have sold 80 million iPhones by 2012. The uses for this mini computer are growing everyday. Currently there is over 65,000 official applications available at iTunes for the iPhone. At the current growth rate this number could top 100,000 by the end of the year. This is not counting a vast amount of web based applications, over 1700 alone registered with Apple.
iPhone apps exist in many flavors, everything from simple games to complex software for professional task. Most apps are very affordable, if not dirt cheap or free. Filmmakers have not been left behind in the app frenzy. While searching the web for some tools to help us, I was astonished by the amount of software available. Here is a list of apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch apps I was able to dig up.
**Opera web browser users: If you have difficulty with the “get app” function working properly with iTunes, see this fix
Native Apps
A native app is a software that is installed directly to the iPhone. The iTunes store host all the apps approved by Apple.
Hitchcock by Cinemek inc (Cost: $19.99)
(iPhone, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
Cinemek® Hitchcock for iPhone and iPod Touch is a mobile storyboard and pre-visualization composer designed for Directors, Directors of Photography, Producers, Writers, Animators, Art Directors, film students and anyone who wants to be able to visualize their story. More Info
pCAM Film+Digital Calculator by David Eubank (Cost: $39.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1or later) Screenshots
A Motion Picture and Still Photography calculator for Directors of Photography, Photographers, Camera Operators, Camera Assistants, VFX Supervisors, Script Supervisors, Gaffers, Grips, Editors, Production Designers, Art Directors, Film and Photography Students. Created by the same Hollywood Camera Assistant who created the widely used Palm version. More Info
iTC Calc by KPL Production Services, Ltd. (Cost: $9.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
iTC Calc is the perfect companion for any producer, post-production producer, editor, Flame or After Effect artists and everyone who need to deal with timecode and frames. More Info
iTC Calc Light by KPL Production Services, Ltd. (Cost: $2.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2 or later) Screenshot
iTC Calc Light is the perfect calculator for any producer, post-production producer, editor, flame or After Effect artists and everyone who need to make quick timecode calculations. More Info
TCCalc – Timecode calculator by Jean-Luc Pedroni (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
TCCalc is a powerful time code calculator. With its two views, horizontal and vertical springboard, you can choose between basic timecode operations, or more sofisticated operations and features. More Info
TimeCodeCal by Daniel Maskell (Cost: $2.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2 or later) Screenshots
TimeCodeCal is the most flexible time / timecode calculator available. With it’s user configurable frame rate from 1 to 100 frames per second, plus hexadecimal mode it is aimed at anyone performing time based calculations, from the casual user to professionals in the broadcast industry. The hex mode was included with developers in mind looking at memory dumps of data. More Info
FreeTime Pro by Javier Hernanz Zajara (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.1 or later) Screenshots
A powerful timecode calculator. Conversion and editing modes. Formats include NTSC, Drop Frame, PAL, Film edgecode (3:2 pulldown), and real-time. User preferences control behavior with field overflows, illegal (dropped) frames values, and key click sound.
TC Calculator by Javier Hernanz Zajara (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshot
TC Calculator is a simple calculator for operating with TC’s (Time Codes) and frames. It can add, substract and convert TC’s between different speeds. It may be very useful for people working on video or film. Currently not available in iTunes US Store.
EditCalc by Brad Brooks (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
EditCalc is a frames, footage and timecode calculator app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. More Info
time:calc by WattenEarth (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshot
time:calc is a time calculator that does conversions and calculations of time. It also works with timecode enabling calculations of frame rates for TV and film. More Info
timecoder app by zinc Roe Inc. (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.1 or later) Screenshots
Timecoder converts video timecode between two different frame rates, from timecode to frame number and from frame number back to timecode. You can leave out the hours, minutes or seconds when they’re not necessary. You can also use large values that will “roll over”. For example, you can enter 90;00 (90 seconds) and Timecoder will automatically convert it to 00:01:30;00 (1 minute and 30 seconds). You can choose from a list of common framerates (frames, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30), or enter any framerate you like. Timecodes and framerates are rounded for display, but the conversions are accurate to more than three decimal places.
Film Editor’s Calculator by Michael Koperwas (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2 or later) Screenshots
The Film Editor’s Calculator is a valuable tool for any film editor which allows you to calculate feet and frames for 35mm motion picture film. The calculator’s database also gives you information such as manufacturer and film stock based on the keycode’s prefix. The keycode calculator interface is very simple to use and is helpful when working with film at the bench or working with telecines on an editing system.
Film Calculator by Noah Harlan (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
The 2.1 Film Calculator is a multi-purpose tool for filmmakers to aid in common tasks of film conversion and counting in pre-production, production and post-production.** On Sale! Now only $.99 until we release the new version in a couple weeks. Enjoy! ** More Info
Action Log Pro by Andris Ltd (Cost: $29.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
Action Log is a film and television logging tool, designed for use on location or in a studio with up to 25 recording devices. At the touch of a button the logging system keeps track of all reel names and timecodes for each recorded piece of action. More Info
Action Log by Andris Ltd (Cost: $5.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
Action Log is a film and television logging tool, designed for use on location or in a studio with 1 recording device. At the touch of a button the logging system keeps track of all reel names and timecodes for each recorded piece of action. More Info
Movie★Slate by PureBlend Software. (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.1 or later) Screenshots
Movie★Slate is a digital slate, clapper board, shot log, and shot notepad— designed for use with film, television, documentaries, interviews, and home movies. Movie★Slate provides an easy way to log footage and take notes as you shoot— saving you time later when you capture and edit the footage on your computer. More Info
FilmSlate by Idea Engine, Inc. (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
FilmSlate puts a portable “Smart Slate” in your hand. FilmSlate was developed by professionals, for professionals, and is designed to be used on set as an insert slate, a run-and-gun slate, or a portable backlit slate in your pocket. More Info
iSlate by ibuiltthis (Cost: $2.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.1 or later) Screenshots
iSlate is an easy to use portable digital clapper board that can help video enthusiasts add a touch of hollywood magic to their videos. Possible uses include video blogs, online video postings, and various video projects. More Info
iSlate Lite by ibuiltthis (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.1 or later) Screenshot
Free Lite version of iSlate the portable digital clapper board.
AClapBoard by Rolf-dieter Klein (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
A digital clapboard/Slate and client time measurement system. New features: timecode calculator and color charts, 2-pop sync. The application combines many functions useful for film makers but also in general for free lancer. More Info
ClapBoardLT by Rolf-dieter Klein (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
A digital clapboard and client time measurement system. ClapBoardLT is the smaller version of AClapBoard which has more features like color chart and timecode calculator.
More Info
LlamaSlate by Scott Lawrence (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
LlamaSlate is a filmmaker’s tool to help with the editorial process. LlamaSlate is a simplified digital version of a traditional “clapper board” or “slate”, which is used to mark the beginning and end of every shot filmed. LlamaSlate can also help you to sync multiple cameras easily. More Info
Pocket DIT by Clifton Production Services LLC (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
RED Camera users, this is your cinematography “cheat sheet”. More Info
iSee4K by Edward Watkins (Cost: Free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
With this nifty little app spend your time ‘getting the shot’, rather than pouring over manuals and reference tables. Although primarily developed to aid users of the RED® Digital Cinema Camera, iSee4K is highly configurable and allows users to calculate DoF, FoV and Lens equivalence for virtually any camera and lens. More Info
DoF by Michael Neuwert (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
DoF is a small utility for Photographer or Videographer allowing to calculate the depth of field. More Info
DOFMaster by Donald Fleming (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshot
Use DOFMaster to calculate the depth of field in your photographs. You’ll be able to select the lens and f/stop combination that provides the zone of sharpness you need. Use it to calculate the hyperfocal distance for landscape photography. More Info
DOF Ruler by Devin Hartman (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
DOF Ruler is a Depth of Field calculator with a unique sliding ruler interface. It is a quick and easy way for Photographers to calculate Depth of Field. More Info
f/8 DoF Calculator by Thorsten Kramp (Cost: $3.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
Photojournalists have a saying, “f/8 and be there,” meaning that being on the scene is more important than worrying about technical details. Yet with f/8, the depth-of-field and hyperfocal distance calculator for the iPhone and iPod touch, you’ll be there with the depth of field spot-on, too! Anywhere, anytime! More Info
MatchLens by D Matthew Smith (Cost: $9.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2 or later) Screenshots
This calculator computes the equivalent lens focal length to produce the same field of view between two cameras with different aperture/sensor sizes. It will do a “Match Lens” calculation, and produce the closest equivalent angle of view lens, in millimeters, for both vertical and horizontal frames, between the original camera’s focal length and the current camera’s focal length. More Info
ShootPad by David Brewster (Cost: $6.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
Made for the guy shooting home video or the videographer shooting with their own camera. As the professional video guy is pausing and starting his video camera, he’s supposed to make notes for the starting and ending of cuts for later editing. More Info
Animation Timer by Randy Cartwright (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2 or later) Screenshots
Animation Timer is a simple stopwatch designed for animators. More Info
FrameTime by Patrick Spizzo (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
FrameTime is a simple animation timer that lets you time events down to fractions of a second. Use the simple controls to start the timer, then add keyframes based on the action you are timing out. Once you are finished, the timer controls conveniently move out of the way so you can see as many of the keyframes as possible. More Info
FPS Calculate by Wes McDermott(Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
An animation timer is being added so that you can time movement and convert that into a given frame count! More Info
Screenplay by Black Mana Studios (Cost: $2.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
Black Mana Studios’ Screenplay is the world’s first fully-functional mobile screenwriting application. It allows professionals and hobbyists alike to write complete movie and television screenplays directly on the iPhone or iPod Touch. More Info
HollywoodHelper by differential enterprises (Cost: $2.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
For actors, Hollywood Helper / Broadway Buddy helps you learn the lines of your scripts without lugging around printed scripts, whether you aspire to screen or stage. More Info
Sync Points by Jon Lay (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshot
Sync Points is a calculator for composers for film, video, or any medium where precise synchronization to picture or SMPTE timecode is needed. With this app, you can calculate hit points from tempo or beats, generate an exact tempo in BPM and FPB for a given number of beats or timing, and compute a number of beats given a tempo and timing. More Info
FiRe – Field Recorder by Audiofile Engineering, LLC (Cost: $5.99)
(iPhone, OS: 2.2.1 or later) Screenshots
FiRe is the world’s first professional field recorder built exclusively for iPhone and iPod Touch.. Combining powerful, elegant and uncluttered audio utilities with unparalleled technical support. More Info
PowerCalc by West Side Systems, LLC (Cost: $0.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
PowerCalc performs basic electrical power calculations with watts, volts, amps, and motor power factor. More Info
LightMeter by Frank Bauer (Cost: $2.99)
(iPhone, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
Turn your iPhone 3G-S into a exposure meter.More Info
Helios Sun Position Calculator by Chemical Wedding (Cost: $29.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 3.0 or later) Screenshots
Helios is a Sun Position Calculator that graphically represents the position of the sun from dusk to dawn, on any given day, in any given place. More Info
Focalware by Spiral Development Inc (Cost: $9.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.1 or later) Screenshots
Focalware calculates sun and moon position for a given location and date. Use the interactive compass to determine the path and height of the sun or moon. Photographers and filmmakers who are always asked by their clients for the sun, moon and stars, can now deliver. More Info (with Video Demonstration)
MagicHour by Vela Design Group (Cost: $3.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.1 or later) Screenshots
MagicHour™ (formerly VelaClock) is a world clock that can quickly display the time of sunrise, sunset, three kinds of twilight (civil, nautical, astronomical) for dawn and dusk, moonrise, moonset, duration of daylight, current phase of moon, date and times for the next four moon phases, countdown to the next sunrise or sunset and next moonrise or moonset, and more. More Info
iFilmmaker Pro by Katha Films LLC (Cost: $4.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
For the movie making beginner, expert filmmaker or “been-there-done-that indie enthusiast”, iFilmMaker is loaded with 1500 questions, tips and tricks of the film making trade, presented in a very entertaining, and educational manner. With iFilmMaker application, you can learn about different aspects of filmmaking like editing, directing /producing, scriptwriting, acting, and cinematography with easy to answer questions, and click to live web links for detailed information about the particular subject. More Info
iFilmmaker Pro Lite by Katha Films LLC (Cost: $1.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
For the movie making beginner, expert or “been-there-done-that indie enthusiast”, iFilmMaker is loaded with hundreds questions, tips and tricks of the film making trade, presented in a very entertaining, and educational manner. With iFilmMaker application, you can learn about Editing, Directing/Producing, ScriptWriting, Acting, and Cinematography with easy to answer questions, and click to live web links for detailed information about the particular subject. More Info
Clz Movies by Bitz & Pixelz BV (Cost: $9.99)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: 2.0 or later) Screenshots
This app is a supplement to Movie Collector software by Collectorz.com. Movie Collector is a must have for anyone with a large film collection. It is by far the most complete and versital database software available on the market. Clz Movies application for the iPhone allows your to take your movie collection with you on the go. More Info
Web Based Apps
Web applications (or web apps) combine the power of the Internet with the simplicity of Multi-Touch technology, all on a 3.5-inch screen. iPhone and iPod touch let you easily flick through news on Digg, play Sudoku or Bejeweled with a finger tap, and quickly check movie times, train schedules, and favorite blogs.
When you find a web app you like, you can put it front and center on your Home screen. Just open the web app on your iPhone or iPod touch, tap the plus sign, and then tap “Add to Home screen.” A Web Clip will be added to your Home screen automatically for easy, one-tap access. You have up to nine Home screen pages for all your Web Clips and you can organize them however you like.
Footage Calc by Digital Rebellion (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshot
Enables you to calculate the amount of disk space required for various video codecs at varying frame rates. It offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to quickly and easily view the required information whilst on the move – perfect for those awkward on-the-spot questions from clients. Along with the iPhone Version there is also a full browser version. Also available as an offline application.
Film Rate Calc by Digital Rebellion (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshot
Calculates the relationship between film reels and shooting time. Use this calculator to work out how many rolls of film are required for a certain shooting ratio, or alternatively calculate how many minutes have been shot for a certain number of rolls. This is a useful tool for any script supervisor or producer. Along with the iPhone Version there is also a full browser version. Also available as an offline iPhone application.
Aspect Ratio Calculator by Digital Rebellion (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshot
Allows you to calculate the aspect ratio, width or height of an image or video. Also displays extra information such as the film or video format that the aspect ratio is normally associated with. This enables you to work out the correct frame size to use when creating CG shots that will be broadcast or intercut with live action footage. Along with the iPhone Version there is also a full browser version.
Depth of Field Calc by Digital Rebellion (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshot
This tool will calculate the depth of field for a given sensor or film type, aperture, focal length, and subject distance (the distance from the camera to the person or object you are focusing on). A lower number means that a large proportion of the background will remain in sharp focus and a higher number means that a smaller proportion (if any) will be in focus. It also includes presets for popular video cameras. Selecting a preset will automatically change the sensor type to fit your camera. Please be aware that this tool is designed for cinematographers, not still photographers. Along with the iPhone Version there is also a full browser version.
Pixel Aspect Ratio Calculator by Digital Rebellion (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshot
This tool will help you calculate pixel aspect ratios (PAR) of video formats. It also enables you to work out the proper resolution for a still image placed into a non-square pixel timeline. The source resolution is the square pixel resolution (ie. the dimensions of the still image) and the target resolution is the non-square resolution (ie. the final resolution of the image upon adding it to the timeline).
Along with the iPhone Version there is also a full browser version.
Lens Angle Calculator by Digital Rebellion (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshot
Use this calculator to calculate the lens angle or focal length for a given sensor size. This is useful for planning out camera placements in advance, which is particularly invaluable for visual effects work. Along with the iPhone Version there is also a full browser version.
Power Load Calculator by Digital Rebellion (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshot
Use this calculator to calculate the lens angle or focal length for a given sensor size. This is useful for planning out camera placements in advance, which is particularly invaluable for visual effects work. Along with the iPhone Version there is also a full browser version.
RED StrorageCalculator by Alex Boerger (Cost: free)
(iPhone/iPod Touch, OS: All) Screenshots
This calculator is specifically for Red Camera users. With it you can determine how much storage (in gigabytes) based upon your desired Redcode, Resolution, Aspect, Framerate, and time. Goto the iPhone Version.
Protective Cases
Accessories & Combo Packs
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Create your own apps or learn how to better use the iPhone.
iPod Touch
If iPhones are still not supported by your service provider or you are looking for an additional device, the iPod Touch might be for you. It works the same way as an iPhone, but lacks some of the features. Buy Now
Video Demo of the iPod Touch (Large Small)--Requires Quicktime--
A WordPress Index Page Template
After a few weeks of writing content for our blog, quite a bit of information has accumulated. Sometimes, we find it necessary to look at our pasts posts in order to get a piece of information. Browsing back in time has become more and more tedious as we have more content archived. On the very same day, Derrick and I both had the idea that we needed to create an Index page allowing instant access to any posts.
I worked on a template page for WordPress over the weekend in order to display such an index. Our main goal was to simply display a list of posts by date, but as I started to work on this I realized it could be a nice feature to also offer a list grouped by categories and tags. Since the list of posts was bound to grow, I decided to make each section title collapsable while still offering a view all link to display every posts title if so desired.
Before going ahead with the code, I did a quick Google search to see if anyone had worked on this before. What I found was an impressive graphical view of a blog past developped by Vladimir Prevolac based on the default archive page of Tumblr called Snazzy Archives. I really liked Vladimir’s work and decided to integrate that option as well in my Index page.
As I started working on this, I decided that I would make my work more valuable by making it generic enough to be used by other people. To do so, I knew that I had to make sure of the following:
- Use WordPress core functions
- Not rely on the pre existence of the Snazzy Archives plugin as not everyone would want to use i
- Test my index page with at least three different WordPress installations
It was the first time I tried to extend WordPress, and after a quick Google search I found this function reference page on the WordPress Codex. The documentation, though still being worked on by the community, is easy to read and understand and makes it quite enjoyable to work with the WordPress code. In the end, the only function I had to write was the one returning me the list of months during which at least one blog post had been written. Still, I found the code I needed within WordPress, I just had to adapt it to what I was doing.
Like I said, I really liked Snazzy and wanted to add it to our blog but my Index Template Page couldn’t rely on it to be installed as it might be temporarely disabled or some other user might not want to show it. I simply tested the existance of the plugin before placing the link to the Snazzy Archives in the page.
In order to test, I tried my template on three installations of WordPress. Two running WordPress 2.6 and one running 2.7. I also ran some tests enabling or not the permalinks options as it changes the url handling quite a bit. Regarding this question of URL, I decided not to use Ajax as WordPress front-end doesn’t use it, I decied to make my Index page match the rest of the blog engine on that aspect as well.
All in all, after a few hours of coding and experimenting with WordPress, I had completed my own template page. So far it has worked fine for us, but feel free to report any bug or share your comments with us on this page.
Live demo:
You can see the result in action by visiting our archive page. You can also see it running on my other blog World Gone Web.
Download:
You can download the template here.
Installation process:
- Download the template
- Upload the template archives.php to your theme directory (i.e. <wordpress>/wp-content/themes/<theme_name>
- Make sure your script file can be read
- Adapt the page structure of the template to match your blog theme structure (i.e. copy the beginning and th end of your blog theme index.php page like the content div and sidebar declaration)
- Enter your wordpress administration and write a new page
- Enter the title you wish to see in your menu (be carefull, “index” might generate problems, choose another name)
- Do not enter any content
- Find the page template menu and select “Index Page”
- Publish this new page
- You’re done, go to your blog and test it
If you wish to use Snazzy Archives as well, you also need to:
- Download SnazzyArchives and upload it to your plugin directory
- Go to your administration page and enable the plugin
- Refresh your blog archive page, the link to snazzy archives should appear
We hope you like it!
Streaming FLV videos #3
I’ve described in an earlier post how we play videos on our site using the JW Media Player. We created a playlist that begins with our animated logo then shows some of our latest videos. The logo animation will play automatically when the page loads. The user is then presented a menu allowing him to watch the videos.
Jw Media Player on WWA
This menu only displays a sample of our videos, which means that some of our movies are not available from our main page. This is something I intend to fix shortly. The real limitation of this system was that we could not provide a direct link to any of these videos to people who might want to easily play a given movie or link to it from their own website. To handle direct links, I wrote a PHP script which generates the playlist.xml file used by the jw media player. If a movie is requested via the url, it will be the first one in the playlist and will automatically play, the other videos of the default playlist are added to the playlist.
If you wish to create a similar feature for your site, here are the main steps of the procedure :
- Create your PHP script file (for example playlistgenerator.php).
- In this file, declare an array that will contain the information about each video of the playlist. Here is an example of the array structure I used:
0 => array (
“default” => 1,
“name” => “wwa logo”,
“title” => “World Wide Angle animation logo”,
“url” => “world_wide_angle.flv”,
“thumbnail” => “thumbnails/world_wide_angle.jpg”,
“author” => “World Wide Angle”,
“date” => “”,
“description” => “World Wide Angle animation logo”,
“link” => “”
),
1 => array (
“default” => 1,
“name” => “second_video_title”,
“title” => “Title of the second video”,
“url” => “second_video.flv”,
“thumbnail” => “thumbnails/second_video.jpg”,
“author” => “World Wide Angle”,
“date” => “September 20, 2008″,
“description” => “description of the second video”,
“link” => “http://www.alinkaboutthissecondvideo.com”
)
);
I use the default attribute (value is 1 or 0) to define whether the video should be added to the playlist at all times, or only when it has been requested. If you want all your videos to always be in the playlist, set this attribute to 1.
Next, copy (and feel free to adapt) the following code in your script:
$xml .= ‘<item>’;
$xml .= ‘<title>’.$video["title"].’</title>’;
$xml .= ‘<media:content url=”‘.$video["url"].’” type=”video/flv” start=”00:00″ />’;
$xml .= ‘<media:thumbnail url=”‘.$video["thumbnail"].’” />’;
$xml .= ‘<author>’.$video["author"].’</author>’;
$xml .= ‘<description>’.$video["description"].’</description>’;
$xml .= ‘<link>’.$video["link"].’</link>’;
$xml .= ‘</item>’;
}$xmlheader = ‘<rss version=”2.0″ xmlns:media=”http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/”><channel><title>World Wide Angle video gallery</title><link>http://www.wwangle.com</link>’;
$xmlfooter .= ‘</channel></rss>’;
$selected = $_GET["title"];
$xmlselected = “”;
$xmldefault = “”;
foreach ($videos as $video) {
if ($video["name"] == $selected) {
appendVideoToXml($video, $xmlselected);
} else {
if ($video["default"] == 1)
appendVideoToXml($video, $xmldefault);
}
}
$xmlcontent = $xmlheader . $xmlselected . $xmldefault . $xmlfooter;
file_put_contents(“jwmediaplayer/playlist_custom.xml”, $xmlcontent);
As it is, the script expects the video name to be passed as the “title” parameter.
- The script being PHP, you need to be sure that your server can run PHP, if so, upload the script to your server
- In your main page, call the script in order to generate the playlist
- Finally, modify the page containing the player in order to use the generated playlist instead of the hard coded one
var so = new SWFObject(‘jwmediaplayer/player.swf’,'mpl’,’560′,’420′,’9′);
so.addParam(‘flashvars’,'&file=jwmediaplayer/playlist_custom.xml&playlistsize=280&autostart=true’);
so.write(‘player’);
}
That’s it, it worked for us and allowed us to give artists a direct link to their videos that they could add on their own website: to see the scrcipt in action, you can follow the links below to discover the videos about Michael Johnston an Nassim Al Amin vernissages we filmed last month at chezGrace.
Hope this will help some of you out there.
Expose4: create an album of Flash Videos
Grace Teshima hosts arts exhibitions in Montmartre, Paris. Each exhibition starts with an informal “vernissage”. Those who couldn’t attend can view a short video of the event. Over the past four years, we worked on several of these videos for Grace. What started out as a souvenir of the show for the artists and guests, turned into an interesting collection of videos covering various artforms and subjects. A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to gather these videos on a single page. Thus, making it easy for a viewer to browse through these short movies and get a sense of what goes on at Grace’s.
I have already explained in an earlier post why I think flash video is the format to use to stream videos online. With that decision made up, one still needs a player. I was looking for a player with the following features:
- A playlist that I could easily and rapidly update
- The possibility to play various sizes of videos (since our earlier videos had a lower resolutions than the most recent ones due to the bandwidth restrictions of the time)
- The possibility to add and display a description about each video
- The possibility to customize the interface to match the design of the page
- A simple yet good looking design
After researching the issue, I decided to use Expose4, developed by Ivan Dramaliev. His player offers several features:
- The possibility to display photos and/or videos
- The possibility to customize the colors and icons of the interface
- An application to manage the playlist (for mac os x and windows)
- An alternative web based application (PHP) to manage the playlist
- The possibility to manage albums which we used to group the videos by years
- The possibility to setup the application by sending parameters to Flash (e.g. an autostart option)
I use open source software when I can but unfortunately Expose4 is not. It is free for personal use though. A one-site license costs $50.
Below are some screenshots of the player on the page we designed for chez Grace videos.
The album selector
The video selector
The player and its controls
The toolbar
I’m currently working on creating direct links to autoplay each video, so that the artists can link to them from their own website. I am not yet able to get this particular feature working though it does work for photos. I’m in touch with the developer and I hope to get that sorted very soon. When I have the solution, I will share it here. I believe Expose4 is a good looking option for showing multimedia content online, and I’m sure this feature will interests other expose4 users.
Social Networking and the Film Industry
As we launch World Wide Angle and this blog, we’re officially entering a new world that we’ve been contemplating for a long time. We now hope to share working relationships with fellow filmmakers and also, simply, to share our passion for cinema with other “cinéphiles”.
I have used the Internet since 1996 and I instinctively rely on the Internet to search for and discuss information and also to meet people with whom I share specific interests. A few years ago, being part of a Bob Dylan listeners group, I enjoyed several hours of discussion about the man and his music and also started friendships that led me to travel around Europe to meet fellow BobCats. That was a few years before Facebook and the current wave of social network application but actually it was some kind of music related social network based on a chat room, emails, and media files sharing.
Of course, when all the so called Web 2.0 came around, I was an early adopter and I have accounts on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter among other networks. If these networks are the most famous in their category (professional, social and instant messaging social networks respectively) they are not cinema (or anything else) specific. But… recently, they all found their cinema centric equivalent.
KinoRezo, the LinkedIn of the movie industry
- link: http://www.kinorezo.fr
- language: French
- users: mostly French
KinoRezo is currently in beta but it is possible to register. The site offers, like Linkedin, to create a profile, connect to people you are working with and that way extend your professional network. The site also references companies. Apart from these people and companies directories, the site offers news and more importantly job offers in the movie industry. The design and the ideas seems to be in place, I’ve experienced a few bugs trying to edit my profile (it seems like my session doesn’t stick) but I’ll be checking back and hope to make some connections there that could lead to some good working opportunities for World Wide Angle. Either way, I gladly welcome this application.
CineFriends, the Facebook for movie fans
- link: http://www.cinefriends.com
- language: French
- users: French
CineFriends is brand new, it opened on friday last week (November 28th, 2008) and was developed by a movie fan who also runs the blog CineFeed. The application’s goal is to let you create a profile stating your movie tastes and then find and connect with people sharing the same interest in films. To make the whole thing more fun, the site also offer movie quizz, news and movies and actors profiles. I’ve just signed up for the site and created my profile but didn’t fill it up but from what I’ve seen the site looks and works good. Congratulations to the developer.
Cannes2008, Twitter for the film world
- link: http://cannes2008.ning.com/
- language: English
- users: Inernational
Recently I heard about Cannes2008, a social network created around the Cannes Film Festival that actually gather movie fans and movie professional from all around the world, mostly around the subject of… film festivals. The site itself is a social network based on Ning but what makes Cannes2008 a different project is the recently released iPhone application similar to Twitter. I’ve also created my account there and started visiting the site. Occasionally I also receive emails addressed to the whole community about announcements for festivals or movie gatherings.
If you are interested in Web 2.0 and this social networking tool wave, give these applications a chance. Hopefully, very soon, they will have enough users to acquire a real value, in the meantime, it’s fun anyway.
Find us (or at least me) on these social networks
If you know any other dedicated networks, please share them in the comments and, more than likely, we’ll meet you there!
