Some good reasons to get iPhones for the production crews:
1. Movie★Slate ($9.99). While it has no hierarchy, this list, like every shot in every film, has to start somewhere -- and a slate seems the logical choice. Indeed, Movie★Slate is exactly what you expect – a digital slate and clapper board. But it is also a fully customizable shot log and multi-function notepad. And because this is not only extremely helpful for that gaggle of producers hanging around set but just so damn cool, you can easily sync up the time codes between multiple iPhones over Bluetooth. Nice, no?
4. Artemis Director’s Viewfinder ($29.99). According to Laura Michalchyshyn, a GM at Discovery, this director’s viewfinder is “currently being used by the directors and cinematographers of '30 Rock' and 'Nurse Jackie," to name a few. Plug in the format, the aspect ratio, and the type of lens you’re using and Artemis will, utilizing the camera built into your iPhone, preview the shot... and it saves all that data and the settings for instant retrieval later.
5. Action Log Pro ($29.99). Moviemaking is almost as much about organization as it is inspiration and perspiration. If you want to nail that aspect of the process, Action Log culls together clips, organizes reel names and time codes on up to 25 separate recording devices -- and then it emails those clips to editors and their staff for immediate ingestion, with or with self created hard copy logs, on Avid and Final Cut Pro. There’s a cheaper version of this logging tool that developers Andris Ltd have out there, too, but trust us, you want to spend a bit of money if you want to one day make some serious money.
8. Hitchcock ($19.99). The App calls itself a “mobile storyboard and pre-visualization composer.” Developers Cinemek nailed the tech but need to work on their bottom-line pitch -- Hitchcock marvelously brings conceptualized sound and vision together with real locations, scenarios and rewrites in minutes. Oh yeah, and those results can be instantly shared with crew and clients via email.
9. Helios Sun Position Calculator ($29.99). It does just what it says, with a built-in database of 30,000 locations worldwide and using algorithms from the National Renewable Energy Lab and National Geophysical Data Center. “Until recently, I relied pretty heavily on Focalware,” says Chris Award and Gracie Allen Award winning documentary director Catherine Annau, “but now I’m a convert to Helios. It tells you where sun and moon will be at any time on any day so you can stake out a position for that perfect sunrise shot or magic hour.”
10. HAL 9000 (Free). Maybe you need some inspiration from the Maestro. Based on the corrupted computer from Kubrick’s legendary "2001:A Space Odyssey," it gives you a line from the film every time you gently touch its glowing red orb -- which, all things considered, is better than hitting the panic button.
