Hand Held Hollywood

The Grip and Shoot is a re-imagined, Bluetooth enabled, mighty awesome pistol-grip for iPhone videographers. While I've seen dozens of iPhone handles meant to offer some much needed stabilization, the Grip and Shoot is the first such mount to bring something exciting to the table -- control. The handle features three well-positioned buttons that provide wireless control over your iPhone camera's zoom and shutter functions! As a result, not only will your videos have smoother zooms, but your other hand can remain free for whatever else is required (Pointing a mic? Aiming a light? Holding back zombies?). For me, the Grip and Shoot was one of this year's coolest discoveries. While the product is still in its infancy, it has piles of potential. Check out the video!

Schneider Optics, makers of the iPro Lens, was back at Macworld / iWorld this year showing off some new lenses as well as a new lens attachment for the iPad! They've even branched out with a new lens mounting case for Samsung smartphones.

Studio Neat, one of my favorite companies, was back at the expo this year showing off their newly revamped iPhone tripod mount, the GLIF ($30). Unlike previous versions that were designed to hold a specific iPhone model, the updated GLIF is adjustable, meaning it can hold just about any smartphone, with or without a cover. Most universal tripod mounts feature a spring-loaded clamp to hold your device in place. This means you can instantly swap out one smartphone for another -- a nice benefit most mobile filmmakers will never need. The downside of this approach is that the clamp may not hold your device as snugly as you'd like. The GLIF takes a very different approach. Using the included hex key (allan wrench), you can tighten the GLIF around an existing iDevice. This results in a mount that fits your gizmo like a glove. Then, when you get a new iPhone (or Android), you can pull out the hex key and adjust your GLIF to fit. In other words, the GLIF doesn't allow for quick swaps, but it will remain useful even as you upgrade to new devices with different form factors. Sweeeeet! The GLIF is small enough to slip in your pocket, and just like the previous incarnation, this new model doubles as a table-top stand. It looks like it could open a beer, but I have yet to be successful with that. I'll keep you posted. In case you were wondering, this bad boy started its life in 2010 with a Kickstarter campaign. Studio Neat was hoping to raise $10,000 to get the GLIF off the ground. Instead, they raised... wait for it... $137,417! That's a lot of GLIFs! At least 50, right? I failed math.

In the market for a portable, lightweight, collapsable iPhone or iPad tripod? Square Jellyfish has you covered! In this video, you'll see a quick demo of their best selling Spring Tripod Mount Combo Kit. Looks pretty sweet!

It's not often I'll cover a hard drive on HHH. In fact, I think this is the first time. So what makes this hard drive unique? It's a stand-alone personal "cloud" that can be used as remote storage for the videos you shoot in the field. What? Ok... let's back up. If you're shooting a ton of video on your iPhone or iPad, you're eventually going to run out of storage space. What then? Well, if you're close to home or have a laptop, you can sync your iThing to your computer and suck those videos right into your application of choice (I'm still using iPhoto). With your videos safely transferred, you can erase them from your iDevice, free up all that space, and continue shooting. But, what if you're nowhere near home, and don't have a laptop with you? How can you offload your videos and free up space? With My Cloud! The My Cloud drive lives on your home or office network (no computer needed). Using a dedicated iOS app, you can access that drive from anywhere, and upload your videos to it remotely. After the videos have uploaded, you can delete them from your device and continue shooting! Downsides? Sure! Since we're talking about gigabytes of data, so the upload could take hours even on WiFi. Speaking of WiFi, make sure you're using it! Uploading that much data over a cellular network would cost a fortune (and take a week). There are other cloud solutions out there (Dropbox, Transporter, etc.), but I was attracted to My Cloud because of its ease of use, and slick mobile app. Long upload times make it a less than perfect solution, but if you're away from home, and in a bind, the My Cloud might just save your bacon.

Thinking about getting a GoPro? WAIT! If you've already got an iPhone, you should definitely check out the Optrix PhotoProX -- a rugged, waterproof iPhone case (to 33 feet) with interchangeable lenses. In addition to the camera case itself, Optrix offers a huge variety of accessories including bike mounts, tripod connectors, suction mounts, chest mounts, and much more. My only advice: Make sure you're not expecting an important call while shooting your action adventure! It might be tough to get to your phone while it's mounted to the hood of your car.

Whenever I'm directing or producing in the field, my iPad is always by my side. In addition organizing my shot lists, storyboards, blocking diagrams and budgets, my iPad also serves as a handy wireless video monitor! I'll use it to review dailies (footage taken at a previous time), view rough cuts sent over from my editor, and even use it as a live field monitor when shooting with the Teradek Cube, an amazing transmitter that can beams a video camera's signal straight to your iDevice. In short, the iPad is an ideal way to view video while on location. That is, until the sun comes out, at which point, it transforms from a gorgeous video display into a horribly reflective, mostly-useless makeup mirror. Thankfully, Macworld/iWorld has brought us another treasure in the form of the Hoodini -- a collapsable iPad shade from Hoodivision. The shade uses a magnetic band and nano-suction tape (anything with 'nano' in its name is sexier - scientific fact) to quickly connect (and stay connected) to your iPad, giving you a completely shaded view of your screen. When you're done, it just pops right off, and folds back up. Not only does it help avoid reflections, it also keeps your iPad cooler! The Hoodini is available in a variety of colors, with separate models designed for full size iPads and Minis. Good stuff!

No stranger to iPhone videography, olloclip has been producing clip-on lens accessories for years! Their signature product is the 4-in-1 clip-on lens system for iPhone 5/5S and 4/4S. To use it, you simply slide the clip over the edge of your iPhone, positioning one of the olloclip's four lenses (Fisheye, Wide-Angle, 10x Macro, 15x Macro) over the iPhone's built-in lens. Easy peazy! This year, the company was giving sneak peeks of their soon-to-be-released clip-on lens system for the iPad! Same variety of lenses, new iPaddy goodness! Olloclip was also showing off their clip-on macro lenses. Most macro lenses can be tough to keep in focus, but the new olloclip 3-in-1 Macro lens system ($69.99) features a frosted plastic barrel that insures your camera will land at exactly the right distance for perfect focus. The frosted plastic also captures soft, diffuse light for lovely, evenly-lit shots. Olloclip has yet to release a product that I didn't want. And, lucky for me (and you), their lenses are super easy to track down! You'll find them in the Apple Store, Target, Samy's Camera, the Sprint store, Best Buy and even automated airports kiosks. Yes, really. Go get some!

Does your video suffer from the shakes? Perhaps it needs a dose of Emulsio! Equally at home on iPhone or iPad, Emulsio (previously known as Movie Stiller) is an impressive app that will stabilize unsteady footage, remove unwanted rolling-shutter artifacts (a.k.a. "jello-cam"), and make you the envy of millions (that last part is not guaranteed). Simply import a shaky video from your iThing's camera roll, let the app analyze the clip's motion, move a slider to control how much stabilization is applied (higher settings result in greater cropping), and then export the results back to your camera roll or distribute it via the iOS share panel. One feature worth pointing out is Emulsio's ability to apply its stabilization magic to 120fps videos shot on an iPhone 5s. The whole process is remarkably simple. Bottom line: If you shoot video with your iPhone or iPad, and you don't have a Steadicam vest permanently attached to your chest, Emulsio should be a part of your arsenal. Period. Need a little more convincing? It just won *Best of Show* at this year's expo. Boom! [Taz drops the mic and walks off stage]

We've been at Macworld since Thursday, shooting product demos and gathering information about new apps & accessories for mobile media makers. This video is a quick introduction to HHH's coverage, and my general impressions of this year's expo.

Often times while using my iPad on location, direct sunlight makes it next to impossible to see my screen clearly. This is especially troublesome when using my iPad as a wireless field monitor. Short of hiding under a swath of black Duvetyne, I have yet to find a great solution for keeping the sun off my screen. Until now…

One of the questions I hear all the time is, “How can I turn my iPad or iPhone into a wireless field monitor?” Well, if you’re shooting with a Nikon or Canon DSLR, the CamRanger may be the answer.

I’m a long time fan of the olloclip, the adorable multi-lens widget that slides over the corner of your iPhone, empowering your camera with wide-angle, fish-eye, and macro lenses. In addition to recently releasing a new version of this attachment for the iPhone 5’s slimmer form factor, it seems the olloclip gang has cooked up something entirely new!

In keeping with today’s theme of accessories that help you see your screen better, I’d like to RE-introduce you to the Daylight Viewfinder for iPhone and iPad. This portable eyepiece sticks to the surface of your device like a suction cup, and helps you shoot videos without any annoying screen glare. To make this magic happen, the viewfinder is paired with a free Daylight Viewfinder app.

If you’ve read my book, you know I’m a fan of the Jot stylus. It’s a great tool when storyboarding on the iPad. Rather than using the typical rubber nub, the Jot utilizes a clever clear disc that freely pivots on a tiny ball. I’d love to add a tiny-ball joke here, but I don’t have time. Now, Adonit (Jot’s developer) has upped the ante with the Jot Touch, a Bluetooth pressure-sensitive stylus.

The Nomad Brush is an iPad stylus that looks AND FEELS like a traditional paintbrush. Perfect for tablet toting previsualization artists who come from a painting background. I imagine it would be a terrific partner for painting apps like SketchBook Pro.

This is the Anthro Charging Cart ($1499). Basically, it’s a rolling, locking, charging station for a boatload of iPads. I originally typed ‘buttload’ in that last sentence, but later remembered that HHH is a classy site.

The Rokform V3 iPhone Case features a small, clever mount that makes it extremely versatile, and suitable for sticking on the side of a road case or camera rig.

It was a slow year for iDevices at this year’s DV Expo in Pasadena (thought not as slow as last year). Overall, the DV Expo a great show, but it’s been a little light on iOS products. Only one company snagged my attention. Datavideo was demonstrating two solid-looking mobile teleprompters. The TP-200 for iPad seemed versatile, and had some nice features, but it was the TP-100 for iPhone that won me over. It’s the first professionally-made direct-to-lens teleprompter I’ve seen for smartphones.

Not all iPad cases are created equal. In fact, most are created craptacular. Fortunately, once in a while, a case comes along that really shines. And today, that shining case is the HandStand.

A few months back, I did a report from Macworld about custom iPhone and iPad cases from SubCostume. I thought it would be great for production companies to put their logos on their gear — a little self-promotion while you’re running around on set. While at Macworld, members of the press were given promo codes so they could order sample cases for free. So, I got two cases, one for my iPhone 4 and the other for my iPad. It took a long time for them to arrive, but I’ve now got ’em both.

Don’t ask me for details about this one. I came across Streambox Live as I was running around, franticly looking for a convention center bathroom. That said, this app looks pretty nifty. From what I can tell, Streambox is a well known content management system for news organizations. It looked like they had servers, capture cards, wireless thingys, etc. I saw lots of confusing diagrams that suggested their systems control the collection and distribution of video in a wide variety of ways.

Even though this isn’t officially a real product yet, it’s still officially really awesome! The guys at Pomfort (makers of SilverStack for desktop computers) have created this currently unnamed prototype of a REAL slate that holds an iPad running a slate app!

There are millions of human beings with HD video cameras in their pockets. They also have GPS trackers, capable of transmitting their exact location. Now, imagine being able to corral all of those people into a mobile news reporting force! A crowd-sourced video army! You could cover nearly any story, at any time, in any location! That’s exactly what OneNews is trying to do. And, if you’ve got an iPhone or Android, you can join in the fun.

Image Control from Gamma & Density is an iPad app designed to facilitate on-set color correction. After shooting to a digital file format, you can dial in your color correction using familiar controls. That correction can then be transmitted to your post production team — giving them a time-saving head start on the final correction. It’s a great way for directors and DPs to quickly and efficiently communicate the desired look. Often times, simply describing a look to your colorist doesn’t always work (believe me, I know). But showing them… that almost always works!

I am a BIG fan of Red Giant Software. They publish a ton of incredibly useful desktop apps and plugins for filmmakers and motion graphic designers. Now, I’m excited to report, they’ve introduced a couple iPhone apps that are sure to make mobile filmmakers happy: Noir and Movie Looks. Both were designed (at least in part) by one of my heros, Stu Maschwitz.

We’re wrapping up our MacWorld 2011 coverage with a pair of iPad mounts from Monitors in Motion. They’re slick, silver, solid and sexy, and they’d both fit nicely in any professional environment. To provide an additional layer of security, the iPad Docking Station requires a key to remove the enclosed iPad — a nice touch for iPads that will be openly displayed and accessible (i.e. attached to a mobile production cart).

If you’ve somehow managed to avoid hearing about the GLIF, an awesome little iPhone 4 tripod adaptor, then you need to be brought up to speed (and you clearly need to get our more often). Check out the video below to hear a quick explanation from one of the inventors! You can also click here to check our our previous coverage.

Similar to the modulR setup we showed you last week, here’s Vogel’s new iPad mounting system. Using the system’s various add-ons, you can mount your iPad just about anywhere.

While visiting MacWorld, I must have seen at least 1000 different iPhone and iPad cases, and that was just in one booth! The booth in question belonged to SubCostume, a new service that lets users design their own custom case. They had an infinite variety of samples stuck on their walls. The variety was almost absurd.

Assero Industries’ Defender Backpack seems tailor-made for assistant directors, unit production managers and production coordinators who must always have their iPads accessible, but would rather keep both hands free. It’s a 4-in-1 pack that provides multiple ways to tote your digital companion — the most obvious being as a backpack.

Here are a couple new products from IK Multimedia that should appeal to iDevice owning voice actors, voiceover artists, and soundtrack singers.

When I’m on set directing, I don’t want any unnecessary distractions… like losing my iPad. Which is exactly what happened a couple months ago. It turned up during a company move, but for those few hours it was missing, I was totally stressed. I joked about making a custom strap, so I could sling my iPad over my shoulder like a laptop bag, or around my neck like Flava Flav’s watch. Looks like someone beat me to it!

The DryCASE lets you take your iPhone underwater! So the next time a great white shark is torpedoing in your direction, you can shoot some awesome iPhone video! That will come in handy when the coroner’s office is trying to identify your body.

As long as I was at the expo, I wanted to cover it for HHH. So, I walked the expo floor, in search of all the latest cool stuff for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, and found… well… perhaps you should just watch our comprehensive, and totally complete tradeshow report.

Every so often, we’ll cover a Mac or PC application simply because it ties in so nicely with your iDevice. Such is the case with AlterMedia’s Studio Suite 9, a great looking system for facility and studio management.

As you may remember, we covered Doddle during NAB earlier this year. In addition to showing off Doddle’s primary function as an industry directory, Doddle’s developers teased us with news of some sexy call-sheet functionality they were planning for future versions. Well, the future is now-ish! Doddle was at the ShowBiz Expo, showing off Doddle Pro, complete with the aforementioned sexy call-sheet sexiness! Check out the video below for a spiffy demo.

This is without a doubt the niftiest thing I’ve seen in a while. The Cube by Teradek is a real-time, camera-mounted video streaming encoder. In other words, it takes video from your camera, encodes it into h.264 video, then streams it over a wireless network to your laptop. The video is then immediately available for viewing via your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad running the Air Video app. That means instant wireless dailies! SICK!

Calling all DP’s! Chemical Wedding has just released Toland ASC Digital Assistant ($39.00), a new iPhone film calculator unlike any calculator you’ve seen before. It’s totally sick. If the Cray XT5 Supercomputer, and an Arri Elexa had a love child, my guess it would grow up to be Toland.

I had seen it all — Stood in every line, tasted every bit of crap food, and tried not to stare at every scantly-clad booth babe. Yes, I was done with NAB, and heading out the door… when suddenly I noticed this: Blackmagic Designs was using an iPad to control their line of VideoHub routers!

It’s 1am, you’re trapped on set, and the director just called for a two-headed giraffe. Where are you going to find one at this hour?! Fear not! A new company called Doddle has developed a complete production guide for your iPhone. You can look up all kinds of production resources using a variety of search criteria.

If you’ve got an OWLE or a DSLR, you might want to check out the new WristShot from Hoodman. It mounts your camera right on your arm, which helps keep your footage steady, and allows you to relax between shots without dropping your gear. And as an added benefit, it makes you look like Robocop. Isn’t that nice?

Broadcast Pix has developed an iPad app called iPixPanel that can replace thousands of dollars worth of equipment. It’s another terrific example of the iPad being used to virtualize existing hardware, a trend I’m sure will continue in the future!

Another tradeshow, another pair of wicked-cool announcements from Bodelin, the company behind ProPrompter, the current champ of teleprompting apps.

Ever since Stu Maschwitz first published a mock-up of a virtual iPad-based trackball color correction interface, the net has been a buzz. I’ve received a ton of email, asking when something like this will be available. Well, it may be sooner than you think! While at NAB, I met with Clinton Torres, a developer who’s nearly finished with Gradiest, his color correction control surface. He’s designing it for use with Cineform’s First Light. Once he’s got that up and running, he plans to make his app compatible with other host applications as well (like Apple’s Color).

Redrock Micro has put out some innovative, well designed, and relatively inexpensive gear over the years. I’ve directed many shoots utilizing their M2 35mm lens adaptor, and I’ve always been impressed with their products. But after seeing their latest creation at NAB, I’m officially blown away.

Sure, there were plenty of booths at NAB that cost more than most homes, but this is the product that really caught our eye. 1st Video from Vericorder is an outrageous looking video editor for the iPhone. It looks and feels totally professional. The interface is smooth and well thought out. We’re very excited to put this app to work.

Calling all control freaks! You will most definitely want to check this out. FastMac is about to release the iV Plus, a new case that will turn your your iPhone into a totally customizable infrared universal remote control! It also features a secondary battery, and a camera-synced flash!

It’s often said, “Cold Hands, Warm Heart.” However, it’s also said, “Gloved hands, iPhone no worky.” That’s because the moment you put on your winter mittens, your iPhone’s touchscreen no-longer senses your fingertips. So, you’ve got to pull off the gloves every time you want to tap, flick or pinch. Fortunately, Dots Gloves has found a way to keep your hands warm, while keeping your iPhone fully functional. The magic is in the material. I put ’em on, and was able to use my iPhone’s touchscreen without any issues whatsoever.

Joby was showing a nifty miniature flexible tripod called the Gorilla Mobile 3G/3Gs. And like the SuctionClip I featured after CES, the Gorilla Mobile opens up some interesting shooting possibilities. I’m a fan of anything that allows me to put a video camera in new and unexpected places. That said, it looks like the Gorilla Mobile would be just as useful when shooting something as basic as an interview. It’s a little tricky positioning the Gorilla Mobile, since the mounting bracket is on the rear of the iPhone (the same side as the video camera). But, if you’ve got a little patience, I think it could make a great addition to your bag of tricks.

Mophie has two unreleased products I was hoping to hear more about at this year’s Macworld. And lucky for us, they had working prototypes of both. Marketplace is their new case with a built-in credit card reader. As you may remember, I recently covered a similar product from MacAlly called the QuikSwipe. Both the Marketplace and the Quikswipe seem like great tools for filmmakers to want to sell DVDs of their files on the go, but the Marketplace may have the edge in overall design. Simply put, it’s slick and simple.