With the ubiquity of smartphones and their ever-improving cameras, it's more efficient to capture footage than ever before. Anyone can record, edit, and post videos with the aid of a few apps. Those that take a more traditional approach to filmmaking might steer clear of mobile alternatives, thinking there's nothing there for them, but that is not the case! Below is a list of apps to enhance any filmmaker's process, from drafting a script to post-production.
Celtx Studio, $7.50-20.00: An industry favorite, if Celtx isn't your go-to app for scriptwriting, it should be. The program allows you to storyboard, write, and format your scripts in real-time, as well as collaborate. For an additional fee, you can even create breakdowns, shot lists, budgets, schedules, and cost reports. It's the whole package.
Shot Lister, $13.99: For those that don't use Celtx, or like to keep their creative tools separate from their organizational tools, there's Shot Lister. The app is a streamlined way to keep your schedule, shoot days, storyboards, and shot lists straight.
Cine Meter II, $24.99: The newest, shiniest version of Cine Meter turns your devices into a reflected light meter, RGB wave monitor, and/or false-color picture monitor. The only downside is that, for now, it's only offered on i0S. Sorry, Android users.
Green Screener, $9.99: Similar to the Cine Meter, but specifically for shooting against a green screen (and available on Android!). Green Screener breaks light down into color banding so that you can see how even your green screen is before filming and saves you the struggle of trying to fix it in post.
FiLMiC Pro, $14.99: If you are using your iPhones as your primary camera, you have to check out FiLMiC Pro. Boasted as "The Gold Standard for Mobile Video," the app pushes your phone's capabilities to its extreme to shoot high-quality video, allowing you to adjust exposure, focus, shutter speed, and white balance.
pCam Pro, $29.99: Known as the "Swiss Army knife of cinematography apps," pCam does indeed provide a slew of miscellaneous but necessary tools, including depth of field, field of view, and exposure, among many others.
Sun Surveyor, $7.99: If pCam is the Swiss Army knife of apps, Sun Surveyor is the sun dial. The app tells you where the sun will be at any given time, at any given location, so you never have to stress about natural light.
Movie Slate 8, $29.99: Exactly how it sounds, Movie Slate 8 acts as a digital version of a physical slate, but better. Unlike a physical slate, the app can store production info, notes, timecodes, and generate daily shot reports.