So you want to be a videographer, editor, or producer? I know for the longest time, I certainly did. I always dreamed of shooting and editing music videos for the coolest artists. Going through college at a small, liberal arts school in rural Iowa (Go Waldorf!), I was fortunate enough to get hands-on with some of the most advanced equipment available.
From a multi-cam studio, to multiple top-of-the-line video and audio editing suites, to some of Sony’s best professional broadcast quality cameras, I was able to shoot and edit nearly anything I could imagine, and do so with the same tools as some of the pros
Unfortunately, my days as a college student came to an end, and even after working at that same college for two years after graduation, and playing with even more cool toys (like learning the in’s and out’s of a Steadicam/Glidecam), I was faced with the real-world problem of figuring out how to translate what I learned and what I was passionate about into a dream come true.
The Backstory:
As I looked for jobs, it struck me that I could end up working nearly 10 years without ever shooting or editing anything taking a job at a production house as a PA (Production Assistant). Knowing that I didn’t have that kind of patience for my endeavors, I began pricing out some of the tools to enable me to do it on my own.
Setting aside the fact that I had no clients, a relatively small portfolio, and (let’s be real) no significant money to drop on stuff, I began to look for “cheap” ways to do things. Studio/Broadcast quality cameras can easily set you back $10,000 or more (LOTS MORE), plus all the peripheral things – mics, tripod, stabilizer and other toys – none of which is cheap, let alone free.
I started researching alternative camera options that I could possibly squeeze into my non-existent budget. A few friends recommended shooting video with some of the newer DSLR cameras, since they offered a great lens, digital video format, and some even had connections for external audio. The major drawback I saw was that I was shooting with a tiny camera, with a tiny screen, with mediocre audio inputs. It seemed like there had to be a better way – and there was – and I already had it at my disposal.
The Best (Available) Camera:
Sometimes the best camera is the one you have available. Don’t get me wrong, that $10,000+ camera is spectacular, but if I’m on a trip and I am inspired to film something, even the most impressive of cameras will do me no good if I don’t have it with me. On the other hand, a 3rd (or newer) Generation iPad can easily slip into my travel bag, and comes packed with a pretty solid 1080p video camera. When I started to realize just how much was packed into that magical pane of glass, I quickly began to realize that my budget didn’t have to be huge to produce great content.
Having used such high-end equipment in college, I had my concerns about using my iPad – not to mention the general negative stigma about using iPads for any camera function. How was I supposed to get depth-of-field, quality audio, or stabilize and iPad for shooting anything and have it look professional. Then I discovered what may be one of the coolest accessories for the iPad – the Padcaster.
The Padcaster:
We’ve discussed the Padcaster here on Mactrast more than once (1, 2, 3), and with this 1 accessory, the whole experience of using an iPad for video starts to make sense. First off, the Padcaster allows you to mount the iPad on nearly any tripod or video mount, meaning you can achieve stable shots, or attach it to jibs, booms, and other rigs, and get awesome moving shots. One of the biggest things that makes a video look professional vs. amateur is a stable shot – check that concern off the list.
Depth of Field was my next concern, and the Padcaster had a solution. The Padcaster allows you to attache various lenses to the back of the iPad, enabling you to use both macro, wide angle, and other fixed lenses. For under $25 on Amazon, I could have a nice 58mm lens, great for shooting interviews and creating depth in a shot. Add in a couple work lights or household lamps, and great video begins to take shape.
The final concern – quality audio can’t directly be solved by the Padcaster, but the various thread mounts allow for connecting a couple other accessories, or mounting a cold shoe, which a wireless mic pack can be attached to. Additionally, several third-party apps allow for finely tuning your audio input by adjusting balance and channel levels.
The Padcaster is available from thepadcaster.com for $149 (compatible with iPad 2nd ,3rd , and 4th gen iPads) and $159 for iPad Air and will soon be available for iPad mini for $99, as well.
Filmic Pro:
For shooting video, Filmic Pro is one of the best available apps, hands down. Used in the recently released Bentley “Intelligent Design,” as well as being seen briefly in the Apple “Your Verse” ad, it is the go-to app for serious iOS videographers.
Filmic Pro can do everything the stock camera app can, but also includes several features that enable greater control over what you’re shooting, and how you’re seeing it. Simple features like zoom markers enable you to set a zoom start and end point, and create smooth zoom-in and zoom-out effect of your video with a single tap. Audio level meters allow you to monitor your input to ensure you’re not getting too much, and not getting too little audio into your video – bringing a increased awareness to what you’re capturing. Independent focus and exposure is another added feature that allows you to get just the right shot (and assists in creating that perfect depth of field).
Outside of the basics, Filmic Pro features a gamut of internal settings to adjust resolution, frame rate, chroma key, and other fine-grained details. Once you have your settings dialed in, simply hit record and you’re off the the races. For only $4.99, Filmic Pro offers the flexibility needed for the most elaborate shoots you can imagine.
Vizzywig:
I discovered Vizzywig after iMore featured it in their CESLive 2014 coverage and touted it’s multifunctional prowess. At it’s core, Vizzywig is two very unique things, and when they come together, and you add in the extensive features to it’s arsenal, it serves as a hole-in-one for so many things.
First off, Vizzywig is a video camera app, not unlike Filmic Pro. It offers many similar “advanced” features, but in a more graphical sense, much more reminiscent of iOS 6 (and skuemorphism) than the simple, clean iOS 7 look. Since it’s truly meant to mimic a camera, this doesn’t bother me too much, and actually makes it a little easier to use at times. Unlike “other” camera apps, Vizzywig’s second feature is what makes it a show stopper.
Vizzywig is also a video editor of sorts. With each clip that you shoot, everything is dropped into a timeline for the current project. This means that if you’re creating a highlight video with your iPhone or iPad, all your clips are dropped chronologically into your timeline. When you’re free from shooting for a minute, a simple tap brings the timeline up and enables you to start rearranging, trimming, adding titles and even brining in camera roll images and video clips.
Not to be put to shame by iMovie, Vizzywig also features a remarkable feature unlike anything I’ve seen before – remote cameras. Using a low-quality stream, one iOS device is able to serve as a switcher, seeing video from every other Vizzywig camera on the same network (or connected to worldwide remote camera) – up to 16 cameras. The “director” then choose which camera they prefer the shot from and choose it for the edit. Once the entire multi-camera shoot is done, each device uploads the clips as chosen by the director to the “master control” device, and the final edit can be tweaked or published.
While providing a live multi-camera broadcast isn’t available yet, the fact that an iOS app can offer multi-camera editing is something truly remarkable about Vizzywig. With a $29.99 price tag, some may find it a bit spendy – but when you weigh the features it includes, it’s a steal!
iMovie:
When it comes to straight forward editing, iMovie is about as simple as it gets. You can import video from your camera roll, music from your iTunes library, and it even comes with some easy templates to make your video even more impressive.
Much like in Vizzywig, you can also use iMovie to shoot video, and bring it directly into a project or drop it on a timeline without having to jump between apps, making on-the-fly videography and editing that much easier. Anything beyond a string of clips, crossfaded together and you’ll want to look elsewhere, because iMovie on iPad, while doing a great job at simple editing, isn’t perfect for advanced editors.
Where 1 app falters, another app excels, and iMovie is one of those apps that does a little of both. Being an Apple built app, it feels intuitive and uncluttered, lacking all the fine-grained settings of Filmic Pro and Vizzywig, but with the ease of use you’d expect from an Apple-designed product. Free with any new iOS device purchase, iMovie is my default starting place when I’m editing on my iPad.
Avid Studio/Pinnacle Studio:
When I started to believe that iOS devices could influence the video market, I bought an app called Avid Studio. It has since been shifted under new owners and now carries the moniker Pinnacle Studio (iPhone version also available). It’s the closest to a desktop editing experience I’ve seen on an iOS device, and enables you to add custom titles and transitions, fine grained edits, and even multilayered clips (like you see on the news). At the root of it, I think the outcome of Pinnacle is very similar to that of iMovie, but the workflow for my brain was a fit early on, and that has made it my preference when I’m mobile.
For a sample video, shot on iPad and edited in Avid (Pinnacle) Studio, check out my review of the Bravo iPhone case.
The exciting conclusion:
Whether you’re shooting a promotion for your small business, working as a freelancer at weddings, on the crews sent out to highlight Apple’s 30-year-anniversary of the Mac, or working with the Bentley marketing team, it’s clear that iOS devices, paired with the proper accessories and apps, can produce remarkable video content. With an ever expanding wealth of apps, features, and accessories, it won’t be long before you begin to see more and more content that was produced entirely in iOS.
For amateur videographers, and creatives not looking to spend a lot to get a huge level of expandability, sometimes an iPhone or iPad is all it takes to begin to produce great content. While there will always be a place for professional grade cameras, video editing software, and expensive rigs – consumer/amateur video is a market that Apple is slowly chipping away at. It has happened with point-and-shoot cameras, and soon, handy cams and other consumer video cameras will, too, be a thing of the past.
