Episodes
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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!
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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.
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Missing episodes?
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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]
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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