This post is part of the series: HDSLR Videographer’s Virtual Gear Bag.

I tossed-and-turned over whether or not to include Movie Looks HD ($1.99) by Red Giant Software, in the HDSLR virtual gear bag because it isn’t really a tool that you would use with your HDSLR. Well, technically, you could if you wanted to: you could load your footage onto your iPhone or iPad and treat it with Movie Looks HD. But, that’s not really practical.

The reason I finally added it to the gear bag is because it gives you a great preview of what is possible with Red Giant’s software on your PC/Mac. So with that, let’s talk about what it can do! Continue Reading…

This post is part of the series: HDSLR Videographer’s Virtual Gear Bag.

Magic Hour (free) By elfinda apps is the newest addition to my virtual gear bag. The app is so simple, that I am kicking myself for not making it myself! Basically, the app lets you know when “magic hour” is upon you. “Magic hour,” also known as “golden hour,” occurs twice a day, during the first and last hours of sunlight. During magic hour, the light of the sun is at its most optimal beauty. More after the break. Continue Reading…

This post is part of the series: HDSLR Videographer’s Virtual Gear Bag.

Blue FiRe (free) by Blue Microphones is a field recorder app. You may not know this, but the iPhone is a very capable audio recorder. I’ve not performed any scientific testing to compare it to a dedicated field recorder like the Zoom HN4, but I have recorded very good voice audio and decent single instrument audio with the iPhone. I use two apps for this, depending on the situation, but Blue FiRe is definitely my favorite of the two. More after the break. Continue Reading…

This post is part of the series: HDSLR Videographer’s Virtual Gear Bag.

FiLMiC Pro ($3.99) by Cinegenix, LLC is a video recording app, that speaks the language of film-making. I’ve included this app because sometimes, you just need an extra camera. While the iPhone is no DSLR, if you have at least an iPhone 4 you get a capable HD video camera built-in. The default camera app that Apple provides is capable, but in typical Apple-style, options are limited. And if you are serious about the movies you make, things like bit-rate, frame-rate and framing mean a lot to you. That’s why FiLMiC shines so brightly. More after the break. Continue Reading…

This post is part of the series: HDSLR Videographer’s Virtual Gear Bag.

DSLR Filmmaker Toolkit ($7.99) by BGW Labs is another extremely useful tool, and this one is specifically designed for DSLR filmmakers.

This toolkit is full of extremely useful tools that are well-designed and bundled together in one app. One of the best things about DSLR Filmmaker Toolkit is that it looks great. I mean, if you are a creative person, the last thing you want to find essential to your work is an ugly app! More after the break! Continue Reading…