Whether you work in pre, production or post, we know all too well that choosing the right app for every stage of development can make or break the experience, in terms of time and fluidity of workflow. So, we polled our clients, probed our pals and added a few suggestions of our own to create a comprehensive list of current fave iOS and Android apps for video production and post production professionals.

Let’s dig in...

1: Sun Surveyor

iOS & Android
$9.99 (iOS) / $7.99 (Android)
Here comes the sun – literally. Sun Surveyor is an augmented reality viewer that tracks the Sun’s path throughout the day (just in case you lose track of it – JOKE). Seriously though, just point your phone and its Live Camera View captures the sun where it shines and creates a scene overlay of the sun.

Key Features:

• Can be used to scout locations and plan shots.
• Also follows the path of the Moon.
• Helps determine golden hour, blue hour, sunrise, sunset and moon phases.
• Details and locations can be shared with team members.

2: pCAM FILM + DIGITAL PRO

iOS
$29.99
Awesome app designed to help get on-set calculations done quickly and simply, plus twenty-five bundled Cinematography and Still Photography tools useful for Photographers, Directors of Photography, Camera Operators, Camera Assistants, VFX Supervisors, Script Supervisors, Gaffers, Grips, Motion Picture Editors, Production Designers, Art Directors, Film & Television and Photography Students.

Key Features:

• Calculations include: depth of field, field of view, focal length matching, exposure, running time, HMI safe speeds and more.
• Includes popular motion picture, HD video and still camera formats.
• Saves entries until you change or reset.
• Stream app on AppleTV via AirStream.

3: Pocket AC

Android
$9.99
Loaded with various tools, reference tables and calculators designed to aid prep and execute productions. Developed by a camera assistant, Pocket AC is ideal for cinematographers, camera assistants, operators, DITs, and videographers.

Key Features:

• Depth of field and split focus, digital runtime, diopter and split diopter, exposure and more.
• Over 100 film and digital camera specs and over 800 lenses.
• Camera log presets facilitate quick shot logs that can be emailed to team members daily.
• Production detail stats provide info on things like average lens and total setups.

4: Artemis Director's Viewfinder

iOS & Android
$29.99
Ever wish you could reproduce any camera, aspect ratio and lens combination? Artemis makes it possible via a comprehensive list of commonly used motion picture and stills cameras and a Custom Camera function that allows for any new or exotic camera to be added.

Key Features:

• Reproduce any camera, aspect ratio and lens combination to help you frame your shot.
• Includes popular motion picture and still cameras.
• A custom camera function enables the addition of any camera not already in the app.
• Take a still picture of the shot and add notes for reference.
• Great for blocking, location scouting or making storyboards.

5: Shot Designer

iOS & Android
Free
Shot Designer is a self-described, ground-breaking tool for Directors and DPs that creates Animated Camera Diagrams, with Shot List, Storyboards and Director's Viewfinder, and Sync and Team Sharing for Pro Users. This nifty app will even automatically move cameras when you move characters.

Key Features:

• Animate characters and cameras to move around your set diagram.
• Automated shot list integration automatically updates when changes are made.
• Storyboard frames can be uploaded directly to the diagram to better visualize camera angles.
• Built-in director's viewfinder saves images while location scouting or blocking out scenes.
• Pro upgrade ($19.99) offers additional upgrades like a Mac and PC desktop version and sharing via Dropbox.

6: Shot Lister

iOS & Android
$13.99
Make short work of tedious lists. Shot Lister helps you create, organize and share shot lists and schedules, rearrange scenes and check off what has been completed, in real time.

Key Features:

• Customize categories, lens and gear lists to fit each project and director.
• Multi cam support assigns shots to different cameras, then groups and shoots them simultaneously.
• Share PDFs, CSV and SHL via Dropbox or email.
• Optional annual subscription ($13.99) includes Crew Sync, which shares shot lists with collaborates that also have the app and Script Import, which imports the script, then builds the shot list for you.

7: Easy Release

iOS & Android
$9.99
Designed by and for pro photogs, Easy Release replaces inconvenient paper model release and property release forms with a slick, streamlined application.

Key Features:

• Great for managing model and property release forms on location.
• Creates and stores release forms to your phone along with a photo of the talent.
• Emails a PDF and JPEG of each release.
• Customizable form header lets you add your logo, company name and contact info.

8: MovieSlate

iOS
$29.99
Annnnd scene. MovieSlate’s convenient, all-in-one digital slate, clapper board, shot log, and notepad makes it easy to log footage and take notes as you shoot— saving you valuable time.

Key Features:

• Clapper board can be labeled with take, director, cinematographer, etc.
• Focus and color cards to check camera's calibration.
• Notes and logs can be exported to create daily shot reports.
• Ingest shot data into your NLE.

9: Green Screener

iOS & Android
$9.99
It was not easy being green - until now. Green Screener makes it possible to achieve amazingly even green screen on-the-go using your phone camera, for easy keying and a ton of saved post time.

Key Features:

• Isolate red, green, blue or luma channel.
• Create banding to determine green screen evenness.
• Tap the screen to choose your target area and adjust the lighting until everything is green.

10: Sim DATA Calculator

iOS
Free
Created by a camera rental and post production company, Sim quickly and easily calculates and compares data rates, timecodes, internet transfer times and more.

Key Features:

• Calculate data rates based on codec or camera used.
• Input variables such as resolution, timecode and FPS.
• Input number of shoot days and hours to calculate data consumption for an entire production.
• Calculate how long various file sizes will take to transfer via internet.
• Save calculations directly to the app and compare.
• Calculations can also be copied to your clipboard and sent to other apps.

11: AJA DataCalc

iOS & Android
Free
If changing settings and calculate storage requirements in a single screen with simple controls and a clear concise display is your thing, AJA is for you.

Key Features:

• Calculate storage requirements and timecodes for video and audio media based on codec, resolution, frame rate and other variables.
• Save common calculations for reference.
• Works with the most popular industry video formats and compression methods.
• Summary information can be sent to other apps and shared with team members.

12: Timecode

iOS
$6.99
Self-described, “most attractive Timecode calculator on the market” Timecode offers fast, ultra-precise timecode calculations and film unit conversions. Timecode displays four user-definable units at once, allowing you to view conversions on any frame rate.

Key Features:

• Calculate and convert any timecode into any other timecode or unit.
• Supports 10+ different preset formats and 10+ preset frame rates and units.
• Comprehensive log of previous calculations available.
• Send calculations to team members.
• Compare timecodes of different formats against each other.

13: Jiffy

Android
Free
Jiffy is a broad reaching time tracker that enables editors to track worked time for all clients and projects simultaneously. You can even modify and edit entries and times, for those times you forget to hit start or stop.

Key Features:

• Export time sheets for use in other applications.
• Calendar view provides clear, easy to read overviews of time worked, breaks, etc.
• No account required and basic functionality is free but limited.
• Extensions are available for perchance and advised to take advantage of Jiffy’s full functionality.

14: Toggl

iOS & Android
Free
If you’re like us when you’re busy, time flies and before you know it, the day is gone. Toggl makes it easy to stay on top of timesheets and work hours via a timer that logs that keeps track of task times. All logs are synced to the cloud and accessible via web, desktop app and via a Chrome extension.

Key Features:

• Track time worked and add, delete and edit entries.
• Houses unlimited projects and clients.
• Create detailed summary reports.
• Integrates with popular project management platforms like Asana and Basecamp.
• Both free and premium versions available.

We think this is a pretty cool offering of what’s out there right now and we hope you’ll give a few of these a try – if you’re not using them already. Come to think of it …if you happen to have suggestions for apps that you love, let us know about them by sharing their deets on Twitter or Facebook.

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