Filmmaking is about telling great stories. While good cinematography tools won’t make you a better storyteller, they can free up hours in the pre-production process and priceless minutes when you’re on set. Even better, they can unleash headspace for creativity and experimentation, helping you make new discoveries and push the envelope of what’s visually possible. Here are some filmmaking tools and accessories that are seriously useful, intuitive and won’t break the bank. We’ve broken them into app and hardware categories, with the former mostly focused on pre-production and the latter being primary tools for on-set work. Most importantly, almost all of them have also been battle tested in the field and are making a real impact with church media producers around the country.
Hardware Tools for Filmmaking
JOBY | GORILLAPOD 3K STAND - Many beginning filmmakers make the mistake of dismissing GorillaPod stands as toys for amateurs, which is understandable considering how affordable and diminutive they are. After spending a day with a professional cinematographer or grip who keeps a few GorrillaPods in their arsenal, it becomes increasingly clear just how useful these devices are for positioning cameras, lights and even microphones in hard-to-reach spots. With a load capacity of up to 6.6 pounds, you’ll rarely be sorry to have at least one of these along in your camera bag when you’re on a sometimes unfamiliar, cramped set.
SMALLRIG | CAGES - When it comes to using DSLRs and mirrorless cameras for filmmaking, there are few things more frustrating than spending almost as much on a support rig as you did on the camera body itself. With SmallRig cages and accessories, filmmakers can finally have professional-level cages and support hardware for popular cameras like the Panasonic GH5, Sony A7III and Canon 5D Mark IV without spending anywhere near the price of the camera.
RODE | INVISILAV MOUNTING SYSTEM - Today’s viewers are more tech-savvy than ever before, and they can be easily distracted by the seams in our visuals. One such distraction is an unsightly lav mic placed right in the middle of a subject’s brightly colored shirt or blouse. The Rode InvisiLav allows savvy filmmakers to hide lav mics, either by attaching the mic to the inside of a subject’s top, or directly to their skin via medically safe adhesive pads. Problem solved.
PIXEL | ADDIX PA-TR1 5-IN-1 REFLECTOR - One of the marks of a good cinematographer is the way they control the light in their environments. A great cinematographer goes a step further by learning to cooperate with the natural light already present. The Pixel Addix 5-in-1 reflector allows producers to bounce, diffuse and cut light, and can be easily mounted to a tripod or c-stand for single-operator situations. For run-and-gun teams, the device also includes a convenient handle for quick setups or b-roll filming.
MULTICART | 8-IN-1 EQUIPMENT TRANSPORTER R2 MICRO - Hard as it is for us to admit, when you’re working with a small crew in difficult conditions convenience can sometimes trump quality. This can sometimes mean leaving useful gear behind. With the Multicart 8-in-1 cart, film teams can feel confident transporting a fuller arsenal of camera, lighting, and support tools out into the field thanks to this cart’s amazing ability to break down to a very small footprint that easily fits in the trunk or backseat of a car. And its 350-pound capacity will make it easy to get a whole lot of gear from point A to point B and back again conveniently and safely.
Hardware Tools for Filmmaking
ATMOSPHERE AEROSOL - One of the most powerful yet subtle visual effects filmmakers can employ on set is to lay down some haze, which creates a sense of depth and weight to the environment while helping light beams and rays to pick up a bit of visual interest. For large film crews this is usually accomplished with a dedicated haze machine running off on-site power. With the introduction of Atmosphere Aerosol, however, smaller teams can grab a can, haze a smaller to mid-sized environment, wait a moment for it to diffuse, then start rolling the cameras. It’s dead simple to use and can take a scene from solid to wow in just a minute or two.
Smartphone and Tablet Apps for Filmmaking
SLUGLINE - Writing a great script is challenging enough without the additional struggles of formatting concerns and outside distractions. Slugline is one of the best apps on the market today for solving both problems simultaneously. The interface is simple and clutter-free, the auto formatting is intuitive, bordering on magic, and jumping between the tablet and desktop versions of the app is a breeze. If you’re ready to get serious about screenwriting, but don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars on software like Final Draft, give Slugline a serious look.
ARTEMIS | DIRECTOR'S VIEWFINDER - Since the early days of filmmaking, directors and cinematographers have relied on dedicated viewfinder lenses to help them in the critical process of location scouting and planning. With the introduction of smartphone cameras, those days are long gone. The Artemis Director’s Viewfinder app allows producers to lock compositional needs while also considering specific lenses and industry-standard aspect ratios. As an additional feature, the app will also collect images taken during the scout into a collection for creating virtual storyboards later.
Smartphone and Tablet Apps for Filmmaking
MOVIESLATE 8 - Crews using multiple camera setups for narrative or documentary projects quickly learn that having a slate on set can spell the difference between success and aggravation later in the edit bay. While traditional chalk or whiteboard slates will definitely get the job done, assistant directors or PAs with an iPad may want to consider utilizing a more advanced option like MovieSlate 8. This nifty app will not only make updating scene and take markers a breeze, it also includes a shot log for making notations about which takes were good, right on set. Your editor will want to kiss you, or at least buy you Starbucks.
Desktop Software for Filmmaking
STUDIOBINDER - One of the most difficult creative undertakings in the history of art itself is the process of pulling together a narrative short or feature-length film. It requires successfully juggling people, processes, schedules, locations, gear and budgets in a way that results in something greater than the sum of its parts. Enter StudioBinder.com, an online project management suite that provides collaborative solutions for things like script breakdowns, shooting schedules, automated call sheets and mobile-friendly RSVP functionality. Film teams producing scripted content on an ongoing basis should give StudioBinder a long, hard look.
STORYBOARDER - Another pre-production tool that’s long overdue for a 21st century update is the process of storyboarding. In 2017 Wonder Unit released Storyboarder, a desktop app that packs a host of features, including powerful drawing tools, easy metadata additions like dialog and notes, and even the ability to view your storyboards as an animatic. It also includes the ability to import hand-drawn boards directly into the app, if you’re still emotionally (and physically) connected to your pencil and paper. For the time being Storyboarder is open-source and free to download, so anyone serious about their filmmaking should grab the app immediately.
