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The 11 Best Filmmaking Apps for iPhone

By Jourdan Aldredge

Published: May 04, 2016 Last Updated: May 04, 2016

It can be dangerous to navigate film sets alone! Take these filmmaking apps for iPhone with you.

Here are eleven of the best iPhone apps for filmmakers. These awesome iPhone apps can help you with all aspects of filmmaking, from pre-production to production to post. Just be sure to keep your phone on silent once the director calls action.

1. theGripApp

TheGripApp is basically your pocket guide to being an on-set grip. It includes a complete database of every dolly, knot and clamp with pictures, diagrams and specifics on how they’re used. The filmmaking app is perfect for beginners looking to learn or seasoned pros to use as reference.

2. ShotList

ShotList is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a digital way to manage, view and edit your shot list on your iPhone. The filmmaking app also allows you to add photos and manage a storyboard as well.

3. Green Screener

This handy app works similar to a light meter for lighting an even key. While not a complete replacement for a light meter and good eye, the app helps by breaking down color variables to show you different color levels.

4. MatchLens

MatchLens is a nifty little filmmaking app for iPhone that allows you to match the same field of view between cameras and lenses. It’s most useful when planning to match location scout photos or footage to your production camera for focal lengths and fields of view.

5. 3D ST

Shooting 3D footage is no easy task. Luckily apps like 3D ST exist to help with depth of field, parallax and convergence calculations for stereoscopic 3D. The app also includes a detailed glossary of terms and information when trying to navigate in the third dimension.

6. Artemis Directors Viewfinder

Have trouble visualizing what your shot would look like through different lenses? Of course you do. Everyone does. This filmmaking app for iPhone lets you take a photo with your iPhone and view overlays that show the difference between different fields of view.

7. DSLR Filmmaker Toolkit

The DSLR Filmmaker Toolkit is several useful apps rolled into one. The app has a leveler, slate, shot log, viewfinder, depth-of-field calculator and sunrise/sunset table. Pretty neat. Very helpful.

8. AJA DataCalc

The DataCalc computes storage requirements for your video files. The filmmaking app works with pretty much all of the industry formats and compression methods. You can also use the app to calculate time results in a variety of formats as well.

9. Cinema Forms

Cinema Forms is a producer’s dream. The iPhone app is a paperless (obviously) compilation of any and every form you’ll ever need from pre-production through post. You can work on the forms interactively through the app or share as a PDF through Dropbox or email.

10. Kodak Cinema Tools

Kodak’s grab bag of filmmaking tools is sweet haul of practical gadgets. The pack has your standard depth of field and sunrise/sunset calculators along with some nifty Kodak-specific info tools for their products and film stocks.

11. Celtx Shots

Celtx Shots, which syncs up with your online Celtx Studio, gives your iPhone access to their full array of script and storyboard setups — including camera blocking schematics, lighting/set setups and an animatic built-in storyboard player.

Are you an Android user? Check out our must have Android apps. Have any other useful iPhone filmmaking apps you’d like to add? Share them in the comments below!