How to Use your iPad to Record Movie
Go to almost any tourist attraction these days, and you will see fairly a few people taking pictures and movie with their iPads. Now, I’ve groaned to myself in the past whenever I’d see that transpire, often thinking, “Why don’t they just use a real camera, or even a cell phone?” It seems so impractical to use an iPad, of all things. However, as iPads have grown in their processing abilities and their ubiquity, I have come to realize that with a little help from extra software and hardware, the iPad can be made into a powerful filmmaking device. Not just for running ancillary apps to assist you in your filmmaking (as we’ve covered here), but as an actual movie camera that can be used to tell your story.
Ever since the capability for shooting HD-resolution movie on iOS devices was introduced, filmmakers of all backgrounds put them to use in some form or style if the need arose. The iPhone, especially, has been used exclusively on innumerable productions ranging from puny no-budget projects to high-end commercial shoots, like this one for Bentley Motors, shot entirely on iPhone 5s cameras. In 2012, the comparatively diminutive iPhone 4s showcased that it could dangle with the big boys at Zacuto’s Vengeance of the Excellent Camera Shootout where they pitted it against industry-standard cameras like the ARRI Alexa and the Canon C300, which cost many, many times more. The shootout is undoubtedly worth watching if you have the time. So, now that we’ve established that iOS devices can, in fact, shoot movie that is useable in situations beyond tourist traps, let’s dive into how you can get some good quality, and even cinematic footage out of your iPad’s camera.
The very first thing that should be understood about the iPad, to know what to expect of it is that, very first and foremost, an iPad is a computer. Now, one can make an argument that any digital camcorder is a computer; however, those “computers” are purpose-built implements whose singular purpose is to record movie. Their special internal hardware is programmed to perform that function and maybe a few others, besides. That internal hardware is then enclosed in an (ideally) ergonomic casing so it can be cosily held for long periods of time and have accessories mounted on it. The figure itself also has controls for the camcorder’s various functions, as well as mounting points so it can be supported by grip equipment, such as tripods. Some camcorders even have the capability to exchange lenses and even pic sensors for different image-making possibilities. Comparatively, the iPad is a vapid slab of a chassis with one side predominated by a touchscreen, with the intention of being used held in the forearm or resting on a plane surface; not ideal for holding out in front of you at a decent angle to capture movie. However, the internal hardware and software is what can make the iPad shine. Unlike dedicated camcorders, with their discrete image-processing hardware, the iPad has much more computing power at its disposition, so with a little homework, you can put that hardware to good use recording movie. To recap, the fact that the iPad is essentially a computer is its greatest weakness, but also its greatest strength.
So, what can we do to make your everyday iPad a gravely capable camcorder? Very first, we have to improve the iPad’s internal capability to capture movie. It already has an photo sensor and a lens, but out of the box, the only programs that use it are Facetime and the less than fully functional camera app. While the built-in camera app may be all right for the occasional quick movie, where you don’t truly care about what the camera does as long as your picture is exposed correctly, it’s far too limiting for any serious use. Fortunately, there are fairly a few development teams who have taken it upon themselves to create apps that indeed take advantage of the electronics in the iPad. My private dearest app (and one I use on my iPhone all the time) is FiLMiC Pro. FiLMiC Pro’s most basic functionality permits you to adjust your framework rates (rather than have you stuck at boring 30p) and lock your exposure and concentrate based on where you haul the on-screen reticles in your scene.
In the photo above, of my impromptu camera-testing station (a.k.a. my desk), I have my concentrate reticle set on the wooden camera, and the exposure reticle set on the pad of paper to make the overall exposure based on the brightness of that spot (since the paper is white, the shot is underexposed). When the reticles are crimson, they are locked, so even if you budge the camera, your exposure and concentrate will remain set. This prevents the telltale exposure and concentrate shifts all too common in default camera programs. You can also purposefully switch the exposure the way I did for this next shot.
For this shot, I moved the exposure reticle to a darker spot on the photo to purposefully overexpose the picture. However, the capability to control your exposure is no longer limited to having those reticles. If you hold down the exposure, concentrate, or white balance locks, a slider will emerge, permitting you to adjust those values individually. Advanced features include preset concentrate pulls and individual adjustment of exposure compensation, shutter speed, and ISO. As of this writing, the apertures on all iPad built-in lenses are motionless and cannot be adjusted. Audio can be monitored and adjusted by hand, as well, albeit the internal recording capabilities with the internal microphone are not exactly stellar. Then again, if you indeed want to record audio internally, you will need some extra outer equipment (we’ll get to that later). I’ve only touched on the more basic functionality of FiLMiC Pro, but just knowing that manual control of the essential settings is available from third parties makes the iPad’s movie capability that much more practical.
We’ve covered manual control of movie settings, so let’s stir on to the next significant chunk of the movie pie: audio. Audio quality most likely affects your general production quality more than any other single factor. Subpar movie quality can sometimes be forgiven, but bad audio quality will often take the audience right out of your story. Unlike the visual aspect, getting useable “in-camera,” or single-system audio, is not as straightforward when working with an iPad. While the iPad can record some excellent-looking movie and record some rather high-quality audio, doing both at the same time can be a little more difficult. Getting scrape audio from the built-in mic is effortless within most movie recording apps, but that’s about as much as you can use it for. Even higher quality microphones that can buttplug directly into the iPad won’t indeed cut it for more than a backup track or ambient sound recording. Another issue when using microphones that cork into the headphone jack is that you generally lose any capability to monitor your audio for a bad take. For the best-quality audio, I recommend going with double-system sound, especially when under a lot of time pressure—the iPad is right at home as a separate recorder for audio in a double-system setup. After all, many DSLR filmmakers already deal with this issue.
". the fact that the iPad is essentially a computer is its greatest weakness, but also its greatest strength."
Let’s bring this all together. You have your boosted video-recording software and either a viable single- or double-audio solution. All this must be compiled into a unified package. Even however there is nothing technically separating the iOS devices that the average consumer and the Bentley commercial shooters use, in this case it’s about what’s outside (pun intended). You’re most likely going to want a equipment. Just like any camera setup, a equipment makes the camera more lightly applicable to your specific style of filmmaking, but since an iPad is not your average movie camera, an iPad equipment has to do a little more in the ways of making the tablet physically useable as a movie camera. Fortunately, this niche in the market is packed with fairly a few options as far as cases are worried. Now, these aren’t your average svelte iPad cases with leatherette finishes or magnetic closures; these are purpose built for filmmaking. Most of these cases feature tripod mounts and numerous accessory mounting points for lights or microphones by way of standard cold footwear. Some cases, like these from IOGRAPHER, have built-in treats; essential for more comfy handheld operation. Is the lens on your iPad too broad? Or do you need to get more of your surroundings into your shot? You will find that iPads are not being left out of the interchangeable-lens game. Some cases even come with lenses to expand your shooting options straight away. Armed with one of the cases available, you can commence building up a equipment with lenses, lights, microphones, outer audio recorders, and other accessories that indeed fits your workflow and your shooting style. You don’t even need an outer monitor with that yam-sized screen! On the other arm, if you want to delve right into iPad filmmaking with a full-featured kit, it may be worth your while to look into kits like these, which come with everything you will need for a high-quality iPad movie practice.
Possibly the only serious disadvantage to working with an iPad for movie is the internal battery. While it is rechargeable, it’s not replaceable, and at the time of this writing I don’t know of any serious options for mounting outward and lightly replaceable batteries directly on the iPad. While you can very likely jury-rig something, my suggestion would be to either attempt to remain plugged in to the wall or a USB port as much as possible, or blast up on inexpensive battery packs. It’s not an elegant solution, but it will keep you powered up during your shoot. Just keep in mind that some audio solutions require access to the Lightning or 30-pin connector on your iPad, and will prevent you from connecting an outward power source.
Once you have your iPad kitted out with the right hardware and software, you can tap into that tremendous potential that lies within the iPad’s movie capabilities. Heck, you can even edit and share a finished product without having the footage leave the iPad! Do I think that professional filmmakers will be leaving their dedicated cameras for an iPad anytime soon? Well, I wouldn’t put money on it; however, being able to use such a ubiquitous device as a high-quality contraption for movie acquisition is truly worth consideration from pros and amateurs alike, especially in a pinch where you can only bring one device with you. And, as the telling goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. And with all these options, using an iPad for filmmaking no longer has to be a compromise.