Ipad for filmmakers

O

ot444

Member
I currently do not own an Ipad so I am not sure how much you can expand on what it does.

If there was a way to use the Ipad as a field monitor I would have had one already. Is this something that might be able to be implemented?

I see that the Ipad can also be used in conjunction with a mac as an additional monitor. I assume that could be cool in working with things as photoshop or aftereffects. Having a touch monitor in addition could be useful.

What other ways can the Ipad be used by filmmakers?
 
I would think it could be cool for showing off your portfolio when you're out and about. Especially since it'll be instant gratification to anyone interested your work.
 
Perhaps some one will be savvy enough to create a dock accessory that takes SMPTE time code in... and an app to go with it that allows shot logging on location complete with TC marks.

There used to be a product called ScriptBoy, and it was great (no longer available). It was a clipboard with a TC display up to, and a wireless TX and RX that took the SMPTE out from the camera and sent it to the clip board. Taking shot notes on the fly was super easy, though handwritten, and in the end one would end up with a rough log.

If this were adapted for iPad, with a logging program that produced NLE-ready logs, the iPad would be amazingly handy on set/location.
 
Rumor has is there are some film makers in the UK working on turning the iPad into a monitor for the 5dmk2 and the 7d.

This is all speculation though. Should be interesting
to see how people use this device in the future.
 
ot444 said:
I currently do not own an Ipad so I am not sure how much you can expand on what it does.
Click to expand...

Have you seen the iPod Touch? It's exaclty like that, only with a 9.7" screen, 4.5x the resolution, and 166% the CPU performance of an iPhone 3GS. Like the iPhone and iPod, there are basicaly no I/O ports, just a headphone connector and the "dock" port.

ot444 said:
If there was a way to use the Ipad as a field monitor I would have had one already. Is this something that might be able to be implemented?
Click to expand...
Wait for one to exist before buying. As it stands, there's no way to get a video display on it. Of course, it's also 4:3, while most folks shoot 16:9, and it's not full HD. There may be a way to get live video on it, but there's also every chance that the attempts will introduce unacceptable latency -- the device will have to digitize your video input (if analog), scale and compress (if it's HD), transfer it to the iPad (via USB, most likely), then de-compress for display.

I think, for the price, you could get 4-5 small HDTVs with HDMI input. If you're after SDI.. well, what are you messing with consumer market toys for anyway.

ot444 said:
I see that the Ipad can also be used in conjunction with a mac as an additional monitor.
Click to expand...
Sorta-kinda. There's an app called iDisplay which does this. It's slower than a real monitor, more like using VNC.

ot444 said:
I assume that could be cool in working with things as photoshop or aftereffects.
Click to expand...
As a display.. not so much, I don't think. 1024x768 was fine for desktop work back in 1985, but things have progressed. If you have a Mac and really want an iPad for other purposes, it might be worth playing around with. You'd need a stand.

It might be more interesting as an input device. But touchscreen tablets and phones don't have the resolution of something like tablet input device. I guess you could do app-specific keyboards, a virtual jog-shuttle, etc. But I already have a real jog-shuttle on my keyboard. The app's not on the PC yet, doesn't do fancy keyboards yet (but that seems like it might be a cool idea), etc.

ot444 said:
What other ways can the Ipad be used by filmmakers?
Click to expand...

I thought it might make a decent preview device... dump your stills and tapeless video directly into the iPad, watch on a big screen (particularly if, like me, you have camcorders with relatively small screens), offload from the cameras, play on a handy TV. Replace those Epson P4000-type "media vault devices".

But it kind of fails at that, so far. Apple did announce a "camera connect" kit, which gives you some knid of connection for some cameras. They couldn't spare the $0.50 to build-in a USB port? And the only video output, also via a kit, is VGA and CVBS, no full HD output.

I guess, once a color calibration wand an app are ready, it could save a few kids of color bars for use in the field. Not resolution charts... it's not full HD.
 
It appears that some people are receiving the camera kit for the ipad. It features two connectors and adds a USB port. Maybe this will enable us to get closer to using the ipad a a field monitor.
 
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