If you’ve worked on a busy film set, you know that anything that makes your job easier is very valuable. Well, ARRI has just released something that may be the next best thing to having an extra pair of hands. The ARRI Camera Companion App is now out following a successful beta test, and it is intended to make on-set operations easier for camera teams and DITs alike.
Available now on the Apple App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Macs, the app offers flexible remote control for ARRI’s top cameras like the ALEXA 35, Mini LF, Mini, AMIRA, and ALEXA 265. After months of gathering feedback from real-world pros during its beta phase, it looks like ARRI polished the app into something that feels tailor-made for the chaos of actual production days.
The app offers two subscription levels: Standard and Premium. It seems to work well for different workflows, whether you use one camera or many. And if you want to take it for a spin before committing, there’s a free Demo version with trial access to both subscription tiers. Handy if you’re curious but not quite ready to pull the trigger.
Why Camera Crews Are Already Talking About It?
One of the first things you’ll find when jumping into the Camera Companion App is how personalized it is. Rather than trapping you in a cookie-cutter design, it gives you the reins, literally! You can drag and drop tiles to create your own custom configuration. Whether you need quick access to white balance, playback, lens control, or even construct entire tabs for other cameras or tasks, it gets you covered.
The Standard plan gives you complete mastery of up to two cameras. If you upgrade to Premium. You might get access to many extras. These might be unlimited cameras, tabs for different shooting modes, lens motor control, live grading with CDL, and video settings control. It even has MIDI support for hands-on device integration.
Although “MIDI support” sounds technical, beta testers praised how it opened up new possibilities. Think of setting camera controls with physical sliders or foot pedals while still being able to monitor from your station.
Some of the other functionality that crew members enjoyed during beta? Preserving project builds for various shoots, designing discrete interfaces for DP and DIT, syncing several cameras at high speed, and adjusting cameras remotely without running all over set. In high-pressure environments where time truly is of the essence, those minutes saved can quickly stack up.
Even if you’re not currently building a large project, the app allows you to experiment with an in-app simulated camera. It seems a clever feature that enables you to explore and learn without having to be on location, much less next to an actual camera.
In its simplest terms, the ARRI Camera Companion App isn’t merely yet another remote-control novelty. This tool seems practical and designed for engineers and technicians. It helps them work more easily and gives them better control. Appearing to give camera crews just a little extra breathing space, and on a fast-paced set, that’s pure gold.
[via ARRI; Image credits: ARRI]
