Hello everybody! Hope you're all doing well under the circumstances. I recently got a used Pixel 3 to hop on the beta version of the upcoming version of Android (Android 11). I have collected some thoughts why I think it might be the most important new release of Android regarding mobile videography since Android 5 back in 2014. https://smartfilming.blog/2020/07/20/28-android-11-might-be-the-most-important-update-for-mobile-videography-since-android-5/
smartfilming
#28 Android 11 might be the most important update for mobile videography since Android 5
One of the things more tech-savvy smartphone users often criticize about Google’s mobile operating system Android is the fact that new versions of the OS only roll out relatively slowly and t…
Good day to you all! For my latest blog post I took a look at my favorite field/audio recorder apps on Android: https://smartfilming.blog/2020/07/27/29-favorite-field-recorder-apps-on-android/. Feel free to check it out!
smartfilming
#29 Favorite field recorder apps on Android
After starting to write a blog post about multi-track audio editing apps on Android, I figured it might be useful to do one on field recorder apps first as a precursor so to speak. I chose to use t…
I love Apple's AirDrop feature for wireless and fast file transfers between devices which helps a lot with sharing heavy video files. Now Android finally has something similar - kind of... Here's my new blog post about Nearby Share on Android: https://smartfilming.blog/2020/10/06/30-android-airdrop-is-here-and-its-called-nearby-share/ Stay safe everyone!
smartfilming
#30 “Android Airdrop” is here – and it’s called Nearby Share!
One of the things I really like about Apple’s ecosystem is the cross-platform integration of a functionality called “AirDrop” which lets you fast, wirelessly and offline transfer …
Starting off the week with another new blog post, this time about an interesting development in terms of video stabilization that could be very fruitful for smartphone videography in the near future. https://smartfilming.blog/2020/10/12/31-could-this-be-the-future-for-video-stabilization-on-smartphones/
smartfilming
#31 Could this be the future for video stabilization on smartphones?
I’ve been thinking about getting my first full-frame DSLM camera for some time now, there are a whole lot of very tempting offerings out there. Not one however was able to tick all the boxes …
Wrapping up the week, here comes a new blog post about Google's fascinating Recorder app and its 2.0 update: https://smartfilming.blog/2020/10/18/32-google-recorder-2-0-a-fantastic-update-for-an-already-brilliant-app/
smartfilming
#32 Google Recorder 2.0 – A fantastic update for an already brilliant app!
Not too long ago, I wrote an article about my favorite audio recorder apps for Android. One of the apps I included was Google Recorder. Officially, the app is only available for Pixel phones but ca…
My new blog post is about a hack to use the free app Live Transcribe for auto-transcribing any kind of audio (or video) recording in over 70 languages: https://smartfilming.blog/2020/10/26/33-auto-transcribe-all-your-audio-for-free-with-live-transcribe/
smartfilming
#33 Auto-transcribe all your audio for free with Live Transcribe!
While writing my last blog post about Google Recorder 2.0, I stumbled upon a hack that can also be utilized for another app from Google, one that currently understands over 70 languages, not only E…
Ten Takeaways Telegram (October 2020)
Apple announced new iPhones with improved cameras, including two with HDR 10bit video recording (Pro and Pro Max) and one with sensor shift stabilization (Pro Max). HDR10 is only available on the native camera app, 3rd party apps like FilmicPro can't access it (yet). They also introduced for the first time an iPhone Mini.
Filmic Inc. launched Filmic Remote for Android. The app lets you use a secondary device to remote control the primary device. It's been already available for iOS for quite a while.
LG launched the LG Wing phone with a crazy form factor including a swivel screen, built-in gimbal and a revival of dual camera video recording which for the first time on Android records to two separate files instead of one that is split-screen.
Google launched the new Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, introducing for the first time secondary wide-angle rear cameras to its flagship line.
Google updated its auto-transcription Recorder app with great new features including producing video clips with waveforms and captions from audio files.
Nokia launched the Nokia 8.3, once again including dual camera video recording and for the first time a cinema pro camera mode with manual controls and H-Log option.
DJI announced and launched the Pocket 2, a successor to the Osmo Pocket, improving lots of things including wider FOV, bigger sensor, smart wireless audios solution and more.
Insta360 announced and launched the successor to the popular One X, the One X2. Bigger battery, vastly improved screen, HDR recording and a more rugged design are among the perks of the new model.
BBC MoJo Trainer Marc Blank-Settle published his thorough review of iOS 14 for journalists, this time in the form of a video. Come for his fancy purple shirt and stay for all the good info: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20201001095533358
Video tip: RTE's Philip Bromwell shot a moving report about a teenager's battle with Covid 19 - all on a phone: https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1311916323669041152?s=20
Apple announced new iPhones with improved cameras, including two with HDR 10bit video recording (Pro and Pro Max) and one with sensor shift stabilization (Pro Max). HDR10 is only available on the native camera app, 3rd party apps like FilmicPro can't access it (yet). They also introduced for the first time an iPhone Mini.
Filmic Inc. launched Filmic Remote for Android. The app lets you use a secondary device to remote control the primary device. It's been already available for iOS for quite a while.
LG launched the LG Wing phone with a crazy form factor including a swivel screen, built-in gimbal and a revival of dual camera video recording which for the first time on Android records to two separate files instead of one that is split-screen.
Google launched the new Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, introducing for the first time secondary wide-angle rear cameras to its flagship line.
Google updated its auto-transcription Recorder app with great new features including producing video clips with waveforms and captions from audio files.
Nokia launched the Nokia 8.3, once again including dual camera video recording and for the first time a cinema pro camera mode with manual controls and H-Log option.
DJI announced and launched the Pocket 2, a successor to the Osmo Pocket, improving lots of things including wider FOV, bigger sensor, smart wireless audios solution and more.
Insta360 announced and launched the successor to the popular One X, the One X2. Bigger battery, vastly improved screen, HDR recording and a more rugged design are among the perks of the new model.
BBC MoJo Trainer Marc Blank-Settle published his thorough review of iOS 14 for journalists, this time in the form of a video. Come for his fancy purple shirt and stay for all the good info: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20201001095533358
Video tip: RTE's Philip Bromwell shot a moving report about a teenager's battle with Covid 19 - all on a phone: https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1311916323669041152?s=20
BBC Academy
What's new in iOS 14 for mobile journalists?
Marc Settle reviews the latest version of the operating system running on iPhones and runs through the important changes that journalists and mobile journalists need to know about.
I have made a huge update for my older article on recording video with multiple cameras on a phone simultaneously, this time including iPhone/iOS and some news about the situation on Android: https://smartfilming.blog/2018/04/17/12-recording-video-with-multiple-cameras-simultaneously-on-android-and-ios/
smartfilming
#12 Recording video with multiple cameras simultaneously on a smartphone (incl. Update 2021)
2017 marked the return of one of THE big pioneers in the history of mobile phones to the smartphone market: Nokia. It’s not really the same company from the days of feature and Windows phones anymo…
Good morning! I have written a blog article about yesterday's big mobile videography news... https://smartfilming.blog/2020/11/17/34-apple-is-about-to-give-us-25fps-in-the-iphones-native-camera-app-finally-catching-up-to-windows-phones/
smartfilming
#34 Apple is about to give us 25fps in the iPhone’s native camera app (finally catching up to Windows Phones)
One of the things that has mostly remained a blindspot in video recording with the native camera app of a smartphone, is the ability to shoot in PAL frame rates, i.e. 25/50fps. The native camera ap…
Ten Takeaways Telegram (November 2020)
Luma Fusion video editing app for iOS has added support for 10Bit HDR videos, giving owners of the new iPhone 12 series a place to take their high spec footage to.
Filmic Pro on iOS has added support for 10Bit HDR recording on the iPhone 12 series. It was initially only available for Apple's native camera app but not 3rd party apps.
Unexpectedly, Apple has added support for 25fps video recording in the native camera app with their latest iOS beta 14.3. It's not available in the official version yet.
Windows Central author Zac Bowden uncovered that Microsoft apparently plans to bring native support for Android apps to Windows 10 in something called "Project Latte".
Zoom (the Japanese audio recorder company) has announced the Zoom F2/F2 BT mobile pocket audio recorders, one of its best features being the ability to record 32bit float audio which basically frees you from having to worry about setting the right input levels.
VN, a powerful and free video editing app on Android and iOS has released a version for macOS which is also free.
Saramonic has announced the Blink 500 Pro, a successor to its mobile wireless audio system Blink 500, this time including an LCD display, longer battery life, wider range etc.
Rode has released two patch cables SC 15 (USB-C to Lightning) and SC 16 (USB-C to USB-C) to connect the Video Mic NTG shotgun mic with mobile devices
iMovie on iOS has finally been updated with a proper title tool, mitigating one of its major shortcomings
Podcast Tip: The latest episode of The Mobile Storytelling Podcast by Wytse Vellinga and Björn Staschen features Die Welt reporter Martin Heller who's been covering many critical protests in Germany over the last years: https://anchor.fm/MobileStorytelling/episodes/The-Riot-Reporter-emr4ka
Luma Fusion video editing app for iOS has added support for 10Bit HDR videos, giving owners of the new iPhone 12 series a place to take their high spec footage to.
Filmic Pro on iOS has added support for 10Bit HDR recording on the iPhone 12 series. It was initially only available for Apple's native camera app but not 3rd party apps.
Unexpectedly, Apple has added support for 25fps video recording in the native camera app with their latest iOS beta 14.3. It's not available in the official version yet.
Windows Central author Zac Bowden uncovered that Microsoft apparently plans to bring native support for Android apps to Windows 10 in something called "Project Latte".
Zoom (the Japanese audio recorder company) has announced the Zoom F2/F2 BT mobile pocket audio recorders, one of its best features being the ability to record 32bit float audio which basically frees you from having to worry about setting the right input levels.
VN, a powerful and free video editing app on Android and iOS has released a version for macOS which is also free.
Saramonic has announced the Blink 500 Pro, a successor to its mobile wireless audio system Blink 500, this time including an LCD display, longer battery life, wider range etc.
Rode has released two patch cables SC 15 (USB-C to Lightning) and SC 16 (USB-C to USB-C) to connect the Video Mic NTG shotgun mic with mobile devices
iMovie on iOS has finally been updated with a proper title tool, mitigating one of its major shortcomings
Podcast Tip: The latest episode of The Mobile Storytelling Podcast by Wytse Vellinga and Björn Staschen features Die Welt reporter Martin Heller who's been covering many critical protests in Germany over the last years: https://anchor.fm/MobileStorytelling/episodes/The-Riot-Reporter-emr4ka
Anchor
The Riot Reporter by The Mobile Storytelling Podcast • A podcast on Anchor
"The smartphone makes me feel safe." Martin Heller has been reporting on protests and demonstrations for nearly 20 years. A lot of his current reports are filmed and edited on smartphones. "Somedays it helps not be seen as a reporter with a big microphone…
New blog post about using external microphones with iPhones is out: https://smartfilming.blog/2020/12/01/35-using-external-microphones-with-iphones-when-shooting-video/
smartfilming
#35 Using external microphones with iPhones when shooting video
I usually don’t follow the stats for my blog but when I recently did check on what articles have been the most popular so far, I noticed that a particular one stuck out by a large margin and …
Hi everyone! So over the last days I found some time to take another look at my blog and I have made some changes, hopefully for the better: 1) The mobile version finally looks like it's supposed to, can't believe I had to dig into the Wordpress settings to get it done, should be default! 2) I noticed that it was quite cumbersome to search for older blog posts so I made a new menu item "All posts at a glance" 3) At the same time I de-cluttered and simplified the top menu bar, sacrificing the blogroll in the process but I noticed that the vast majority of linked blogs had been taken offline or are not maintained anymore. 4) I decided to get a paid Wordpress plan to get rid of the ads for readers. Might have to revert, once I'm broke ;) So anyway, go have a look: http://smartfilming.blog.
smartfilming
Exploring the possibilities of video production with smartphones
The advanced motion graphics app "Alight Motion" (available for Android & iPhone/iPad) has released a new 3.6 update which for the first time includes effect presets that will make it much easier for beginners to quickly apply effects.
Filmic Pro has released V3 of its LOG profile. It's available for all iPhone 12 variants and certain Android devices that support 10bit video.
The once popular livestreaming app Periscope (owned by Twitter) has announced it will shut down as of March 31st.
A unified EU drone regulation will go into effect as of January 1st 2021, mostly replacing very different national laws. Generally, persons operating (certain) drones will have to meet more requirements to be allowed to fly.
A market research report has shown that Samsung's more affordable flagship variant S20 FE is apparently a huge success, selling in large numbers.
Online video platform Vimeo is set to become an independent, publicly traded company. So far it has been a subsidiary of IAC.
Apple has officially released iOS 14.3, making 25fps in the native camera app available for everyone. It first has to be activated in the settings.
Sony has released a new variant of its Alpha 7 DSLM series, the Sony Alpha 7c. It's their most compact full-frame mirrorless camera to date. While it has the same sensor as the older Alpha 7 III, there's no video recording limit anymore and it has improved autofocus and image processing. It's also only half the price of the Alpha 7s III, around 2000 Euro/USD.
Huawei released a first beta version of HarmonyOS 2.0, its own mobile operating system that's supposed to debut on a smartphone in 2021. It will replace Android as the OS for their phones since the US trade-ban has cut off Huawei from all Google services including the PlayStore and its vast selection of apps
Xiaomi has presented its next flagship phone, the Mi 11, the first smartphone with Qualcomm's brand-new Snapdragon 888 processor. It also features a special Night Video mode for better low-light footage.
Filmic Pro has released V3 of its LOG profile. It's available for all iPhone 12 variants and certain Android devices that support 10bit video.
The once popular livestreaming app Periscope (owned by Twitter) has announced it will shut down as of March 31st.
A unified EU drone regulation will go into effect as of January 1st 2021, mostly replacing very different national laws. Generally, persons operating (certain) drones will have to meet more requirements to be allowed to fly.
A market research report has shown that Samsung's more affordable flagship variant S20 FE is apparently a huge success, selling in large numbers.
Online video platform Vimeo is set to become an independent, publicly traded company. So far it has been a subsidiary of IAC.
Apple has officially released iOS 14.3, making 25fps in the native camera app available for everyone. It first has to be activated in the settings.
Sony has released a new variant of its Alpha 7 DSLM series, the Sony Alpha 7c. It's their most compact full-frame mirrorless camera to date. While it has the same sensor as the older Alpha 7 III, there's no video recording limit anymore and it has improved autofocus and image processing. It's also only half the price of the Alpha 7s III, around 2000 Euro/USD.
Huawei released a first beta version of HarmonyOS 2.0, its own mobile operating system that's supposed to debut on a smartphone in 2021. It will replace Android as the OS for their phones since the US trade-ban has cut off Huawei from all Google services including the PlayStore and its vast selection of apps
Xiaomi has presented its next flagship phone, the Mi 11, the first smartphone with Qualcomm's brand-new Snapdragon 888 processor. It also features a special Night Video mode for better low-light footage.
A happy new year to everyone! 🎉 Here's my first blog post of 2021, looking at the Insta360 One X2 camera that I've been trying out for about a month now: https://smartfilming.blog/2021/01/05/360-the-insta360-one-x2-fun-frustration/
smartfilming
#36(0) The Insta360 One X2 – fun & frustration
A couple of years ago, 360° (video) cameras burst onto the scene and seemed to be all the new rage for a while. The initial excitement faded relatively quickly however when producers realized that …
I had wanted to write this round-up for a very long time but always postponed it... now I finally got it done, a look at the best video editing apps on Android: https://smartfilming.blog/2021/01/10/37-best-video-editors-video-editing-apps-for-android-in-2021/
smartfilming
#37 Best video editors / video editing apps for Android (Update 2022/2023)
Ever since I started this blog, I wanted to write an article about my favorite video editing apps on Android but I could never decide on how to go about it, whether to write a separate in-depth art…
Not sure I can keep up the pace but here's already my next blog post. This one is about how to anonymize persons or objects in videos with smartphone apps. https://smartfilming.blog/2021/01/16/38-how-to-anonymize-persons-or-objects-in-videos-on-a-smartphone-new-app-makes-things-a-lot-easier/
smartfilming
#38 How to anonymize persons or objects in videos on a smartphone – new app makes things a lot easier!
There are times when – for reasons of privacy or even a person’s physical safety – you want to make certain parts of a frame in a video unrecognizable so not to give away someone&…
New blog post is out! https://smartfilming.blog/2021/01/24/39-should-you-buy-a-cheap-android-phone-10-things-to-consider/
smartfilming
#39 Should you buy a cheap Android phone? 10 things to consider!
One of the big reasons why Android has such an overwhelming dominance as a mobile operating system on a global scale (around 75% of smartphones world wide run Android) is that you basically have a …