Now more than ever, the iPhone is being put to work as a tool. Filmmakers are no different and I guarantee if you walk on a set you’ll see more iPhones around than your local Apple Store.
Previously, I’ve written about useful cinematography apps to have on set, but today I’m kicking it up a notch into the third dimension! This article is all about apps for 3D stereography, so get the credit card ready, because calculating that extra dimension is going to cost some money…
RealD Professional Stereo3D Calculator
Price: $39.99
Download in Apple App Store
In the realm of projected 3D, there are two major standards: Dolby Digital and RealD. Now the company that has mastered the way you watch movies in multiple dimensions has come out with an app to help you calculate shooting it.
Stereography is a complex art, one that requires lots of math, science and a true understanding of the physiological nature of the human mind and eye. Calculator apps can help cut through the equations to allow more room for creative choices.
The RealD Professional Stereo3D Calculator is the only app on this list to have both iPhone and iPad support — though the iPad support is simply a port of the iPhone version.
The calculator helps solve issues of parallax, lens choices, and camera setup as well as help deal with post-production workflow. But most useful is the “Stereo Rig Solver mode,” a sort-of walkthrough wizard that “gives you the exact settings needed to accomplish any shot.”
If you’re working as a stereographer or shooting in 3D for a movie, the RealD app is going to be the standard that all the other calculators are held against. In the movie industry, you quickly learn that though sometimes brand names cost a premium, there’s a good reason for that.
IOD Calc
Price: $49.99
Download in Apple App Store
While RealD makes no qualms about its professional status, IOD Calc bills itself as an app made for a wide spectrum of “amateur student film makers to industry professionals.” That may or may not be a good thing, but at half the cost of the RealD app, this app should be a consideration for those looking to go pro in a budget.
IOD Calc is another 3D calculator that is able to help with inter-ocular distance, “roundness” factor, foreground and background divergences, and also computes these in imperial or metric measurements. What I like about IOD Calc is its comfortable slider user interface and its matching iPhone aesthetic that will be immediately familiar.
IOD Calc is designed to be used with film and digital cameras, still or motion picture work, making it more versatile, at least from a conceptual standpoint, than the RealD calculator.
SD 3D
Price: $24.99
Download in Apple App Store
SD 3D doesn’t say much about itself with its name, but, if you haven’t noticed a pattern yet, it’s another calculator app. Stereography is really an extension of cinematography and so many of these apps focus on 3D specific issues while there are plenty of other cinematography apps that cover the visual art more expansively.
But back to SD 3D and its Lamborghini Yellow aesthetic…
Besides suffering from a complex and crowded interface, SD 3D features a robust set of options and settings. It also has a certain pedigree going for it because it’s listed as an app by Affonso Beato, ASC. It is also the only app to describe itself as a calculator that helps filmmakers produce “stereo 3D images that don’t cause visual stress when presented.”
Going the extra mile, SD 3D’s website also features a very informative Stereo 3D Fundamentals guide.
Cine3D Stereographer
Price: $44.99
Download on Apple App Store
Cine3D Stereographer is an app that features an original design aesthetic to find your way through the expected stereography calculations. According to the iTunes description, Cine3D was made after one year of research meaning that the team has a commitment to accurate calculations.
Cine3D has some unique features like real-time depth simulation which supposedly helps you “see the consequences of your choices for the viewer,” but the concept is vaguely described beyond that.
It also allows customization for specific target audiences which I assume changes the settings of “acceptable” 3D based on the age range.
Lastly, it has an e-mail feature to send out settings to future productions or post-production houses. The downside I see to Cine3D is that it was developed by Frenchmen so the language barrier is apparent in the English translation.
Let Your iPhone Help You Learn 3D
Like it or not, 3D is becoming a large part of film production these days and cameras like the RED Epic are making it easier than ever to shoot in the format. Whether you are a cinematographer, stereographer, camera assistant or a student, being able to make the complex calculations that create comfortable stereographic images is essential when bringing depth to the screen.
Find more Useful Cinematography iPhone Apps from this series of posts.