With ARRIs Camera Companion App for iPhone, iPad and Mac with Apple Silicon, users can configure a personalised interface for remote control of one or multiple ALEXA cameras.
ARRI has officially launched its Camera Companion App for iPhone, iPad and Mac with Apple Silicon, enabling users to configure their own personalised interface for remote control of one or multiple ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, ALEXA Mini, AMIRA and ALEXA 265 cameras.
Following a successful beta program spent collecting feedback from thousands of professionals users to help finalise the features, ARRI’s Camera Companion is now available on the Apple App Store. With a choice of two subscription options, Camera Companion’s flexible interface shortens onset workflows for camera crews and DITs. The Standard subscription gives comprehensive control of one or two ARRI cameras, and the Premium subscription adds features such as unlimited cameras and MIDI support.
Personalised Control
A free Demo version of the app includes basic, single-camera control, camera menu access and free Standard and Premium trial periods that allow users to build familiarity with the control possibilities before deciding which subscription is right for them. Every new project in the app includes a simulated camera, so users can start exploring even if they don’t have a camera to hand. Connection to a real ARRI camera can be implemented either via the camera’s own WiFi network or a wider on-set network.
Personalised control is the basis of the Camera Companion. Users can choose a predefined layout or drag and drop control tiles into a custom layout that suits their way of working, giving them control of the parameters they need. Unlimited app user buttons can be assigned to the required camera functions and then dragged and dropped into the user’s layout. With a Premium subscription the interface can be organised into multiple tabs. Users can create separate tabs for different cameras or shooting situations, or assign a specific tab to functions like playback control.
Flexible, Portable Access
Camera Companion opens flexible, portable access to all of the familiar camera controls and status displays of a professional set. Among the features the beta testers especially like are the ability to save builds by project, and having independent interfaces for DP and DIT. They value the time they can save using the physical camera setup and allowing the selection of camera settings to be managed simultaneously by different people. Making instant adjustments to camera settings while at a monitor station, quickly matching multiple cameras and – most of all – the customisable interface.
For more versatility, the Premium subscription also expands the app’s functionality with unlimited cameras and tabs, lens control via ARRI cforce lens motors, sensor sync shift, CDL (colour decision list) control for live grading, and video parameter control (for ALEXA Mini and AMIRA cameras). It also has MIDI support for tactile control via physical input devices, which opens a range of opportunities to control ARRI cameras with MIDI-enabled devices, further expanding the scope for individually customised camera control setups. www.arri.com/CCA
