Shot logging on the iphone

Hi,

I have recently developed an application for the iphone that allows you to log shots on location and then email an XML file which imports into FCP.

I'm hoping that will be will a lot of help to people.

At the moment only a free-running or time of day time code source is supported, but with the release of V3.0 of iphone OS the application will support reading LTC from a camera and also broadcasting a bluetooth signal to other iphone/ipod devices.

I would be very keen to get any feed back from you guys and if anyone would like to try it out for free for a few weeks please message me and I can send you a coupon.

It's called ActionLog Pro


Many thanks

Chris

Looks great Chris, will you be showing it off at the London SuperMeet?

It's a good idea but I think you need to revise your pricing. $29.99 is too much for what the app does and a Lite version should be free not $5.99. There's a pretty specific economy on the App Store that favors quantity of sales over high prices.

Noah

Final Cut Studio Training, featuring the HVX200, EX1, EX3, DVX100, DVDSP and Color at [www.callboxlive.com]!
Author, RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera available now at: [www.amazon.com].
Editors Store- Gifts and Gear for Editors: [www.editorsstore.com]

Well I dare say quantity over quality works fine if you're selling fart apps Noah ... quantity and quality if you're selling an app with widespread appeal ... but if your target users are but a very small subsection of the greater iPhone using public then what's the point of give away pricing?

The point is sales Andy. If you haven't noticed only a very few apps on the app store cost more than $9.99. And those are typically apps that let you process credit cards or run serious VPN remote desktop over a network. Most successful iTunes Stores apps are priced between 99 cents and 5 dollars- and they make a mint because it's an easy casual buy in big volume.

And yes of course sadly, there are a lot less people likely to buy an app that logs footage than one that farts. But even so- some sales are better than none.

If this app were $2.99 I'd buy it very casually because it's nothing to lose if it's not useful to me. And not saying it's not a fine app but as there's no other way to demo it I'm not to likely to toss away $29.99 on an iPhone app unless a job utterly demands it and so far that hasn't happened. From the looks of the zero reviews that the guy's gotten so far despite the app being available for a couple of weeks- I'd say I'm not in the minority.

Anyways just a suggestion...

Noah

Final Cut Studio Training, featuring the HVX200, EX1, EX3, DVX100, DVDSP and Color at [www.callboxlive.com]!
Author, RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera available now at: [www.amazon.com].
Editors Store- Gifts and Gear for Editors: [www.editorsstore.com]

I agree that getting the pricing structure is key to the selling and it is something I am still playing with.

However, there is nothing else like this on the market and like I say with the release of V3 of the iphone OS, the app will be able to sync to LTC straight out of the camera, it will also broadcast that signal to other devices that are either logging or connected to other cameras.... bingo you've got yourself a fully syncing multi camera setup - something that is normally very pricey to hire let alone buy.

I've also done my research and there was one once a logging system on the market (10 years ago) and cost over $1000.

So I don't think that it's over priced, and considering I have already sold quite a few in week one I think it's probably right for the time.

I'll have a look into the superMeet Andy - that sounds like a great idea!

Thanks

Chris is absolutely right! ShotLogger from Production Magic! I used it on Newton MessagePad at WGBH for Antiques Roadshow over ten years ago. Sent logs directly into Avid bins. Hot worklflow and I'm looking forward to something like this in FCP. Here's the Shotlogger feature list--

- Log accurate timecode in and out points
- Selectable automatic in and out point triggers
- Input detailed scene descriptions and numbers
- Unlimited reel names and numbers
- Automatically advance to the next take as each take is logged
- View all take and scene information with unique pop-up pickers
- Add notes to each take, unlimited characters
- Label the shot by user-defined criteria-NG, Good, Better, Best
- Select takes for digitizing by the "quality-assigned" field
- Export selected takes or a complete list to popular nonlinear edit systems
- High quality fault tolerant wireless communications and wired capabilities
- Pop up windows allows you to input repetitive data quickly and easily
- Extremely portable and hand held
- Operates all day on AA batteries
- Print Logs and Select Lists to laser printers
- Fax or modem Logs and Select Lists to any location
- Easily manipulate the data to suit your needs

And this leaves out a very neat "backstep" logging feature to offset your reaction time on Ins and Outs, since preroll and postroll in Avid was critical.

If Chris' app carries half this functionality, 29.95 is a JOKE. If Chris can wrangle a wi-fi signal out of camera to iPhone, it's easily worth a couple hundred. Focus Enhancements came up with a Java logging app for iPhone a couple years ago, using wifi or bluetooth, I forget which. (But everything Focus offers is overpriced, IMHO.)

You know, IKEA carries a range of furniture, from cheap to expensive. If I go to App Store, I would expect the same.

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:

Cycle Image to Image & Wireframe to Wireframe with W !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

$29.99 is nothing compared to the money we often spend on other plugins, software and gadgets...often just for a single job.

Pricing is an element, but even more so is how well it works. If it really works well and saves us time, we'll pay $100, $200. If it doesn't work, or is too limited, then even at $19.99, it won't sell.

It's mostly going to depend on quality, I think, not price. If the software is good enough to save the editor/assistant editor one day out of 15 days of logging, it'll pay for itself. Gotta tell you, though, it seems it'll create another excuse for producers to demand unreasonable work hours and methods out of the editorial department. ("On your ride home, can you log this tape?"


www.derekmok.com

("On your ride home, can you log this tape?"

or how about "on your ride home, can you do a rough assemble?"!!

As an editor of almost 14 years now (wow how did that happen!!) I have carefully designed it to work as easily but as powerfully as possible.

It's only in it's infancy but I have a load of ideas that I will be implementing over the next year or so and will hopefully save us all a lot of time.

I am very keen for people to have free trials and give me good honest feedback.

Quote
If you haven't noticed only a very few apps on the app store cost more than $9.99.

doesnt matter. the fact that its an "iphone app" should have little bearing on its pricing. its not intended for the "app market" its intended for video professionals who happen to have iphones...

Quote
Lite version should be free not $5.99

i think this is fallover logic from the "download mentality" thats already brought the music industry to its knees.

this is a VERY "niche" piece of software. there is only a small target market (relative to the full iphone app population) for it. and development takes time and time is money. if it saves me an hour, ONCE its worth $100.

If you drop the price more people will buy it.

The App looks very good but keep in mind it only serves a fraction of the iphone users, us, who work on the business.

I'm asking to much but this App would be great if we could connect a cable to the iphone with TC information from the VTRs or similar devices

Anyway good work and i will forward your site to the people i work with.

Rui Barros
Editor Colorist Trainer
Lisbon, Portugal
RTP Post-Production
Apple Certified Trainer FCP 7
Apple Certified Pro FCP 7

Quote

I'm asking to much but this App would be great if we could connect a cable to the iphone with TC information from the VTRs or similar devices

That is exactly what the app will do with the release of v3.0 OS.

But as no-one makes the leads.... you'll have to buy them from my Dad, who is at this very moment working out how to manufacture them!!

chris

Looks real cool Chris. Thanks for doing it. Wish we had time for you to show it off at the SuperMeet but come anyway and show it to all the folks in the lobby. Will make a nice way to meet new people.

I admit price is so hard to determine when it comes to software. Stick with your instincts and if it doesn't work, drop the price. But its always all about creating demand and doing it better than the other guy.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Agreed. Mass market products for the iPhone need to be inexpensive (under $5). Special interest software, like this logger tool for FCP, needs to be more expensive because it will definitely not sell 400000 times like Pocket God did in the first week! The developer wouldn't make any money if such an app just costs $1 and consequently wouldn't develop the app in the first place. $30 is a good price. Just because there are tons of apps for $0.99 on the iPhone doesn't not mean that everything needs to be priced that cheap. If the logger app would be an app for a Mac Pro then nobody would question the price.

There are only a very few exceptions, like Sims3, which goes for $9.99 and probably sells like hell.

I'm also (still) working on an app for the iPhone. If it would be a plugin for FCP I would sell it for a hundred bucks. But I aim for the mass market and so I will sell it (most probably) for $1.99.

--
Christoph Vonrhein
[www.chv-plugins.com]

[and if it doesn't work, drop the price.]

LOL. If it doesn't work-- drop the product!!

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:

Cycle Image to Image & Wireframe to Wireframe with W !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

> If it doesn't work-- drop the product!!

Tell that to GM or Castlewood Systems (maker of the ORB disk).


www.derekmok.com