New iPhone Video App: CollabraCam

CollabraCam is the world's first iPhone app for wireless multi-camera video production with realtime editing and director to camera communications!

CollabraCam is a fun, easy way to engage in a multi-camera video production experience. With CollabraCam's patent pending technology, you and your crew will produce visually interesting and exciting videos with minimal post-production editing.

Direct your iPhone or iPod Touch camera crew over local Wi-Fi and choose the shots to edit your video on the fly in realtime. Monitor up to four streaming cameras and select the best camera view to put on standby for the next shot. Silently prompt your camera operators to pan a shot, dolly in for a closeup and more. Video clips are recorded to the cameras and transferred to you in the background during the production and credits are automatically generated when the session is saved.

A "rough cut" movie can be viewed in the app and exported to the Camera Roll in three sizes. Video clips can also be exported to the Camera Roll to edit in an iPhone video editing app or saved via iTunes to edit on your computer. With minimal effort, you can assemble, trim clips, introduce transitions and add music to complete your movie's "final cut."

CollabraCam on the go with a mobile hotspot or ad hoc network on a laptop. CollabraCam does not require an internet connection, only a Wi-Fi network. Use a spare wireless G or N router to create a dedicated network. Get together with friends, download CollabraCam and start your first CollabraCam production today.

CollabraCam Features

As a Director you can:

• Direct a wireless multi-camera video production on any iOS device
• Connect with up to four iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 4G cameras
• View realtime video and record video clips from the streaming cameras
• Record video from one camera while placing another camera on standby to prepare for the next shot
• Silently communicate camera move or angle requests to other cameras (pan, dolly, track, etc)
• Save a multi-camera video production as a session which can be resumed later
• Review a "rough cut" movie right within the app
• Export a "rough cut" movie in three different sizes: 640x480, 480x360 or 192x144 with automatically generated credits with optional copyright notice
• Export video clips and credits to the Camera Roll to edit in a video editing app on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad
• Save video clips from a session via File Sharing in iTunes to edit on your computer
• Copy a session to maintain an original and resume multiple alternate endings
• Delete a session to free space on your iPhone

As a Camera Operator you can:

• Participate in a multi-camera video production with an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 4G
• Receive feedback whether you are on standby or you are the recording camera
• Receive communication from the director requesting a camera move or angle
• Use your iPhone 4 flash as a light to brighten up your video

CollabraCam General Usage Tips

The following tips will optimize your CollabraCam experience:

• It is recommended that all cameras used in a session are all 4th generation devices and all the same type (all iPhone 4 or all iPod Touch 4G) to ensure consistent video and audio quality.
• iPhone 3GS will function as director or a camera. iPad will function as director through pixel doubling. Older iPhone and iPod Touch devices (iPhone 2G, 3G and iPod Touch 1G, 2G and 3G) will function as director only, but may provide a sub-standard experience.
• CollabraCam should be used on a local Wi-Fi network (802.11G or 802.11N) on the same wireless router or hub.
• If Auto-Lock is enabled, it is advised to turn it off to ensure your device does not go idle during a session.
• If Bluetooth is enabled, it is advised to turn it off to ensure the highest possible transfer rate during a session.

App Store Link: CollabraCam; Price: £5.99/$9.99/€7.79

Editors comments: I'm not really in to video, so I haven't tried this app, but it does look like an interesting, albeit pricey and ambitious one.

If anyone has/does try this app, then please let us know what it's like and how it performs.