All:
Recently I tested the new "Setellite" VFX Supervisor's App for the IPad from Planet X FX. I was able to use it in the
field on a small horror film entitled, Neron.
Here are my thoughts and experiences when using Setellite.
With all
VFX Supervisors, who have worked in Visual Effects for many years, we end up
developing our own on set tech sheets designed in Word, Excel or Filemaker
Pro. Mine are in FMP. This is always done with the directive of
helping us save time while organizing our shoot data within a fast and furious production
environment. Because of this, if it does
not save us time, then we lose out on getting the proper data recorded for either
additional shooting or post work later on. It can also slow us down and prevent
us from acquiring everything we need to get done when on the shoot.
So the
question is, did Setellite help me to be more efficient while shooting? I would say yes it did. And I say this because the app is laid out
cleanly and intuitively. Am I faster with pencil and paper? Probably. But Setellite has so many features that it
helps you to cover all of the bases to ensure that you stay on top of the data
you need recorded.
Once I
became familiar with the app’s interface, I began to move quickly. After setting up my show’s specs under Gear
for cameras, lenses and filters as well as Template for popups and other useful
time savers for using the app, I then created my first slate or as I think of
it “record” for the scene I was about to shoot.
Within
each slate, there are a series of five tabs to help you navigate through the
app’s features and to control and organize your data. The choices are; Summary, Main, Camera,
Takes/Plates and Reference. I began in
Main setting up my scene’s info and then moved onto Camera. Camera allows you
to enter the entire technical profile of the gear and type of shot you are
about to shoot. Then you switch to Takes/Plates. Here you can create takes to each camera
setup and input information unique to each take. You can then add new plates as
well by switching to the Plates button should there be additional shooting or
passes on the same shot needed. Again,
notes can be entered within plates as well. It’s very easy. I’m quite fond of my printed and bound booklets
but my notes section is a box along the right margin where I write down in
pencil and later on have to transcribe them back into Filemaker Pro. I also
have to re-enter the same data over again when repeating passes on the same
setup and enter directions back to the original record. With Setellite, I don’t
have to do that. I can duplicate slates and
plates with the push of a button. The notes don’t duplicate but everything else
does. While I still would like a way to
import Setellite data into my FMP shot tracking system, you can print out all
of your slates or selected aspects there of as either a PDF or CSV file. CSV seems to translate across to Excel
possibly. I have not used the CSV function yet but have used the PDF and it
worked perfectly.
Another enjoyable
feature to Setellite that I found very handy was the camera function inside the
Reference tab. It was very cool to stand
next to camera and place my IPad right up against the lens and shoot a
reference photo straight into Setellite.
Once the image is there, then I was able to assign it to the slate so I
could have a thumbnail reference. Each image you take for each pass can be
assigned to that element. While I love my 5D Mark II, using it like this
requires more work than I’d like regarding capturing a reference image for my
notes. I like that I can sort, organize and assign all the images to my slates.
It also creates a reference library for your
images that is easily called upon and organized as you like.
The only
aspect that slowed me down a bit and has nothing to do with Setellite but more
with IPad itself. You can’t type like you
can when using a real keyboard. So I’m
kind of typing / quasi hunting and pecking on the keys since I’m using one hand
to hold the unit and the other to type while moving around the set. While I can type super fast, IPads just
aren’t built for that kind of typing. Writing
with pencil is very fast. Maybe I’ll
purchase a Bamboo Stylus and find some sort of lightweight platform to hang
around my neck that I can set my IPad on to free up both hands?
The only
obvious “Tab” I feel is missing is one for HDR photography. I input a lot of data when shooting HDRI’s so
I find that this tab not being present in this version is something that should
absolutely be there in the next release.
Setellite
is an extremely powerful and helpful app that I will continue to use on my
productions. Once its interface becomes
second nature to its user, it becomes a huge time saver and organizer of your
on set notes and data. I am thrilled
that Setellite’s has entered the Visual Effects scene. My only other thought
is, what took so long?
