Your iPhone is a cinema camera that fits in your pocket. These apps unlock its full potential.

Camera Apps

  • Blackmagic Camera (free) — Full manual controls, ProRes recording, false color, waveform. The best free option.
  • Filmic Pro ($15) — Manual controls, dual recording, live analytics.
  • Apple Cinematic Mode (built-in) — Automated rack focus with simulated depth of field.

Camera Coaching

  • FrameCoach — Real-time coaching through camera settings and composition decisions. Designed for filmmakers learning on any device.

Editing

  • LumaFusion ($30) — The most powerful mobile editor. Multi-track, keyframing, color correction.
  • CapCut (free) — Quick edits, good effects, easy to learn.
  • iMovie (free) — Apple’s basic editor. Limited but functional for simple projects.

Audio

  • Voice Record Pro (free) — Record high-quality audio separately for syncing.
  • Ferrite Recording Studio (free basic) — Multi-track audio editing on iOS.

Production

  • ShotLister ($25) — Professional shot list management.
  • Sun Seeker ($10) — Plan natural lighting with AR sun tracking.
  • Cadrage ($10) — Director’s viewfinder with lens simulation.

Color & LUTs

  • VideoLUT ($4) — Apply LUTs directly to footage on your phone.

The Minimal iPhone Filmmaking Setup

You only need three apps to start: Blackmagic Camera (shoot) + FrameCoach (learn) + LumaFusion or DaVinci Resolve on desktop (edit). Everything else is optional.

More in our Filmmaker Tools hub.