On August 4, DGA members learned more about pre-production, production and post-production apps that members can use on their mobile devices during the Western AD/UPM Council’s VFX/Digital Technology Committee webinar, Production Apps for Filmmakers. In a virtual presentation, AD/UPM VFX/Digital Technology Committee Chair Susan Zwerman covered 32 apps that members would find useful for their work.
The webinar was designed to help members find paperless alternatives and faster workflow methods. It was broken into three parts: pre-production, production and post-production apps and provided informational slides and video examples of the apps.
Zwerman began the presentation with a short DGA disclaimer to advise members that the apps were a result of months of research from Zwerman and the Committee and are not endorsed or recommended by the DGA. She also let members know that the complete apps master list was available on the DGA website. (Please note: members must log in to access the apps list PDF.)
See Video of Susan Zwerman's Presentation:
A highlight from the event can be viewed below.
The following apps were part of the presentation:
- Adobe Premiere
- Adobe Premiere Clip
- Avid Control
- Bubbli
- BusyCal for Mac
- Cadrage Director’s Viewfinder
- CROO
- Easy Annotate
- Field Tools
- Focus Chart
- iExit
- Magic Poser
- MagicPlan
- Notability
- pCAM Pro
- PDF Expert
- RABS
- Retouch
- RunPee
- Scanner App
- Scriptation
- SetHero
- Shot Designer
- ShotPro
- StoryBoard Quick Direct HD
- Storyist 4
- Sun Surveyor
- SupernovaSuite
- Tableread
- TeraView
- Think Crew
- Topsheet
Zwerman has worked as the Studio Executive Producer for Exceptional Minds where she provided young artists on the Autism Spectrum career opportunities in digital animation and visual effects on feature films such as Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Green Book and Black Panther. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Producers Guild of America and the Visual Effects Society. She is also the editor — with Jeffrey Okun — of The VES Handbook of Visual Effects (Third Edition) published in July 2020. A DGA member since 1979, Zwerman received the 2013 Frank Capra Achievement Award in recognition of career achievement and service to the industry and to the Guild. Zwerman is a member of the Special Projects Committee and has been involved in programming Digital Day for the past 10 years.
About the Committee:
The VFX/Digital Technology Committee evaluates technical craft innovations and new management systems and their relationship to the production process, and keeps members well versed and up-to-date on the technologies of the 21st Century via periodic special events. The Committee is chaired by UPM Susan Zwerman and co-chaired by UPM Brian Frankish. The Committee’s members are: Dustin Bernard, D. Scott Easton, T. Seamus George, Billy Greenfield, Mark Hansson, Jules Kovisars, Cleve Landsberg, Steve Molen, Jennifer Phillips, John Rago, Brandon Riley, and David Sanger.