ARRI announces the official launch of its Camera Companion App for iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Apple Silicon, enabling users to configure their own personalised interface for remote control of one or multiple ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, ALEXA Mini, AMIRA, and ALEXA 265 cameras.
Following a highly successful beta program during which valuable feedback from thousands of industry professionals helped shape the final feature set, ARRI’s Camera Companion is now available on the Apple App Store. With a choice of two subscription options, Camera Companion’s flexible interface streamlines on-set workflows for camera crews and DITs. The Standard subscription provides comprehensive control of one or two ARRI cameras, while the Premium subscription adds features such as unlimited cameras and MIDI support.
A free Demo version of the app offers basic, single-camera control, camera menu access, and free Standard and Premium trial periods that allow users to build familiarity with the control possibilities before deciding which subscription is right for them. Every new project in the app includes a simulated camera, so users can start exploring even if they don’t have a camera to hand. Connection to a real ARRI camera can be implemented either via the camera’s own WiFi network or a wider on-set network.
Personalised control is at the heart of the Camera Companion experience. Users can choose a predefined layout or drag and drop control tiles into a custom layout that suits their way of working, giving them fingertip control of the parameters they need. Unlimited app user buttons can be assigned to literally any camera function required and then dragged and dropped into the user’s personalized layout. With a Premium subscription the interface can be organized into multiple tabs, so users can create separate tabs for different cameras or shooting situations, or assign a specific tab to functions like playback control.
Camera Companion provides flexible and portable access to all of the familiar camera controls and status displays of a professional set. Among the features praised by beta testers are the ability to save builds by project; independent interfaces for DP and DIT; time savings achieved by the physical camera setup and the selection of camera settings being done simultaneously by different people; instant adjustments to camera settings while at a monitor station; quick matching of multiple cameras; and—most of all—the customisable interface.
For maximum professional versatility, the Premium subscription expands the app’s functionality with unlimited cameras and tabs, lens control via cforce lens motors, sensor sync shift, CDL control for live grading, and video parameter control (for ALEXA Mini and AMIRA cameras). It also provides MIDI support for tactile control via physical input devices, which opens almost unlimited opportunities to control ARRI cameras with MIDI-enabled devices of any kind, further expanding the scope for individually customized camera control setups.
