Blackmagic Camera App — pro video from your phone, made simple

The Blackmagic Camera App turns an iPhone, iPad, or supported Android device into a straight‑up professional video camera. You get manual controls, proper monitoring tools, timecode on every clip, and one‑tap Blackmagic Cloud collaboration, all in a clean, touch‑first interface that feels familiar to anyone who’s used a cinema camera. It’s free and designed to slot right into DaVinci Resolve workflows your editors already know. (blackmagicdesign.com)

Standout capabilities you feel on day one

• Real manual control that sticks. Quickly set frame rate, shutter angle or speed, ISO, white balance, and tint. Lock what you need so the look stays consistent from shot to shot. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Trust your exposure and focus. Use zebras, focus peaking, false color, frame/safe guides, histograms, and display LUTs so you can judge the image with confidence instead of guessing. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Timecode, like a proper set. Every take gets record‑run or time‑of‑day timecode, with accessory support for Tentacle Sync E over Bluetooth when you need multi‑device sync. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Multicam remote without the headache. Monitor and trigger multiple phones from one screen for events, training, or interviews—teams commonly run up to nine phones in practice. (theverge.com)

Formats and quality that scale with your phone

• On iPhone/iPad: Record in Apple ProRes (422 HQ/422/LT/Proxy) or HEVC/H.264, choose bitrates, and generate automatic HD proxies for fast turnarounds. Color spaces include Rec.709, HDR options, and Apple Log for more grading headroom. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• On supported Android: Record in HEVC/H.264, with Advanced Professional Video (APV) on devices that support it, and resolutions up to 8K where hardware allows. (blackmagicdesign.com)

Built‑in collaboration your editors will love

• Shoot, and it shows up in the project. Log into Blackmagic Cloud and have clips auto‑upload to a DaVinci Resolve project, with optional proxies first so the edit can start immediately. There’s even built‑in project chat to keep notes with the footage. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Metadata that actually helps later. Slate as you go—scene, take, reel, production, camera ID, location, and more—so media stays searchable, audit‑ready, and reusable across teams. (blackmagicdesign.com)

Why this matters for a strong Back Office

• Make internal content fast, yet consistent. Your team can capture polished SOP walk‑throughs, onboarding, policy updates, compliance explainers, and exec messages with repeatable looks and matching exposure, not “random phone video.”

• Cut the wait between capture and edit. Proxies upload first, so editors can start cutting immediately while originals backfill—perfect for time‑sensitive rollouts and training campaigns. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Standardize and govern your media. Timecode on every clip plus rich metadata means cleaner archives, easier audits, and less re‑shooting because no one can find the right take later. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Scale with BYOD without big spend. The app is free, works on devices staff already carry, and plugs into Resolve and Blackmagic Cloud you may already use—so you get enterprise‑grade output without enterprise‑grade cost. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Privacy‑first by design. Blackmagic states the app does not collect user data, which helps with internal policy and compliance reviews. (blackmagicdesign.com)

Practical use cases that land well in operations

• SOP libraries and how‑to clips that stay on‑brand and easy to update

• Town halls and trainings with multicam coverage run from one coordinator

• Facility and safety documentation with clear time‑stamped takes

• Quick stakeholder messages where editors can cut same‑day

• Vendor and site audits captured consistently across regions

Quick rollout plan (plug‑and‑play)

• Pick devices and presets. Choose a standard frame rate and shutter angle, turn on display LUTs, lock white balance per location, and save as a simple “house preset.”

• Enable Cloud and proxies. Point the app at your Blackmagic Cloud project, turn on automatic proxy upload, and agree on folder naming so media drops into the right bin. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Template your slate. Pre‑fill production name, camera IDs by department, and a short list of scene/take conventions so metadata is consistent from day one. (blackmagicdesign.com)

• Test multicam. For events, designate one controller device, set camera passwords, and rehearse a two‑minute record/stop drill across phones. (theverge.com)

• Write a one‑page guide. Include: how to lock exposure, when to use proxies, where clips land in the project, and who approves final cuts.

Practical guardrails (learned the easy way)

• Battery and storage. ProRes and 8K look amazing but eat space; use proxies for speed and originals for final delivery as bandwidth allows.

• Network planning. For office Wi‑Fi, schedule heavy uploads off‑peak or prioritize proxy‑first to keep things snappy.

• Consistency over complexity. Lock a baseline look and audio practice, then iterate. The fewer variables in the field, the cleaner your archive and handoffs.

Bottom line: with proper controls, reliable monitoring, timecode, and cloud‑native handoff