Adding a Tablet for your filmmaking Tool Kit?

Adding a tablet to your filmmaking tool kit? Trying to decide whether to go with an iPad, or an Android pad? How do the two compare to each other? In this article we will take a look at two tablets, and discuss the benefits of adding one to your kit. The first slate reviewed was the Zenithink ZT 180 running the Android  2.1 operating system. It has a slightly larger screen than the iPad, but other than that, the two look more or less identical. It runs well, and because the Android market is not closed coding like the App store, there are a lot more open source apps, but not that many really have anything to do with filmmaking.  I did find one open source free app for the Android that I see being very useful on any shoot. It is called Acacia, and it does many wonderful things. It is a shot logger, optics calculator, scene organizer, slate clapboard, and even includes a flash light feature! The program is still in development, but so far from what I have tested, all the calculators are accurate, and the way it organizes your shot data is phenomenal.  You would have to try very hard to be unorganized while using this bit of software. The only gripe of the app is the slate which is quite lame, while still functional. This is a known problem and the developer is still working on it. All in all, this app alone should make you want to add a tablet to your kit. Along with that, the tablet can also be used for reviewing scripts via pdf reader. There is even an app that for $0.99 you can use the tablet as a teleprompter and control all the functions! If you get a model with a camera, the tablet can even be used as a light meter! The Android tablet is a very powerful tool, but it has some downfalls. The major one is battery life.  The model we tested only has a battery life of 5 hours. Some models claim to have better battery life. Again, this is a model specific issue but the touch screen is not multi touch. The other thing we noticed is sometimes it is a little laggy if you try and run multiple actions simultaneously. All in all, here at MDI we see the Android as very functional and a great tool, aside from a few hardware and spec short comings.

The iPad is beautiful and interesting piece of technology.  Overall in basic operations, the iPad is far superior to the Zenithink ZT 180. The operating system runs smoother, the battery life is around ten hours of use, the screen has slightly better picture quality, and the multi touch screen is so good it can be typed on. The shortcomings of the iPad come in the form of what is available in the app store. There are multiple clapboard slate apps, but they are all rudimentary and cost at least $5. There is one sort of okay logger but it cost $19, and is very inferior to the free open source loggers on the Android market. The teleprompter apps are quite expensive, around $19 and not nearly as good as the $0.99 app for the Android. Also there are no apps for optic calculator, along with many other tools. The iPad shines in the script writing and reviewing department. The app store offers a very good app called Celtx for around $19 that lets you write and story board your script. Overall all computing the iPad wins hands down, but for the specific use of filmmaking the Android pad wins surprisingly.

Both devices are useable and each has their own list of benefits. For the more budget conscious film maker the Android is the obvious choice. The iPad is definitely very usable, but will cost significantly more by the time you purchase all the apps needed. Neither device is a replacement for a conventional laptop. A laptop has superior computing power as well as the ability to edit footage. A tablet is a very useful tool, and is worth the investment to find its way into your kit.