The Best Apple Products for Filmmakers

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that any creative person or artist-type, must regularly use an Apple device (or wonders if they should). iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks—they've all become ubiquitous over the last couple of decades, especially among artists. But are any of these devices truly useful for filmmakers, or are they just a distraction? Let's find out!

Which iPhone is Best for Filmmakers?

Everyone knows what an iPhone is but ask someone whether you're better off with a regular iPhone 16, a 16 Pro, a 16 Pro Max, or an SE, and prepare for a deep sigh. If you're planning on recording the highest quality video possible, that's only going to be possible with the ProRes recording format on the Pro and Pro Max varieties. ProRes is going to be the least compressed format possible and will make your footage more adaptable for creative color grading in post, especially if you're trying to match it with more heavy-duty cameras. If you don't need top quality recording, any iPhone will do, as you're mostly using it to take notes, make calls, sends texts and emails, and do more of the lower intensity producer-y tasks that any filmmaker frequently faces.

As far as apps go, filmmakers should download a sun-tracking app like Sun Seeker so they know when and where sunlight will be coming from during their shoots. Another useful type of app is a camera simulator like LensKit. This type of app allows you to see what your field of view would be with various cameras and lenses, helping you speed up shot planning and be a more effective filmmaker.

MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air for Filmmakers

Again, what might seem like a simple choice at first can get a lot more complicated, as each type of Macbook has different options for storage, processing power, and screen size. But to keep things simple, we can look at these similarly to how we approached the iPhone. If you're going to be doing any kind of serious editing on your laptop, get a Macbook Pro, ideally with the new M4 chips. If you're doing some graphics and effects work too, upgrade the CPU, GPU, and Unified Memory. If you're mostly using your laptop for planning, scheduling, and other kinds of admin work, a Macbook Air can totally cover you, while saving you bag space, back strain, and some hard-earned cash. If do some very light editing or graphics, the same stepped-up CPU, GPU, and Unified Memory suggestion applies.

No matter which route you go, a bigger screen is useful if you're going to be watching a lot of video content on it, while a smaller screen makes more sense if you're trying to slim down your setup and plug it into external monitors for longer working sessions.

Read More: MacBook Pro M3 vs. MacBook Pro M4

Mac Studio vs. Mac Pro vs. Mac mini vs. iMac

What if you're a filmmaker who mostly works out of an office, home studio, or more permanent setup? You can get way more bang for your buck looking at Apple's suite of home computing options. Not to sound like a broken record, but use case is once again going to be the big determining factor here. If you do a lot of editing work, consider the Mac Studio for its high benchmarks, great array of ports, and relatively compact size. If you're adding on intensive graphics work to that, look at the high-end Mac Pros. They're supercharged on specs, and can be built out to your hearts content, but the price tags may be a hard pill to swallow.

If you're a filmmaker who hands off your footage to dedicated editors, all that horsepower might go to waste. Consider a Mac Mini if you already have a display or an iMac if you don't. They might not chew through 6K footage, but they're more than capable of handling all your pre-production and admin work, as well as very basic editing and post-production needs. A Mac Mini with stepped up specs can be a stellar option for directors who only dabble in editing.

iPads and the Studio Display for Filmmakers

OK, so you have your computer and phone, but what about the real bells and whistles that Apple can offer you? The Apple Studio Displays and Pro Displays can be paired with a laptop or desktop to get a clear, sharp, color-accurate look at any kind of creative work. These displays are calibrated right out of the box, so no more messing around with color charts or fearing the dreaded magenta shifts.

An iPad, iPad Mini, or iPad Air could also be an excellent purchase if you're looking for an on-the-go device for writing, reading, and planning. Its high-resolution display can also be great for on-set monitoring, or flipping through planning documents like storyboards and shot lists. iPad Pros are even capable of light editing and graphics work, with professional programs like Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve sporting custom iPad apps built to take advantage of the bright and colorful touchscreen.

Which Apple products have been the most essential in your filmmaking practice? What makes them so useful? Let us know in the comments section.