Multicam with iPhones, for every kind of shoot

Video podcasts

A podcast needs a wide shot and a close-up of each person, switched as people talk. Usually that means an ATEM switcher, a laptop or an iPad running Final Cut Pro.

• One iPhone on the wide shot and one per host or guest, on tripods.
• A spare iPhone runs the podcast deck: tap whoever is talking to put that camera on air. Hide the live pictures and it shows big buttons instead, which saves battery on every phone.
• When a take stops, every camera sends the deck a 1080p copy. Fix the switches, trim the start and end, pick the sound, and export the finished episode to Photos or Files.
• For the 4K originals, the Mac app imports every take already synced, with a Program timeline of your live switches for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

Full guide: how to film a video podcast with several iPhones.

Interviews and talking heads

Interviews want a medium shot, a tight shot and often a reverse on the interviewer, all lined up for the edit.

• Set exposure, white balance and frame rate once and apply it to every camera with All, so the angles match.
• Every camera shares one timecode, so the takes line up in your editor without clapping or syncing by hand.
• Choose each camera's microphone, including a USB-C, Lightning or Bluetooth mic plugged into one phone, and watch every camera's level live.
• Say “mark” when the answer you want comes: markers land in the timeline.

Live music, rehearsals and performances

Bands, choirs and recitals look better from several sides, but nobody can run four cameras while playing.

• Make the phone nearest you the lead camera: its shutter starts and stops every other camera.
• Or start the take from the Apple Watch app, so your hands stay on the instrument.
• Shoot 4K at up to 60 fps, or slow motion up to 240 fps where the iPhone supports it, in HEVC or ProRes, with Apple Log for grading.
• Record the sound on a separate recorder? Line it up with the phones by sound using the free ActionCheese Sync.

Talks, classes, workshops and church services

A speaker, the slides and the room, filmed for a whole session without a crew.

• Each phone records at full quality on its own, so a weak link between devices never drops footage.
• Watch all four angles at once on an iPad or Mac, with battery and storage for every camera, and dim the camera screens from there.
• Record long sessions straight to a USB-C SSD on iPhone 15 Pro or later.
• Files wait on the phones until you tap Send, or move at full speed over a USB cable to the Mac.

ActionCheese records; it doesn't stream live to YouTube or other platforms.

Solo creators, YouTube and courses

One person in front of the cameras and nobody behind them.

• Tap Lead on the phone in front of you; it shows the other cameras as tiles and drives them.
• Say “action”, “cut”, “cheese” for a photo or “mark”: voice commands work offline on every camera.
• Check focus, exposure and framing of the other angles from the lead before you roll.
• Edit on a spare iPhone or take the synced takes to your Mac.

Weddings and ceremonies

Extra locked-off angles of the vows, the speeches or the first dance, without hiring a second shooter.

• Place phones as static angles and start them all from the lead camera or the watch.
• Dim their screens so they don't glow in a dark room, and check their battery from your phone.
• Bring the Sony, Canon or GoPro footage in with ActionCheese Sync, which lines every camera up by sound in a Premiere Pro timeline.

Off-grid and outdoor shoots

Forests, beaches, basements and venues with no Wi-Fi or signal.

• Devices connect directly over peer-to-peer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the way AirDrop does. No router, hotspot or internet is needed while you shoot (a Pro camera checks its plan online once to activate and at least every 30 days), and Airplane Mode works once Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are back on.
• Usual range is 10 to 30 metres with a clear line of sight; a picture that drops reconnects by itself and recording never stops.
• Nothing is uploaded anywhere: no sign-ups, no tracking, no data collected.

When ActionCheese is not the right tool

• Live streaming: it records and cuts, but doesn't stream to YouTube, Twitch or other platforms.
• Android phones: cameras and controllers must be iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch. Other cameras can join the edit through ActionCheese Sync.
• More than four cameras: one shoot shows and switches up to four.
• Long distances: devices need to be within about 10 to 30 metres of each other.

What it costs

The app is free. Remotes, the podcast deck with its editor, the Apple Watch app and every import on the Mac are always free, and one camera can film 3-minute takes for free. ActionCheese Pro unlocks full-length takes on up to four cameras: $39.99 a year, $6.99 a month, or $99 once (launch offer). Seats can be lent to family or crew for 14 days at a time.