Atem Pocket Bridge

Bringing live production functionality to the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras

Please excuse the quality of this video, Apple just needed proof that it worked for the beta so it was thrown together.

What is Pocket Bridge?

Pocket Bridge is an iOS app designed to bring live production functionality to Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera 4k/6k

How does it do that?

Pocket Bridge connects your BMPCC to an Atem by routing through an iOS App. It connects to the switch via WiFi, and then connects to the camera via Bluetooth. Pocket Bridge will then handle the communication between the two devices.

What features does it support?

Pocket Bridge adds 3 main functions:

  1. It adds CCU control giving the switch control of:

    1. White Balance

    2. Gain/ISO

    3. Aperture/Iris

    4. Shutter

    5. Focus (still in the works, seems to only support the 4K camera at this time)

    6. Autofocus trigger

  2. Adds a tally via the iOS device’s screen & camera flash

  3. Adds talkback control (through the native iOS app, does not use any functionality from the Atem

Why would I use this?

With the release of the Atem Mini, live production is coming to the masses at an affordable price. In addition to this, the BMPCC 4K is an incredibly feature packed camera for the price. This app allows you to use your BMPCC in a live environment without having to buy other cameras such as the more expensive URSA Broadcast.

Who is this app targeted for?

This app is targeted towards people who already have a BMPCC and have a need to control their camera via and Atem switch. This can be useful in live productions, or in multi-camera filming situations where a director may want to adjust camera settings on the fly. It also is useful for people without a BMPCC, but want to use the tally & talkback feature with a different camera such as the Panasonic S1.

How can I get it?

Currently it’s in a public beta, you can download the beta from Apple at here.