Using a Mac or an iPad, Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio will both record and stream your video at the same time, making it easy to create post edits afterward.
Over the last couple of weeks I've had the pleasure of testing Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio. It's an all in one video switching, streaming, and editing solution that allows you to produce professional looking broadcasts without spending thousands of dollars on expensive gear.
Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio currently runs on Mac and iPad. Cinamaker’s free version says it will connect up to two cameras (iPhone/iPad/webcams), and up to eight audio sources, or up to eight cameras (iPhone/iPad/webcams/digital cameras), and eight audio sources using the paid version. Another claim they make is it'll record all cameras, audio, and media while simultaneously streaming to your service of choice. Once you're finished streaming or recording you can then go back and edit your content right in the software, or you can import the XML file that was created into either Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.
No figuring out complicated settings. It just worked.
Bill Wyramon (above), video production director at The Summit Church near Winston-Salem, NC recently the Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio for Church Production Magazine.
If it does all it says, Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio could be a game changer for churches of all sizes with limited budgets and production teams, and those wanting to get started in streaming their services. It could also be super useful for churches that want to stream or record additional content outside of their normal worship services but don't have the resources to lug around a live production rig.
So does Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio hold up to its claims?
Starting Out
Cinamaker recommends the 2018 MacBook or iMac to be running macOS Catalina 10.15.6 or newer, iPads to be 6th generation 2018 or newer, and at least 2016 iPhone SE or newer. During our tests we ran Cinamaker on a 2017 iMac and a 2017 MacBook Pro, both running Big Sur. We used an iPhone XS, an iPhone 12, and an iPhone 12 Pro. In order for all of your iOS devices to be recognized by Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio you do need to install the free companion app, Cinamaker Capture, from the Apple App Store. And you don't need an account to download and use the free companion app.
Recording our first video was as simple as tapping the red record button, choosing our recording resolution, and hitting "Start".
In our experience, installation was simple and smooth. No difficult or complicated settings to dive into unless you just want to.
Setting Up Cameras and Audio
When we ran our first test of Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio, connecting our iPhones to use as cameras and audio sources was a breeze. After we launched the app on our MacBook Pro, and then launched the Capture app on one of our iPhones, Director Studio immediately recognized the iPhone and made it an available camera to switch to. No figuring out complicated settings. It just worked.
By the way, you can use the audio from any of the iOS devices you have connected to Director Studio and mix them all together to create a custom mix. In our test we used a Lightning-to-USB adapter to connect an iPad to a Scarlet 2i2. We ran audio from a soundboard to the Scarlet, opened the Capture app on the iPad and selected "Audio". Within seconds we were getting clean board audio into Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio. Again, very easy
You can connect other types of cameras, like DSLRs, as well. But depending on the type of camera you're wanting to use, it can be a little cumbersome. We weren't able to experiment with it during our testing, but connecting NDI cameras (Mac only) is supposed to be as easy as connecting iPhones. If you can get a camera signal on the wifi network, it supposedly can be added to Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio. You can connect a DSLR with the use of a video capture device. We tested this feature with an inexpensive video capture card and connected it between the DSLR and laptop. The camera immediately showed up as an available source in the software.
One big feature we were excited to try was importing the final video project into either Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere.
Recording/Streaming
All the controls in Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio seem to be very straight forward and intuitive. Recording our first video was as simple as tapping the red record button, choosing our recording resolution, and hitting "Start". Streaming to YouTube was a breeze as well. You get a few settings to work with when streaming to YouTube like Privacy Settings and resolution. Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio will both record and stream your video at the same time, making it easy to create post edits afterward.
Creating Graphics or Text
It's also very easy to add graphics, pre-recorded video, photos, and text to your videos. Again, the process was intuitive and simple. You can import your own motion or still graphics, add text to create simple lower thirds or titles, and add a picture-in-picture effect. You can also add sound files as media to be played during your video. In one of our tests we imported an animated lower third which we created in After Effects. Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio recognized the alpha channel and played the lower third as expected.
Compared to OBS, Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio was much more intuitive.
Editing/Importing Your Video
Live-editing (or switching cameras) in Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio is also intuitive. You have sizable “preview monitors” below the main program window that show live previews of the cameras that are connected. Just click or tap on the camera you want to be live. When you have the media tab open, you can enable lower thirds or graphics by just clicking on the eyeball next to the media cue you've created.
You can also post-edit your video afterward using Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio’s in-app editor. You can overwrite any camera edits made while live, including adding/editing media decisions and the audio mix.
One big feature we were excited to try was importing the final video project into either Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere. Cinamaker Multicam Director Studio creates a folder structure behind the scenes that includes all the cameras, media, audio files recorded during your live video edit. It also creates an XML file for both Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere with all the edit decisions. We were able to test both and we can confirm that it does import and layout into the timelines of both apps effectively. Within minutes of our tests we were able to successfully import our project into Adobe Premiere and begin or refine a multicam edit. All of our camera shots, media and audio were imported automatically. The same was true for Final Cut Pro, however you need to do some research on which version of FPC you're on. In our tests the projects did not import into the most recent version of FCP, but did import well into an earlier version. Our contacts at Cinamaker say this will be resolved in a free update that’s coming soon.
Something of importance to note, in all our real-world tests we used iPhones as camera and audio inputs and they all remained solidly synced throughout the process. Which is really quite amazing. Even after importing into Adobe Premiere and FCP, all audio, cameras, and media, stayed in sync, which is one less thing to worry about.
Differences Between this and Something Like OBS
"Why would I pay for Cinamaker when something like OBS is free?" That's a great question. In our experience OBS can be a great solution but was very difficult to learn. The terminology was not what we were used to in video production and it took a while to get it to operate like we wanted it to. There was a lot of technical information we weren't familiar with, we were frustrated most of the time while using, and ultimately we could never get it to do what we wanted. You also need to have a way to connect multiple cameras if you need more than one and would be difficult to teach volunteers to use.
Alternatively Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio was much more intuitive. If you've had any experience with iMovie or anything like that, Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio will be very easy to use. This is also a bonus if you're going to be teaching inexperienced volunteers how to use it. It's easy to add graphics, text, and other media and incorporate them into your video. The app makes connecting and using iPhones as camera and audio sources so easy, pretty much anyone can use it. The fact that it also ISO records all of your cameras, that you can then later import into either Adobe Premiere or FCP sets it out apart from other apps. And if you're wanting to make things even more professional looking, with a little work and research you can add the more professional cameras to the system. You can make it as easy or complex as you want. Remember Cinamaker does have a free version as well.
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Quickly connect iOS devices to use as cameras or audio inputs
- Import XML files for editing in Adobe Premiere or FCP
- ISO records all cameras and simultaneously streams
- No account needed to use iOS devices with the Capture app
- Free version
Cons
- A little cumbersome to add more gear (i.e. DSLRs or audio from a soundboard)
Who's it for?
Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio is a feature rich, low budget solution for creating and streaming your content. It's a good choice for churches of all sizes wanting to get started streaming and/or recording their services, without the big tech budget to buy expensive gear. It'd be easy to jump in with two iPhones/iPad cameras for free without any experience. As you grow in your knowledge the app will allow you to create more detailed videos. You can make it as simple or as complex as you'd like, and at a price point that you just can’t beat.
Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio would also be great for those churches wanting to create content outside of their live services but don't have access to additional gear. Or possibly a youth program that would like to start recording and streaming content as well. As long as you have a reliable wifi network, interviews, music videos, life changes stories, bonus pastoral content, could all be easier to capture and make available to your congregation using Cinamaker Director Multicam Studio.
