Setting up a village

Pairing phones for a two-camera day

Two cameras plus a wide safety phone, monitored from the production office rather than a tent full of cable.

1. Open the tab and get a code

   Video Village mints pairing codes automatically and keeps them fresh, or use Connect Device in the project header. Only managers can generate one, which is what stops a paired phone being handed around.

2. Pair each device

   Scan from CinemaCrew on the phone that will shoot. You can also copy the code and paste it in, which is easier over a radio than describing a QR. Each device joins this project only.

3. Label what each one is

   Devices appear by name with the shot label, camera angle and take number they’re set to. Setting these on the device is what makes a recorded take land in Takes as “scene 4, shot 3, take 2” rather than an anonymous clip.

4. Watch and switch

   All three tiles stream live in the grid. Switch each device remotely between off, live and record without touching the camera, which matters when the phone is rigged out of reach.

5. Roll

   Set the devices you want to record, and the takes land in Takes shot by shot, ready to review and circle.

The three device modes

Mode	What the device does
Off	Paired but not streaming. Saves the phone’s battery and your bandwidth between setups.
Live	Streaming to the grid, not recording. The monitoring state.
Record	Streaming and capturing. The recording becomes a take.