No matter how advanced your smartphone camera is, shaky, wobbly shots can make your videos look amateurish. This is why stabilizing your smartphone — either with a mount or a tripod — is vital to good mobile filmmaking. But if you want a more stable tool for handheld shots and multiple options for customization, Moment’s new Mobile Filmmaker Cage with MagSafe may just do the trick. The videocage attaches quickly to your phone with MagSafe, and has multiple attachment points that allow you to mount mics, lights, handles and any other filmmaking accessories you need.
The most obvious perk of Moment’s Filmmaker Cage is it allows you to have more manual control over your smartphone. Your smartphone will remain steady as you grip the large, rectangular frame that surrounds it. There’s even the option to add extra handles for even more stability. If you’re sick of dangling cables, there’s also a handy cable management system that lets you tuck in those loose wires. And if you need to pack light and skip the tripod, rest assured that the Filmmaker Cage can stand upright on its own.
If you only use your smartphone to take videos of your cats, the Filmmaker Cage will be overkill. We’ve written about how the iPhone 13’s cinematic mode can mimic the focus capabilities of professional film cameras. While the wealth of stabilization and video editing features are unrivaled on the iPhone 13, it can only do so much. Smartphone filmmakers still rely on a number of tools to perfect their shooting, including mounts, lights, lenses and mics. If you fit into this category of professional filmmaker, or even a serious amateur filmmaker, the Filmmaker Cage may be a good investment.
Unfortunately, the Mobile Filmmaker Cage is only compatible with the iPhone 12 and 13, but older models can work if you use one of Moment’s MagSafe cases. If you’re an Android user, Moment does make cases, lenses and mounts for the latest Samsung and Pixel models. The Mobile Filmmaker Cage is available now on Moment’s site, for $99.