Protake - Mobile Cinema Camera

What Protake is for

Protake is a video recording app for Android phones. It is aimed at three kinds of user: vloggers and YouTubers, commercial directors, and filmmakers who want footage that behaves more like it came from a cinema camera.

It has two shooting modes, and the one you pick depends on whether you are working alone or working as a crew. The app also includes a color profile and a set of look presets, covered below.

Shooting alone with AUTO mode or with full controls in PRO mode

AUTO mode is built for one-person shooting, such as vlogging, and is designed to be operated with one hand. It applies the app's cinematic looks and includes composition assistants to help frame a shot.

PRO mode is for users who want to set the exposure and other camera parameters themselves. Camera information and control settings are arranged on the screen so the controls you need stay visible while you shoot.

Recording flat footage with LOG for grading

The LOG mode records a flat, low-contrast image that keeps more detail in highlights and shadows, which is useful when the footage will be graded afterwards. The developer says the color response is matched to ALEXA Log C, an industry standard used on ALEXA cameras.

Because the profile follows that standard, colorists can apply their existing ALEXA color tools to footage shot on a phone. The listing presents this as the main benefit of the LOG feature.

Applying film-stock and movie looks to footage

Protake includes a dozen cinematic looks, sorted into four groups. Neutral Styles are plain starting points. Film Emulation copies classic Kodak and Fuji cinema film. Movie Inspired looks draw on blockbuster and independent films, and ALEXA Looks give the ALEXA color treatment as a preset.