The recent launch of Apple's revolutionary iPad, combined with the continued evolution of the iPhone, has prompted the development of literally thousands of brand new "apps".

Many of these of new applications are aimed directly at the film and video production industries. Producers, for example, have been seen using iPads fairly frequently on shoots for the usual production tasks such as storyboarding and scheduling. 

With huge sales figures and the next generation of iPads being rumoured for release in first quarter of 2011, the touch screen device is clearly here to stay and it's surely only a matter of time before we see premium applications like Final Cut Pro being used on the iPad too. 

As designers think up new, creative ways of using the iPad and iPhone, we're seeing some really ingenius applications. Here are 6 great iPhone / iPad Apps for filmmakers and video producers;

(1) iSlate

iSlate is a really affordable clapperboard. Perfect for those occasions when clapperboard dissapears mysteriously from the kit bag or the runner forgets to pack one. So having iSlate as a backup is fantastic, and for ￡1.79 a real bargain.

Alternatively, if you own an iPad you'll want to get Movie Slate, which is described as the "Rolls-Royce of iPad/iPhone clapboards". It has all the features you could imagine, and at ￡1199 is perfectly justified when you see just what it can do.

(2) Cinemek

This app, previously known as Hancock, is a storyboard composer, which works much better than you'd expect. By using your own pictures (and photos taken with the iPhone), you can add in items from their vast library of related imagery. It does pretty much everything a storyboard artist program should do, with the minimum of fuss.

(3) Pro Prompter

This software by Bodelin (who make full sized teleprompters), allows you to control a professional teleprompter with your iPhone or iPad. You really need to see it in action to get how it works but it's pretty clever stuff.

(4) ITC Calc

When you're dealing on a daily basis with frames, timecodes, durations, you need a quick way to do your calculations. The beauty of ITC Calc is that you can do it anywhere you need to, whether on set or sat in-front of your edit machine, and with a built-in history you can go back and look how you did it the last time you needed to!

(5) iKeystoGo

Shortcuts make life so much easier, especially when speed is a must. As an editor you're used to working with deadlines, and knowing which buttons make the process faster and more achievable is more or less essential. With this app on your iPhone or iPad, you can find out what you need to get the job done without having to traverse through multiple menus or manuals. Used on a daily basis you'll learn the shortcuts off by heart, and in turn be loved by your bosses for getting your work done that much faster!

(6)iStat

This is for the real tech-heads amongst us... The full featured iStat Mac OSX application will pretty much tell you all you need to know about what's going on inside your Apple machine. Naturally, the iPhone application allows you to do the same remotely, whilst also offering reports on your handheld device itself. So ... if you've ever wanted to know what the individual cores are doing, or just how hot your hard drives are running, iStat is for you.