Hand Held Hollywood officially ceased operations on September 17th, 2024. The site will remain online for archival and research purposes. The App Directory continues to receive updates as needed. If you’d like to contact Taz, the contact form is still functional. We also invite you to join Taz’s mailing list here.

At MacWorld '11, a man is standing in front of a booth with a Defender Backpack.

MacWorld ’11: Hands-Free iPad access with Defender Backpack

Assero Industries’ Defender Backpack seems tailor-made for assistant directors, unit production managers and production coordinators who must always have their iPads accessible, but would rather keep both hands free. It’s a 4-in-1 pack that provides multiple ways to tote your digital companion — the most obvious being as a backpack.

What sets this puppy apart is how it functions when worn on your chest. A front compartment folds down in front of you, like a portable table, proving stable access to your safely mounted iPad’s touch-screen surface. You no longer need to hold the iPad while using it — it just floats in front of you when needed, and folds away the rest of the time. Very handy.

Honestly, you might look a little odd with the Defender strapped to your chest, but hopefully, you’ll be too productive to notice.

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Heading Into the Sunse— Hang on. I have a call.

Dear iPhone fanatics and filmmaking friends, This will be the final post for Hand Held Hollywood. To loyal HHH readers, I’m sure this feels somewhat overdue. Probably because it is.

Shang-Chi Poster

Shang-Chi Director Directed From His iPhone

I enjoyed reading this brief ScreenRant story, so I thought I’d share it here. It describes how Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, was forced to direct an important scene via his iPhone while in the hospital for the birth of his child! Sadly, it doesn’t divulge the details of that unusual workflow, but it’s an excellent reminder that we’re all toting the world’s most versatile piece of filmmaking gear in our pockets and purses!