Shooting video with your iPhone or iPod touch can be a lot of fun, but the built-in Camera app doesn’t do much beside recording the scene. If you want to play with fancy effects that are fun and easy to use, take a look at Silent Film Director. This app comes in two flavors -- a basic version and a more full-featured option unlocked via an in-app purchase.

For the original $1.99, you can record a scene or grab a clip stored in your Camera Roll, and age it. You have a choice of six filters, like Black & White, Sepia, and '20s Movie. Other effects like scratches, spots, and hairs are automatically added for you. You can even choose to speed up or slow down your clip and add a piano soundtrack to replicate that old “silent movie” feel, but if that doesn’t appeal, your entire music library is available for you to choose from. Once done, you can save your modified clip back to your Camera Roll, email it, or share it via Facebook or YouTube.

For an additional $0.99, the in-app purchase makes it a much more powerful program: You can now create a short movie, trim your clips, apply transitions, and even add silent-movie-like title cards, complete with a choice of fonts. Just like the basic version, you can apply different speeds to each clip, or speed up the entire project uniformly. The aging filter is applied to the whole film; you can’t mix and match for each clip.

One annoying downside is the fact that you can’t see any effect you’ve added without rendering the whole film first, and the bigger the project, the longer this process takes, which can become tedious when creating a complex movie.

The bottom line. If you only want to apply an effect to a single clip, the basic version will suit you fine, but if you want to create a more intricate project, Silent Film Director’s Pro mode makes this an excellent editing application -- it’s just a shame it isn’t designed for the iPad.

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Silent Film Director Screenshots

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  With the free app, you can alter a clip or visit the online gallery of other users’ creations.

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  You can select the effect, resolution and soundtrack for your clip, as well as speed it up or slow it down.

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  When you choose a clip from your Camera Roll, it may have to be compressed if your project’s resolution is different from your clip’s.

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  Rendering your clip takes time, so Silent Film Director regales you with trivia while you wait.

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  Upgrading the app reveals the "Pro mode" feature.

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  You can create small films in Pro mode, even adding photos, transition, and title cards.

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  You have a choice of seven title cards.

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  You can even change the font and its duration.

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  Transitions are available too, but you only have four to choose from.

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  Unlike the free version, you can trim your clips in Pro Mode.

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  You can drag any element to reorder your clips, and create the perfect film.

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  Once it's rendered, you can preview your film prior to saving or sharing it.

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  You can share your project online via YouTube or Facebook. You can also email a version or save it to your Camera Roll (using the anachronistic floppy disc button).

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