Set up for virtual production with Apple devices and genlock

With genlock support on Mac and iPhone, connect a display to your Mac to show background content, record video at multiple angles with iPhone, and sync all devices with a genlock sync generator and compatible docks.

About virtual productions and synchronisation

In a virtual production, live performances are filmed in front of a dynamic, synchronised video background. For a successful virtual production, the video playback device and the cameras must share the same timing reference. When the devices are properly synchronised, each frame of your recording is perfectly in sync and helps you achieve professional, frame-accurate edits without hours of manual frame-by-frame alignment.

System requirements

With genlock support on compatible iPhone and Mac models, you can now do a virtual production in places like your office, home or in a studio. Connect a Mac to an OLED TV or another type of compatible display, play the content back on the Mac, then record actors and props in front of the video background using iPhone or other third-party cameras that support genlock. You can sync everything with genlock-compatible wired or wireless sync generators and compatible USB-C docks like the BlackMagic Camera ProDock.

Hardware requirements

  • For video playback, Mac mini (M5 Pro), Mac Studio (M5 Max) or Mac Studio (M5 Ultra) running macOS 27 Golden Gate.

  • For recording video, iPhone 17 Pro or later Pro models running iOS 26 or later, or third-party genlock-compatible cameras.

  • (optional) For storing video recorded on an iPhone, an external SSD storage device for your iOS devices.

  • For the Mac and each iPhone in the production, a supported dock with USB-C connections and genlock sync input and output, such as the BlackMagic Camera ProDock.

  • A genlock-capable sync generator system. One wired or multiple wireless sync generators in a transmitter/receiver configuration are supported.1

  • (Optional) A BNC splitter to connect multiple devices to the sync generator system.

  • For sync connections, BNC cables to connect the sync generators to the docks.

  • A display like a large-screen OLED TV or a projector that supports variable refresh rate (VRR).

  • For video connections to the display from your Mac, an HDMI cable, or a USB-C or Thunderbolt cable for display port connections.

Software requirements

  • The latest version of Final Cut Camera or a third-party camera app like BlackMagic Camera that supports genlock on each iPhone used in your production.

  • Depending on the sync generator you're using, software to program the devices. See the manufacturer’s documentation for details.

Configure and connect the display

Configure the display, then connect the display to your Mac.

Configure settings on the display

The names of these settings on displays vary, but in general these types of settings should be turned on:

  • Game Mode or a similar setting. On some popular displays, this setting is called "AMD FreeSync", "nVidia GSync" or "HDMI VRR."

  • HDR or deep colour settings

  • Instant or fast game response

Turn off these types of settings:

  • Motion enhancements

  • Noise reduction

  • Super resolution

  • Black frame insertion

  • Other AI or content adjustment options

Any further processing to the background content other than simple adjustments like brightness and contrast should be done on the connected Mac. Advanced processing settings on displays can add delay (latency) to the video signal, which can affect synchronisation with the cameras.

In some camera apps, like Final Cut Camera, you can adjust the sync signal to account for that delay, which can create ghosting artefacts in the recorded footage.

Connect the display

  1. Connect the display to the Mac.

  2. Turn on your Mac and the display.

Configure and connect the sync generator

The frame rate setting on the sync generator must match the frame rate settings on any iPhone you're using to record video. Resolutions don't have to match.

  1. Turn on all sync generators.

  2. If you’re using wireless sync generators, set up the wireless radio frequency (RF) connection between the sync devices according to the product’s documentation. In a typical wireless sync system, a transmitter sends the genlock signal to each receiver in the system. In a multicam setup, each iPhone needs its own sync receiver.

  3. Set the frame rate on the main sync generator to match the frame rate on each iPhone used for recording video.

    • If you’re using a device with DIP switches, make sure the resolution setting that’s paired with the desired frame rate is in the progressive format like “1080p/29.97.” Consult the DIP switch chart provided by the manufacturer.

    • For sync generators with software configurable settings, set the resolution to a progressive format like “1080p."

  4. For best results with progressive video formats, set the sync generator to tri-level sync if it's available as a setting.

  5. Connect the output of each sync generator to the sync input on each dock with a BNC cable.

  6. For setups that include a splitter, connect the sync generator to the input of the splitter, then connect the outputs of the splitter to the docks. It is not recommended to use more than one splitter.

  7. On each dock, check the status indicators to ensure that the dock is receiving genlock signal.

Connect and configure your Mac

  1. Connect the dock to a USB-C port on your Mac. If you have a BlackMagic dock, connect the built-in USB-C cable to the Mac.2 Make sure to connect the dock to a compatible USB-C port on your Mac:

    • On Mac mini (M5 Pro) and Mac Studio (M5 Max), connect the dock to a USB-C port on the back of the computer.

    • On Mac Studio (M5 Ultra), connect the dock to any USB-C port on the computer.

  2. Choose System Settings from the Apple menu, then choose Displays from the sidebar.

  3. At the top of the Display settings window, select the display that you're using for the video background.

  4. Choose the Refresh Rate pop-up menu, then choose the available Genlock option. Your Mac will automatically adjust its display refresh rate to fall within your display's VRR operating range. For example, if you choose Genlock (30 Hz), your Mac may output 60 Hz to your display - but your iPhone remains synced to the 30 Hz genlock reference.

  5. To minimise interruption during virtual production, choose a Focus in Control Centre like Do Not Disturb.

Connect iOS devices and configure the camera app

After you’ve configured your Mac, connect your iOS devices to their respective docks, configure the camera app you’re using to record video, then properly orient your iOS devices for recording video.

Connect iOS devices

  1. Connect a dock to the iPhone with a USB-C cable. If you have a BlackMagic Camera ProDock, connect the built-in USB-C cable to the iPhone.2

  2. If you’re using an external storage device to store video, connect it to a USB-C port on the corresponding dock.

Configure your camera app

Next, configure the app you're using to record video on iPhone.

Configure Final Cut Camera

Set the correct frame rate, sync your iPhone to the incoming genlock signal and set the storage location for recorded video.

  1. Open Final Cut Camera.

  2. On the camera screen, tap the settings button, then tap Preferences.

  3. Set video formats like codec, resolution (frame size), frame rate and colour space. Make sure to set the frame rate to match the sync generator’s genlock output frame rate.

  4. On the main Settings page, tap Genlock, then tap External Source. If the sync generator is turned on and all devices are properly connected, Final Cut Camera connects to the genlock signal and the device providing genlock is shown. The colour of the icon next to the device name shows its current status:

    • Green for Synchronised.

    • Dotted green for Jam Synced.

    • Red for an out-of-sync error.

  5. If you’re using an external storage device to store video, set the app to store video on the external device.

Configure third-party camera apps

Consult the documentation for your camera app to set the correct frame rate, sync the app to the incoming genlock signal, and set the storage location for recorded video.

If your camera app won't recognise genlock

If you get an error message that your app isn't detecting genlock, check the following:

  • The sync generator is turned on and configured properly.

  • The sync generator is connected to the hub.

  • The iPhone is connected to the correct USB-C cable or port on the dock.

Orient each iPhone used for recording

You can use the front or back cameras on iPhone to record video in a virtual production, but orient the device as follows:3

  • If you're recording with the back camera, orient the iPhone horizontally in landscape mode. The back cameras should be along the top edge of the device.

  • If you're recording with the front camera, the iPhone should be vertical.

Use your Mac to play back your video file

Your Mac now acts as your video playback engine. Final Cut Pro or QuickTime can work - ensure the frame rate of your video file matches your genlock rate, which you set earlier. Run the playback app in full screen and close other apps to reduce latency and interruptions.

If you see ghosting on your recorded video

If the genlock signal doesn't arrive at your Mac and iPhone devices at the same time, the background video might be delayed slightly. A variety of factors can contribute to this delay, including the use of physical video adapters and certain types of advanced processing on the display itself. If the delay is significant enough, it can create a faint doubling of fast-moving images (also called ghosting artefacts) in the video background on the recorded video.

To adjust for this delay, you can set the genlock offset in Final Cut Camera so the frames are properly aligned:

  1. Go to the Final Cut Camera app on your iPhone.

  2. In the camera screen, tap the Settings button, tap Preferences, then tap Genlock.

  3. Tap Adjust Genlock Offset, then drag the slider while previewing the video.

  4. If you want to change the units of offset, tap the More button, then choose an option:

    • Subframes: A subframe has 1/100 the duration of a video frame, so a subframe’s duration in real time depends on the frame rate.

    • Microseconds: A microsecond is an absolute unit of time: 1/1,000,000 of a second.

  5. When you're finished, tap the Close button.

  6. To test the offset, play back a video that has fast motion (or just alternates between two images) and record it. Check the recording for ghosting artefacts, then adjust the offset until the ghosting stops.

1. Some third-party genlock-capable sync generators include the BlackMagic Mini Converter Sync Generator (wired), Ambient Lockit (ACN-CL) (wireless) and the Atomos UltraSync One (wireless).

2. For docks other than the BlackMagic Camera ProDock, refer to the documentation for guidance on which USB-C port or cable to use.

3. Camera sensors in compatible iPhone models use a technique called “rolling shutter” to read out the image data. This means that not all of the pixels from the camera sensor are captured at the same time. Additionally, the direction in which the pixels are captured is fixed. Similarly, the pixels of an LED or OLED display (or for that matter, any raster display) are not all illuminated at the same time. The direction in which the display’s pixels are illuminated is also fixed. For displays, the direction is left-to-right and top-to-bottom for the standard, horizontal orientation of the display. Similarly, for the iPhone sensors, the direction is left-to-right and top-to-bottom if the phone is held in a horizontal position with the cameras on the back at the top of the phone. For best results, both the display and the phone should have similar orientations such that their scan-out and read-out directions are the same.

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