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Prepare your setup before the shoot

Rehearse with the actual Controller, phones, scene and network. SetScreens helps you run the action; the production team prepares and verifies the setup it will rely on. 01 — Rehearse the complete setup Do this before the shoot, with time to fix problems or choose a fallback. A successful local preview is only one part of preparation: test the real Player phones, their exact OS and app versions, the intended design, all imported media and the network you will take to set. Run the complete Script, including actor taps and swipes, waits, typing, calls and notifications. Record a Take if your workflow needs one. Check any exported video in the destination where it will actually be used, including its slate, dimensions, frame rate and playback. Keep a known working copy of the production and your source media. Test for at least as long as your longest intended take, with the phones in their intended cases and positions. Walk the actual route and test the farthest position. Also rehearse returning from sleep, reconnecting and recovering from an interrupted take before relying on those paths. After changing the app, OS, design, Script, media, phone, router, network settings or physical location, repeat the relevant rehearsal. A previous successful test is not a guarantee for a different setup. Keep a practical backup plan and save your work before updating. 02 — Set up iPhone and iPad Use Guided Access to reduce accidental exits from SetScreens. It keeps the device in one app; it does not reserve all CPU, GPU, memory or network resources for that app. System restrictions and temperature can still affect performance. In Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access, enable the feature and configure a passcode you can recover. Set its Display Auto-Lock appropriately. Open SetScreens, use the device’s accessibility shortcut to start Guided Access, and review the session options. Leave Touch enabled and keep Software Keyboards available when the scene requires typing. Do not mark the Player’s interactive area as touch-disabled. Turn Motion off if you need to prevent rotation. Test both entry and exit before handing over the phone. In Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock, select Never where available. Managed devices may restrict this option. Guided Access has its own auto-lock setting, so verify the actual running session rather than relying on one switch. Keep the app visible and check that the screen remains awake throughout a rehearsal. Turn Low Power Mode off before the rehearsal and the take. It can change display behaviour and slow some work. Use a suitable Focus to reduce interruptions, check allowed contacts/apps and alarms, and verify the result on the actual device. Lock the intended orientation; rehearse the required actor gestures with those restrictions already active. Allow SetScreens to use the Local Network. If a connection was denied earlier, review Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network. Charge the devices, allow ventilation and check brightness through the camera. Guided Access is intended here for dedicated production devices; know how to leave it, including if you need emergency calling. 03 — Set up Android phones Use App pinning or Screen pinning to reduce accidental exits. Search Settings for that name; the menu and exit gesture depend on the manufacturer and Android version. Enable it, open SetScreens, then use the app’s menu in Recents/Overview to pin it. Set and test the PIN or unlock method required to unpin. This is an app-navigation restriction, not an exclusive performance mode. Turn Battery Saver or Power saving off for the rehearsal and take. If the device offers per-app battery restrictions, check SetScreens is not in a restricted or sleeping-app list. Names such as Unrestricted are manufacturer-dependent and do not guarantee uninterrupted execution. Avoid changing unfamiliar developer or system-management settings on a production device. Turn Auto-rotate off and set the intended orientation before handing over the phone. Review Do Not Disturb, permitted interruptions and alarms. Increase the display timeout where available. The Player already requests that its foreground screen stay awake, but leaving the app or a device policy can change the result. Verify it with a full-length rehearsal; do not assume App pinning itself disables sleep. Keep the tested Android System WebView and app versions consistent across rehearsal and the shoot. Complete updates in preparation time. Charge the phone, leave sufficient storage and manage heat. If the device offers to leave a Wi-Fi network because it has no internet, keep the connection to your tested production network. 04 — Bring a dedicated production Wi-Fi network A router you control makes the setup repeatable: you choose the password, radio settings, device access and placement. A venue or guest network may isolate clients, require a captive-portal login or change under load. Your own router still needs a location test; it cannot remove interference or obstacles. Connect the Controller and Players to the same private local network. Use a strong Wi-Fi password and keep unrelated traffic off it. Client/AP isolation and guest-network separation must not prevent these devices from reaching each other. Change those settings only on a network you administer or with the network operator’s permission. Use the address actually shown by the Player when setting up the phone connection. Check Wi-Fi and Local Network permission before debugging the scene. A VPN, firewall or automatic switch to a different network can interfere with local reachability; test the intended configuration rather than broadly disabling security. The local Controller–Player traffic does not require an internet route, but account sign-in, purchases, downloads and licence renewal have separate online requirements. Before leaving internet access, open Account & licences, check the keys assigned to this Controller and the app’s actual offline-access status. Do not assume offline access lasts indefinitely. 05 — Extend coverage with a wired second access point Put the main router near the Controller and a second Wi-Fi access point near the Player. Join them with Ethernet. The cable carries the long part of the path; each device still needs a good short Wi-Fi link to its nearby access point. Both sides must belong to the same local network. Keep routing and DHCP on the main router. Configure the second unit in Access Point/bridge mode, not as another independent NAT router. Follow its manual for the correct Ethernet uplink port. In a manual AP configuration, give it a unique management address on the main LAN, disable its DHCP server and use the LAN-to-LAN wiring specified by the manufacturer. Check that both access points allow local clients to communicate. The Wi-Fi names can be different; using the same name does not by itself create the right network or guarantee seamless roaming. Test which access point each device actually uses and rehearse any movement between them. Ordinary four-pair copper Ethernet has a maximum channel length of 100 metres including patch leads. For a longer run, use correctly rated fibre equipment or a network professional’s planned switched links with power at the required points. Do not simply add an arbitrarily long cable. Radio conditions, equipment, power and latency still matter: no setup offers a promise of operation at any distance. Secure and protect the cables with the location’s crew. Test the complete route under the expected load and keep the required power available at both ends. A second router in the wrong mode can create a second subnet even when both Wi-Fi indicators show a strong signal. 06 — Check before the first take and after changes • The correct Actor, design and Script are loaded; the intended phone responds. • The exact scene, gestures, waits and typing have been rehearsed on the real phone. • The private network and the actual farthest position have been tested. • The Controller’s assigned licences and offline-access status cover the intended use. • The screens stay awake, orientation is fixed and unwanted interruptions are controlled. • Batteries, power, heat, brightness and free storage are suitable for the take. • The production is saved, needed media are present, and a fallback is available. • If video export is part of the delivery, a complete exported test has played correctly at its destination. The first-use checkbox records that this account has read this guide on this installation. It does not certify the equipment, prove that a rehearsal succeeded, or replace these checks for later shoots. If your setup has a known unresolved problem, resolve it or choose a suitable fallback before relying on it. 07 — When something does not work For a connection problem, first check the shown Player address, the shared LAN, permissions and isolation settings. For a visual problem, compare local preview with the actual phone and record the app/OS/WebView versions. For export or playback, preserve the exact error and distinguish rendering, saving, sharing and opening the saved file. Use Help & feedback for questions, problem reports and suggestions. Include concise steps and the result you expected. Review any optional diagnostics or attachments and remove confidential production material. Do not send passwords, payment details or private licence credentials. I develop SetScreens and handle support myself. I reply and investigate as time allows. Response and fix times are not guaranteed, and live assistance during a shoot is not provided. Preparing in advance leaves time to investigate and plan an alternative. Official setup references (checked 2 November 2026) Apple — Guided Access: https://support.apple.com/en-us/111795 Apple — Keep the iPhone display on longer: https://support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/iphone/iph7117338a8/ios Apple — Low Power Mode: https://support.apple.com/en-us/101604 Apple — Local Network permission: https://support.apple.com/en-ie/102229 Google — Pin and unpin screens: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9455138?hl=en Android Developers — Keep the screen on: https://developer.android.com/develop/background-work/background-tasks/awake/screen-on Android Developers — Background optimisation: https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/background-optimization TP-Link — Configure a router as an access point: https://www.tp-link.com/nordic/support/faq/1384/ Cisco — Physical infrastructure and cable reach: https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/solutions/Verticals/CPwE/5-1/Phy_Arch/CPwE-Physical-Infrastructure_Feb2023.pdf