J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Releases iPhone Special Effects App (Video)

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J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot has released its first iPhone app, Action Movie FX.

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No surprise that the first app from the Star Trek director and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol producer allows users to create movie-like special effects in their own videos filmed on an iPhone. In fact, "Missile Attack!" and "Car Smash," the two effects included in the app, were inspired by scenes in the latest Mission: Impossible.

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To use the app simply select the effect, record at least 5 seconds of footage and Action Movie FX does the rest. The instructions advise holding the camera as steady as possible and centering the video on a flat surface to get the best results.

Action Movie FX is free, as are the "Missile Attack!" and "Car Smash" effects. Additional effects are available as in-app purchases for 99¢ for two effects. So far Bad Robot has released "Chopper Down"/"Tornado" and "Air Strike"/Firefight packs with more promised soon.

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Abrams is not the first of his friends to experiment with an iPhone app. Childhood friend and longtime collaborator Greg Grunberg got there first with Yowza, a coupon app released in 2009.

See a sample of Action Movie FX below: