I like apps. I use them often. In App Pupil, I’ll be doing my best to keep you up to date with the latest in the app world – letting you know whether a particular app is worth your time. This first piece is the beta, so friendly suggestions and requests are more than welcome in the comments section. – TK  

What is it? For the past week I’ve been playing with Sony’s new Second Screen app for use with the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man Blu-ray (Pre-order it from CHUD) on my iPad. Without even having the Blu-ray to test out, I’m happy to say I’m having a grand ol’ time. In fact, I wish more studios released their production content this way. Instead of forking over $30 bucks on a production diary, this app has everything you need. It’s loaded with pre-visuals and concept art like this early rendering of the spider farm at OsCorp: 

I’ve also noticed some early effects tests and concepts of The Lizard that make the design they ultimately landed on a lost opportunity. But the loads of fun content ultimately give great insights into the process behind the film, with interviews from Garfield, the cast, Stan Lee and director Marc Webb. So far it’s been a fun and engrossing toy to kill time with. As there’s more content being released up to the Blu-ray’s 11/9 release, it would seem the best is yet to come.

Worth a Download? Absolutely. When the Blu-ray comes out you’ll be able to link your tablet up with the film for an interactive back and forth where your tech gives you insights into each individual scene (so long as your player is hooked into the same Wi-Fi connection as your tablet).

Everything is timed accordingly, so there’s no need to do much more than have the tablet in front of you as the film plays. The nice thing is that, even without the BD, there are still mounds of movie-making data for you to consume – easily making it the most informative and loaded “Making Of” app I’ve encountered. For someone who likes to navigate through an information-heavy app at my own pace, the easy-to-use interface is greatly appreciated.

Final Thoughts: You can’t beat the price of free. With or without the Blu-ray, the app has the sort of content you typically have to unload heavy cash for in the form of a production diary. Here, it’s zero dollars and is interactive enough to provide an insightful, immersive experience that’s well worth your time.

Strong recommendation to download.