Sometimes an explanation requires more than just words.
A new iPhone app called Shadow Puppet lets users generate narrated tutorial videos or photo slideshows straight from their phone.
Users simply select images from their library, arrange them in the order they wish to share them, and use the phone's voice recorder to narrate the slideshow as it plays. They can then share the videos â€" called Puppets â€" straight to social media, or send them to family and friends via text or email. Users can also embed their Puppet videos onto personal blogs or websites.
The app launched last week along with Apple's iOS 7 update, but was actually built by co-founders Carl Sjogreen and Adrian Graham back in April. The duo said they wanted to build something that was useful, but also practical, and hopes that people can use puppets to share personal moments as often as they share how-to videos. For example, Sjogreen's daughters use the app to narrate photo slideshows they send to their grandmother. "We've heard from people that Shadow Puppet is about making it easier to tell the stories behind their photos and stay connected with friends and families in ways they couldn't do before," he said.
Prior to Shadow Puppet, Sjogreen and Graham worked at Google before starting a travel startup known as Nextstop that was acquired by Facebook in 2010. Their past experience encouraged them to "keep things simple," they said. When creating their slideshow app, the duo wanted a name that was synonymous with storytelling and using your hands â€" hence, Shadow Puppet.
For now, the app is only available on iOS, although an Android version could be on the horizon. Users can't currently incorporate video or music for iTunes, although some have been playing music in the background while narrating their stories, Sjogreen said.
Image: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
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