Here is a recent project that I've been working on. Essentially, it's a camera filter app that replicates the nuances of a VHS tape. Remember when the camera bag app came out a few years ago and everybody was flipping out about how cool and easy it was to make your photos look like they were taken in 1972? Well, here is a version of it where you can make your home movies look like they were filmed in 1987.
The recent wave of antiquated media has been flooding the market lately. Cassette tapes are selling again and VHS tapes are being collectors items. Hell, there were three documentaries released this year just on the recent VHS revival. So why not transform some of that charm onto your mobile device.
It works pretty simple and operates just like all your favorite camera apps. Just point and record. The app automatically filters your footage with a wide variety of presets that you can select. Say your looking for that distant cruddy 100th generation tape playback with all the glitchy tracking lines. Well, that's as simple as setting the effect and filming your subject. There is also an option to add more tracking manually if you wish. This is to ensure that you get the results that you want. The user experience plays right into that 80's nostalgic look and feel. Big clunky buttons. Grey exterior. Aged plastic. You'll be magically whisked away to that that wonderful year of 1986 when mullets ruled supreme, everyone whore ripped jeans, nintendo was king, and camcorders well exceeded the thousand dollar mark. It's like having cutting edge 80's technology right in your pocket. Tacky for sure. But that's the whole idea!
I've been experimenting with a couple different filters for the footage. Here's an example of a straight forward effect. The photo is just some generic thing from shutterstock.com that I had laying around. Here, we have the vertical hold lines well established with just the right about the color adjustment being manipulated. And don't forget those glitch lines. It's imperative that we keep this dirty and scrambled. You can almost hear the VCR spinning those VHS spindles.
Currently, I'm tightening up a few things and making sure every piece the UI is accounted for. There are a variety of pop-ups that I've created to ensure the best possible operation for the user. Things like how to export your video, sound adjustments, ratio settings, etc…… It's not as simple on the backend to simply shoot and record. I'll post some more later!
