One of the best parts of my job is discovering and sharing new and interesting uses of video technology. After years of being relegated to the boardroom, videoconferencing has absolutely exploded both within and outside of the workplace. From Facebook Live to racing drones to esports and beyond we are witnessing the mainstreaming of video into our lives.
I recently came across a particularly novel and fun video application called RoleStar. This free app connects you to a like minded person so you can collaborate in acting out a scene from your favorite movie. I think this could be incredibly appealing to serious actor/actress looking to practice your craft. In addition, I think it will be very attractive to your typical movie buff looking to have a little fun.
After downloading the app to your mobile device it shows a quick demo video of two people acting out a scene to show you exactly what to expect. Then you must enter your age as it uses movies suitable for people 13 and older. After that you can swipe down to choose a scene from a popular movie. Upon choosing your scene, you the screen will split to show you your lines on the top portion (the teleprompter) and a self view on the bottom portion. You can act out your part completely, or you can lipsync your part using the actual audio from the movie. After saving your section it will stitch it together with another RoleStar user acting out the complementary part.
To be clear, my excitement about RoleStar isn’t that I expect it to turn everyone in the world into a professional actor. I think this will be a niche app. As cool as RoleStar is, what I really like is the fact that it shows how flexible today’s video technology is. I also love the fact that instead of just using video to improve communications in existing communities, apps like this can be creators of new communities. Finally, once you get over your stagefright, it is surprisingly fun!
