Vivoom Social Video App Transforms Mobile Video With Blockbuster Visual Effects

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- GenArts, Inc., the global leader in specialized visual effects for the film and TV industry, is harnessing the power of its world renowned visual effects (VFX) engine to help mobile video takers transform their everyday videos into highly stylized, shareable moments with the launch of the Vivoom social video app.  Vivoom brings the magic of the world's most powerful visual effects engine – including exclusive access to more than 100 authentic effects featured in film/TV blockbusters like Iron Man®, Star Wars®, Lord of the Rings®, Game of Thrones® and Mad Men® – to the palms of people's hands, enabling them to create a true "wow" factor with their videos in just a few easy steps.  The app's simplicity in shooting, enhancing and sharing full screen videos overcomes the quality and personalization barriers that otherwise prevent people from sharing videos as frequently as they do photos.  Vivoom is now available for free download on all iOS 7 devices.

The launch of Vivoom comes amidst a "video wasteland," where over 8 billion videos shot by mobile users in the last year have not been shared.  On average, mobile users have 20 videos on their phones that they have taken but not shared. Designed specifically for video by the visual effect industry's elite at GenArts, Vivoom is the first social video app to let users customize their video using authentic TV/film effects.  Vivoom uses the same effects technology behind the past 15+ years of top TV shows and blockbuster films.  New exclusive effects arrive all the time, inspired by the season, pop-culture and current events without users needing to update their app. Catering to all levels, Vivoom helps everyone improve the relevance and quality of their video so they are creating content they are proud to share and that their friends want to watch.

"Despite consumer demand, video sharing has not yet taken off.  Consumers still don't have an accessible way to make their video something they are comfortable sharing.  How do I make it look good?  How do I know it will be relevant to others? We wanted to solve these problems so everyone would be inspired to share their life in video the same way they have done with photos," said Katherine Hays, Vivoom CEO.  "Vivoom gives users a constant stream of highly relevant effects and authenticity that until now has been limited to entertainment industry professionals."

According to Richard Kerris, CEO of Kerris Media, the first beta partner for Vivoom, "There are so many video applications available on mobile devices these days, most of which aren't very interesting and are too limited in their capabilities. It took a company like GenArts to understand how to utilize their years of experience in high-end visual effects to provide a rich and empowering app that everyone can use."  

Kerris continued, "During my years as CTO at Lucasfilm, we used GenArts technology throughout the powerful ILM effects pipeline and now that very same GenArts technology is available in Vivoom, running on my iPhone… amazing!"

Unlike any other video app, Vivoom's patent-pending, cloud-based technology enables it to constantly deliver effects in real time tied to seasons, location, pop-culture and sports, keeping the user experience fresh and relevant and the content engaging.  Videos can be shot and shared directly from the app to Facebook, Twitter, SMS and Vivoom accounts.

Additional Key App Features

• Shoot and share full-screen video up to :15 seconds
• Shoot video directly from the app or import video from camera roll
• Stop and start recording functionality; no need to hold down record button
• Instantly preview effects on your very own video
• Easily adjust VFX intensity in real-time to further customize desired effects
• Swipe to select thumbnail and easily share on social sites

MOVIE VFX - Authentic effects used in film/TV and music videos
Vivoom arms users with an array of visual effects from GenArts' flagship Sapphire® product featured in some of the biggest film and television franchises and music videos of all time.  Among the more than 100 movie/TV and music video effects available exclusively through the app are: 

• Sapphire Glows and Glints – Lighting effect that enhances the look of key objects and scenes.  They have been featured in music videos such as: Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop," Britney Spears' "Work Bitch" and Rihanna's "Diamonds" and films including Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring® (Sting's Orc-glow) and American Idol® (opening title sequence).
• Sapphire Zap –Lightning effect that has been extensively utilized in horror films to add to the eeriness of select scenes and has been showcased in action films for added impact.  Movie buffs have experienced the "Zap" in such film franchises as Van Helsing®, X-Men® (Storm character harnessing the weather) and Iron Man 2® (Whiplash character's whipping sequences).
• Sapphire TV Damaged – Camera effect that has been used to give a realistic retro feel in recent music videos such as Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake's "Holy Grail" and Bruno Mars' "When I was Your Man."

EXCLUSIVE THEMED VFX – Looks inspired by what's happening right now
Vivoom offers a constant stream of premium themed effects – enabling users to personalize and share their favorite interests.  At launch, themed effects will include:

• Color Splash—A sports fan's dream, this package offers effects that are enhanced with unique color splash styling that isolates just your team's colors throughout the video.
• Sketch— Enables users to really tap into a pop art state of mind, these effects render video into print media styles like Pencil Sketch, Red Felt Tip Pen, Sidewalk Graffiti Artist and Blueprint.
• Horror— For those channeling their inner love of zombies or vampires, the horror offerings present a collection of transformative and atmospheric effects like Toxic Fumes or Zero Chroma that add a dramatic touch.

EVERYDAY VFX – Takes vintage color and style effects to a whole new level
Aside from the authentic movie and themed effects, Vivoom users also have access to a range of effects designed to add a touch of flair to improve a video's quality while giving it a more natural and organic feel.  These everyday types of effects include:

• Color & Tone— Users can enrich the mood of their video with simple color schemes such as multi-color and gradients.
• Vintage— A range of effects that enable users to bring a variety of classic and retro filmmaking techniques to their videos including damaged, grainy and old TV camera styles.

"The cool effects, combined with the fun nature of the app, will help alter the current state of the mobile video landscape," Hays added.

Vivoom is Hays' latest endeavor as CEO of GenArts, the premier provider of specialized digital visual effects for the film, broadcast and video industries with more than 20 Oscar nominated films to its credit. A proven industry veteran, Hays came to GenArts from Massive Incorporated, which she co-founded to provide software and services to enable real-time advertisements within video games, and was purchased by Microsoft in May 2006.  GenArts and Vivoom are backed by Insight Venture Partners who have invested in companies like Twitter, Tumblr and Living Social.  

More information about Vivoom can be found at www.vivoom.co. Follow Vivoom on Facebook, twitter.com/vivoom and vivoom.tumblr.com.

About Vivoom
Vivoom puts the creative power of the world's leading effects engine in the palm of your hand so you can easily shoot, enhance and share video.  Created by GenArts, Vivoom is the first social app to let you customize your video using 100+ authentic film/TV effects. New effects arrive all the time without needing to update the app.  You can shoot full-screen video, personalize the effect and easily share to Facebook, Twitter, Vivoom and via SMS, all in just a few taps.  Learn more at www.vivoom.co.

SOURCE Vivoom