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A screenshot of an iPhone displaying a variety of pictures that can be edited using V.I.K.T.O.R.

V.I.K.T.O.R. for iPhone will automatically edit your video!

UPDATE: V.I.K.T.O.R. is now called DropNRoll

I thought we’d kick off 2012 with a new app that truly demonstrates the power of the iPhone — which is ultimately a tiny computer with a camera.

V.I.K.T.O.R. is an impressive little app that will automatically edit video you’ve previously shot and stored in your iPhone’s camera roll.  The app can pick the clips randomly, or you can take control and pick the clips yourself.  The app uses themes to construct your footage into fun montages complete with cute soundtracks, tight editing, and visual punch.  Users can control the duration, custom titles, and color effects.  After the edit is complete, the app can share the moves via YouTube, Facebook, and email.

V.I.K.T.O.R. can not currently use tracks from your personal music library, but that makes sense since the app’s automatic edits are perfectly timed to the supplied music.

The app is free, and includes one theme (possibly two if it still includes the ‘Christmas Card’ theme). Additional themes can be purchased separately, and range in price from $0.99 to $1.99.  Purchasing themes can be a little confusing.  You actually have access to ALL the themes right from the start.  You can create and preview your movies using any of the themes. But if you want to render, save and share a movie longer than 20 seconds, you’ll need to purchase the theme you’ve selected.  So, you can preview any theme at any length… but you’ll have to pay to keep the longer results.  It’s odd at first, but it’s a smart way of letting you try before you buy.

I’ll admit I was not terribly interested in this app when I first read about it.  Typically, applications that offer to do things “automatically” usually means “sucktasticly.”  But, after launching the app, and seeing the instant results, I have to say I’m impressed and will likely keep this app on my iPhone.  Let me be clear…no filmmaker in their right mind would use this app for professional purposes.  But, for quickly whipping up entertaining montages for family and friends, V.I.K.T.O.R. is definitely an app worth grabbing.

Here’s the developer’s tutorial:

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Mid-20th century black and white photograph of two young boys, one writing on a desk and the other standing behind him, with overlaid text "O.P.N.

O.P.N. for APRIL 11th, 2019

Welcome to another edition of Other People’s News. Here are a few of the more interesting info-nuggets I’ve recently spotted around the web-o-sphere:

An animated Apple character in a striped shirt, holding a lightbulb idea while surrounded by film production equipment, highlights the potential of filmmaking apps.

Apple Highlights Filmmaking Apps

The iOS App Store’s “Today Tab” just got a lot more interesting! Apple has highlighted a small collection of high-quality apps for