Posts / April 29, 2013

Entrepreneurs launch storytelling app

Article in Star Phoenix this morning on OneStory.com

A pair of Saskatoon entrepreneurs is hoping a new mobile phone application will appeal to technology-savvy teens and business people – but also to senior citizens.

One Story, launched Friday, combines the skills of its creators, documentary filmmaker Katrina German and software developer Dale Zak.

The app asks a set of standard questions in an interview format. The user creates a short video by answering the questions and can customize short video biographies.

The goal of One Story is to make it simple enough for everyone to use.

German said the app can be used to make wedding videos of the married couple. Businesses could use it for staff video profiles or to search for the right type of employee. And seniors could record their life story for future generations.

During the pilot stage, the app was tested by a media class at Evan Hardy Collegiate. Zak and German then went to nearby Sherbrooke Community Centre, where they asked elderly residents to try it out. They were asked about their childhoods and other memories.

“They got it right away. Some of them started crying,” German said.

The app will be free for basic users. In the future, there may be more advanced packages of interview questions available for purchase.

“We’ll be making tweaks. It’s only going to get better from here,” German said.

German said she and Zak wanted to develop a project that can show the “social good of social media.”

The app, developed with help from the federal government’s Canadian Youth Business Foundation, is currently available on iPhones. The pair hopes to have it accessible by personal computer in the next six months.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/life/Entrepreneurs+launch+storytelling/8308281/story.html