New Messaging App Aims to Capitalise on Video Mashup Trend
LONDON, September 4, 2015/ -- A new iPhone app has been launched that allows users to transform their mundane text messages into video mashups. Swaat – short for “Say Whaat?” – combines clips from people in fancy dress, zombies, movie characters and celebrity impersonators to create unique videos that can be posted on social media or sent as messages.
Users can type any message, quote, phrase or meme into the free-to-download app which is instantly brought to life as a short video. If a little inspiration is needed, the ‘Message Ideas’ feature allows users to access suggestions from the Swaat database.
Swaat is the brainchild of London-based digital entrepreneur, Matt Scott, who came up with the concept in late 2014. He said: “We want to make funny video messaging effortless. Apps like Snapchat have created a trend, but with Swaat we’re taking it to the next level. After all, it’s much funnier to have some random guy dressed as Batman telling your mate what you think of them rather than having to do it yourself.”
Once the video mashup is created, users can remix the clip to get different characters in their video, and then share it via Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram or save it to their camera roll. Soon, users will also be able to upload their own clips to the app, with one condition - they must be in fancy dress or in character for the clips to be approved for inclusion in the Swaat library.
The site and app - currently available for iOS - works by converting users’ phrases into video compilations from Swaat’s 15,000 word database, which is growing by the day. An Android version is expected to launch in the next few weeks.
Matt, who is also Operations Director of City House Media - a London based Creative Agency - added: “Approximately nine percent of all online messaging is video-based - Think GIFs, Snapchat Videos, etc - and with the continued rollout of 4G and, eventually, 5G, this is only going to increase.”
To find out more about Swaat you can visit swaat.co, download it from the App Store or follow the Swaat team on Facebook (/SwaatApp) or Twitter (@SwaatApp).