A star of silver and television screens wants to help others become stars of the small screen – their iPhone screens that is – with an iOS app that lets users act out their favorite movie scenes.
Actor Edward Kerr on Tuesday rolled out ROLR, a new video collaboration app he created to help people connect around the world through a universal love of films. An in-app teleprompter feeds you your lines from scenes from a selection of classic films, you record your part and then invite members of ROLR community to be your co-stars.
Kerr, who has a recurring role on the TV show Pretty Little Liars envisions ROLR as a way to bring social media influencers, celebrities, movie studios and fans into direct engagement with one another.
“People bond over their shared affinity for classic movie moments,” Kerr said in a written statement. “ROLR (creates) a way for fans to participate in these moments like never before. There’s karaoke for music fans, but nothing exists for people to act with each other unless on a set or stage.”
Even before today’s public release, iTunes featured it as one of the “New Apps We Love.” ROLR may have found a unique niche in an app category with hundreds of apps and billions who use one or more social networks daily. Its success early on may depend on other performers and social media influencers who promote it through their various channels.
Already, actor Steph Barkley and comedian Jamie Costa, each with hundreds of thousands of social media followers are using the app, ROLR said in a statement announcing the availability of the app (free to download here). Android users will likely get their own version of ROLR later this summer.
Barkley said ROLR can help her collaborate with people she is otherwise separated from by geography.
ROLR is working with major film studios to generate more in-app scenes, serve as a promotional platform to reach moviegoers and better understand levels of engagement. A ROLR spokeswoman said the app could be fun for fans, but also be used by aspiring actors to promote their work, hoping someone important is watching.