Hasta La Ideas

A social app mashes content into dynamic slideshows

A newcomer to the cutthroat world of social media backed by DreamWorks, Ptch sources content from popular services like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, giving users the chance to remix media to their heart’s delight. The idea is to create “snackable media” by mashing up text, video, images and audio into 60-second slideshows or videos. The personalized one-offs can then be broadcast across channels, a full composition taking mere minutes to complete. Rather than limiting the sharing to the user’s own content, all media aggregated from social feeds are fair game for users to “ptch” to their friends.

“We’re calling this living media,” explains Ptch CEO and DreamWorks veteran Ed Leonard. “The notion is that if you see something you like, you can very quickly express it and make it yours.” An interesting element of Ptch is that it occupies a interim between content creation and consumption. Since slideshows published by others are easily broken down into their original elements, all it take is a simple drag to add an image or video to your own pitch. This effect snowballs, making content created on Ptch “infinitely mashable,” says Leonard.

With the option to add text and background music, the program takes quality of content to the next level—essentially acting as an on-the-go movie suite. Preset styles—from “Classic” to “Vivid” and “Vintage”—determine the image filter, transitions and accompanying music. Social comments, title screens and captions are also displayed in a manner consistent with the chosen style. A small annoyance, choosing a style overrides previous music choices, although users can reselect music afterwards. There are currently eight styles, although the company plans to open source additional options.

With a few exceptions, Ptch pulls from any place where users share content on the web. As Leonard explains, “Ptch sits as a dashboard across all of your social media, so we’re not trying to compete or take the place of what you use today—we’re really trying to make that more powerful and more expressive.” After playing around with stills and video, we found that the mix of mediums adds a dynamic element that is unique to Ptch as a social tool.

Ptch is available free of charge from the iTunes app store.

Styled iPhone shoots from a leading Brazilian vintage supplier

Here’s one of the more ingenious ways we’ve seen people use Instagram: instant fashion editorial. Paula Reboredo and Gil França, the couple behind Sao Paulo vintage store B. Luxo, have come up with a way to market their goods and get a response immediately, by doing fully styled mini editorial shoots for Instagram.

The couple began by posting images of selected clothing and accessories to their b_luxo account, and the response was so overwhelmingly positive—their current follower count stands at 1,523—that they’ve segued into full-on fashion shoots, all photographed in the shop.

Reboredo and França first style the models (who happen to also be clients), and then França (also a photographer) shoots the images on an iPhone 4. Despite the variety of photo retouching apps in existence, França’s approach is refreshingly simple: he only treats the image on Instagram, using the tilt-shift blur effect and applying a preset filter before uploading. The results give the images a retro sheen that are a natural fit to the clothing and accessories they show off.

B. Luxo’s current editorial consists of 16 looks, and a previous shoot focused on a Halloween theme. The photos are posted with the name of the item and sizes. Comments from followers have reached frenzied heights, with users calling and reserving the pieces as soon as they appear in the feed. Reboredo and França plan to continue doing these fashion shoots into the near future. “It’s quick and efficient,” Reboredo said.

Larger brands are increasingly tuned in to the pictorial social media venue. Topshop hosted in-store, fully-styled Instagram shoots on iPads (the complete gallery lives on their Facebook page). Bergdorf Goodman launched an interactive Instagram shoe map with editorial-inspired shoe pics. B. Luxo, however, is the first we know of dedicating their account exclusively to editorial spreads.

Follow the boutique by their username b_luxo on Instagram to keep up with their latest features.

How some of the most tech-savvy are using the latest social network

With any new networking platform, the tech crowd always takes the lead while the rest of us are still complaining about our parents joining Facebook. When Google+ launched last month it seemed like a particularly novel way to stay socially organized, but we still weren’t quite sure what to do with it. Turning to the digital community and beyond, we asked around to see how some of the earliest-adopters are engaging. From Refinery29’s VP of Engineering Jorge Lopez, Gina Bianchi (who herself enabled anyone to make their own social network by co-founding Ning) and Selectism editor Jeff Carvalho to Jean Aw, Notcot founder, the overwhelming response from the total of 10 people that we surveyed was that, while there’s tremendous potential, there’s still a lot of learning that has to happen on both the consumer and Google’s side.

Brett Renfer (Interaction Designer at Rockwell Group Lab) told us that the more he uses it, the more he’s discovered a need to share in the selective way that the site allows. Many from our list were on Google+ (or Plus, as some call it) since its launch, like technologist Joel Niedfeldt who described it as a “veritable ghostland at first.” Matt Spangler (a friend of CH and digital entrepreneur) relays his more common experience, “I’ve read about it in articles more than I’ve used it.”

Despite initial hesitations, most are checking Google+ two or three times a day. Ben Lerer, a Thrillist co-founder, and Taj Reid, who’s the brains behind WeJetSet, point out they visit more thanks to the mobile app. And, as illustrator Keren Richter predicts, while it doesn’t have the same activity as Twitter or Facebook, it “has a chance of catching on.”

Which feature do you use most often?

Jeff: Circles, based on common interests. I have circles for people I know interested in technology and music, for example.

Jorge: The Stream is pretty much as far as I go with it. Going to Google+ has pretty much been a chore.

Taj: Definitely the Stream and Circles. I’m also interested in making more use of the photo section.

Gina: My team and I kicked Skype to the curb and now use Hangouts for our daily stand-ups because of the higher quality and reliability. I think they just nailed it.

Keren: I use the Stream, I post photos and update my status.

What’s different about Google+ that you really like?

Ben: It feels like a blend between LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to me, but it has some advantages of all of them.

Brett: The Circles more closely mimic real-world social structure. I can see Google+ growing into more of a hub for me, especially in a work context.

Joel: They’ve built a very mature social networking platform that does away with the early-stage stuff that just annoys me now on Facebook. It’s more of a tool.

Jorge: If they had events, I like that I could create a public event and exclude some people. (Sorry parents, I love you, but I don’t want you to hang out with my drunk friends.)

Taj: I like how the posting works—it encourages stickier conversations.

Matt: I like the simplicity and clarity of its design and user interface. Its biggest advantage is integrating the magic of push notification alerts into my everyday media activity.

Gina: It’s seamlessly connected to Gmail as well as my Google docs and apps, so it fits in beautifully with the fabric of my workday.

Is Google+ better for business or social aspects?

Brett: My job is very tech-centric, so my circles lean more towards people I’m interested in because of work rather than people I know in a social context.

Jeff: Socially. We’ll see how their business model turns out for the service. I have a feeling it will not be free.

Jean: So far it’s the same mess I have on Facebook and Twitter.

Matt: I’ve started creating some client-specific circles that I’m monitoring, but its just the beginning of that. Once they open up the API and allow for third-party developing, I think I’ll both use the system more and it will drive a lot more adoption. I can imagine ways my small groups of trusted individuals can connect in more exciting ways, but it will depend on how well done the API is.

Keren: I’m not the most business-minded. Right now, it’s mostly for friends and memes, but it’s not SO much better than Facebook that there will be a mass exodus.

Contributions from Karen Day, Graham Hiemstra, Ami Kealoha, Evan Orensten, Josh Rubin and Greg Stefano