Exclusive Developer Interview With Reallusion – Crazy Talk App
We’re currently reviewing this app and it’s such fun, we’ve already posted a preliminary video to our Facebook wall and many people are eagerly trying it out. As well as that we thought we’d find out a little more of the background of this app, how it came to be developed, the design, the marketplace and lots more. Don’t miss this exclusive interview with the developer, John C Martin, II
VP Product Marketing of Reallusion.
CrazyTalk is a free iOS app that you can download here – it does have in app purchases. The full edition of the desktop version retails for $112.40 and you can purchase that here.
How was your app conceived and what were your thoughts about how it would appeal in the marketplace, currently?
CrazyTalk brings a decade of facial animation technology development to the iPhone and iPad. The mobile app brings the best of our CrazyTalk desktop software now in it’s 7th version. CrazyTalk for iOS is designed for fun animation that is interactive, shareable and aimed for users, pranksters and kids of all ages. CrazyTalk app marks the beginning of a multi-platform animation ecosystem that allows users to create content on their desktops, upload to a cloud server, to later animate and share on their iDevices; making CrazyTalk one of the best paired applications today.
Can you tell us more about the design and how you came to choose the colors and themes used?
CrazyTalk is designed to match the existing desktop OSX version, CrazyTalk7. The iconography and color scheme are simplified for visual focus on your character and ease of find/use.
Who do you see as the main target market for this app in terms of age, genre and expenditure?
CrazyTalk is popular for many age ranges for various types of animation creativity. Students and Adults alike are users of CrazyTalk software for entertainment and serious applications. In the classroom students are creating talking historical figures and using their own illustrations to become talking science project. Pros, like the animators at Jimmy Kimmel Live are using CrazyTalk in the studio for instant comedy. The tools behind both are inside the CrazyTalk App giving anyone a chance to be an animator. The CrazyTalk app for iOS brings the animation anywhere and is FREE from the App Store. In-app purchases can enable premium content and tools.
How long did Crazy Talk take from the original planning to the production process?
It took around one and half years for the production, and we are still keeping updates. We did a lot of research to position the app and polish the features that we would like to present to consumers. In order to provide consumers the most natural and vivid facial animation, we put a lot of effort in integrating our Auto Motion technology and intuitive UI design into iDevice usage . This allows consumer to animate with their own voice, touch and movements.
How do you predict sales to be, is there a good solid market for this style of app?
Reallusion carried out much research into the app market prior to the app launch. Our customers have been asking for a CT app. We are embracing the app market with launch of CT app. Downloads have been in line with expectations and Reallusion are pleased with the customer feedback.
Image above taken from desktop version
What have you learnt from the App Store?
The App Store provides a great platform for developers, but only apps with creative and practical ideas can stand above the rest. This is always a healthy challenge for our developers and app designers, as we are always dedicated to providing apps with quality and value-added service.
Image above taken from desktop version
Have Apple supported you well with your App Development?
Apple provides a good support portal for developers. The developer program and our relations manager updates allows us to better know the features we should focus on including with the app release to be most helpful in consideration for possible opportunities to showcase our apps.
Image above taken from desktop version
What next? Are you developing another app? Would you go for the same genre again and if not, which would you choose?
Well the CrazyTalk app is not just an app. It’s a new way to enhance media communication and social interaction. The CrazyTalk app aims at being one of the most intuitive, simple, yet powerful companion in anyone’s pocket; delivering fun, form, functionality and fantastic life-life results every time. We will have future updates for both function and content to enhance the CrazyTalk mobile experience, even enhancements for future Siri voice recognition. We also do other types of apps, mainly for photo and image processing. You may have heard of Neon Motion and Big Lens which are some earlier apps that gave us valuable insights into how the iTunes app store operates, along with what kind of functions people search for in their apps. The future is bright, and our team is always grateful to receive feedback in order to better deliver on future applications.
Image above taken from desktop version
What do you think about theappwhisperer.com? Have we helped you? Would you recommend us? Love the site.
It’s great to have such a comprehensive resource. The success of the site is well deserved and reflects the hard work and commitment of Joanne and team.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
