The app uses a smart phone's geo-location technology to find out where you are and shows you what Historical films were taken close by. You can not only watch the films right then and there but you can also "tag" it.
By freezing a frame when you recognize a location you can take a photo over it using a "reverse augmented reality" function with the app and the camera on your smart phone. You position the now semi-opaque frame you selected over the scene in front of you and when you take the photo the video is tagged with a geo-location so others can find it more easily.
The specific time signature on the video will also be tagged with your photo of how the scene looks now and you can share the "then and now" photos with your friends on Facebook or tweet a link. Using this technology and crowd sourcing over time, all historic footage could be tagged with geoloactions and comparison photos making the valuable images of our history more accessible.
It is our hope that more people will view these valuable historic videos and engage in an experience that brings them closer to the past while connecting them with others.
How the Vistory App works:
1. Select a historic video close to your location 2. When you recognize a scene, freeze the video 3. The frozen frame will then appear as a tranparent overlay 4. Place the old scene over the new and take a picture 5. The video will then be tagged with a geolocation and your new photo