Aurasma App Brings Videos to Yearbook

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Photo by Kayla Parker-Discala

YEARBOOK GOES PRO: Dylan Devaney (12), next to Luke Biggs and Kevin Skvarna, wore a GoPro camera on his head during the Hypnotist Show. The captured footage has been archived alongside a collection of other events that have taken place throughout the year, all of which will be released as the yearbook’s newest feature.

The secret’s out–SJHHS’ yearbook is turning a new page with an innovative use of technology, bringing the year’s events back to life through one impressive app called Aurasma.

This edition’s content will go beyond the shelf, now equipped with scannable pictures that link you to videos collected throughout the 2013-2014 school year.

“There will be an outline on every photo that has a [corresponding] video, so you just hold your phone over it and the video will start to play,” says Tori Newman, co-editor of the seventh volume. The app works as a variant of a QR code scanner, using the picture itself as opposed to a generic compilation of pixels.

Aurasma is free to download in the app store and compatible with all Apple and Android mobile devices–just look for the purple and gray icon. Students are welcome to download the app now to get a feel for what is to come and are encouraged to follow Yearbook’s Channel for a look at a few shots that will be featured in this year’s edition. To follow, just search ‘Legacy Yearbook.’

“It’s definitely different; very innovative. It is kind of bringing yearbook into the 21st century,” says Tommy Nelson, co-editor.

The staff has been keeping tabs on every major event that has occurred on our campus this year, strapping a GoPro onto the countless involved heads of the student body to capture some of the best moments.

“These videos will really bring that feeling and impact into the book,” says Ryan Norgren, yearbook advisor. “You’re not just seeing the pictures, but you can actually feel what it would be like to be a football player, to be on the stage in the theatre, to be anything.”

The word ‘interactive’ is commonly thrown around to describe the greatest perk of the new feature. It is the engagement that makes the addition so worthwhile.

“We had always wanted to do the video, it was just a matter of trying to figure out how we were going to do it,” says Newman.

Videos range from 45 seconds to about three minutes and are featured on all of the varsity sports pages as well as the bigger spreads throughout.

“I think people are going to get hyped about the yearbook. People are going to want to purchase one and they are going to want to be involved with it,” says Rachel Draper, video editor.

Draper expresses her enthusiasm regarding the turnout this year, sharing that they intend to keep the feature running through each future volume.

“I’ll just have to train someone to do all of it, but hopefully we’ll [continue to] have it and it will become a tradition for yearbook,” says Draper.

With a collection of videos linked throughout the book, the staff has stepped up their game, determined to modernize and leave a lasting impression well past the final bell of the year.