Tinrocket Introduces Cinemin for iOS
August 28th, 2023
Cinemin Captures Your Imagination
Tinrocket, that quirky indie app developer we’ve all vaguely heard of, breathes a sigh of relief as it finally announces the launch of its new app, Cinemin. This ingenious iOS photo and video app is the fruit of a seemingly unending three-year game of development whack-a-mole. It boasts a “live animation camera” that, by some app magic, turns mundane reality into a vibrant 2D animation style, complete with lines and shading so flat, you'd think they missed a dimension.
“Cinemin pushes the iPhone to the limit. We worked really hard to optimize our code, but eventually, faster iPhones came out so we're just going with that,” shares John Balestrieri, Tinrocket’s founder.
Tinrocket, that quirky indie app developer we’ve all vaguely heard of, breathes a sigh of relief as it finally announces the launch of its new app, Cinemin. This ingenious iOS photo and video app is the fruit of a seemingly unending three-year game of development whack-a-mole. It boasts a “live animation camera” that, by some app magic, turns mundane reality into a vibrant 2D animation style, complete with lines and shading so flat, you'd think they missed a dimension.
“Cinemin pushes the iPhone to the limit. We worked really hard to optimize our code, but eventually, faster iPhones came out so we're just going with that,” shares John Balestrieri, Tinrocket’s founder.
Cinemin’s App Store video
Features and User Experience
Cinemin offers all the box-ticking features you'd expect in a visual effects app: real-time video and photo capture, media import from the photo library, a variety of style options, an editor, high-resolution export, and an all-encompassing fullscreen mode that hides the beautifully-designed interface. “We wanted to keep the experience spontaneous and enjoyable. With Cinema Mode, you're immersed in the experience without distractions,” explains Balestrieri.
Cinemin offers all the box-ticking features you'd expect in a visual effects app: real-time video and photo capture, media import from the photo library, a variety of style options, an editor, high-resolution export, and an all-encompassing fullscreen mode that hides the beautifully-designed interface. “We wanted to keep the experience spontaneous and enjoyable. With Cinema Mode, you're immersed in the experience without distractions,” explains Balestrieri.
Respecting Creativity
Tinrocket’s commitment to respect the art community is tangible in the heart of Cinemin. Unlike other applications that use online artwork to train “Generative AI,” often without artists’ permissions, Cinemin takes another approach.
“Instead, I created Cinemin using my combined knowledge of art and technology,” says John. “I essentially programmed the app to ‘see’ like an artist, imparting an visual authenticity and ensuring we don’t use any unauthorized artwork.”
Moreover, Cinemin ensures complete privacy, as all image processing is performed on-device and no user data is collected.
Cinemin’s Origins
The creation of Cinemin follows a personal journey with software development that began with a curiosity for visual tools. From tinkering with computer graphics in high school to developing successful apps like Waterlogue, the process has been both challenging and rewarding. Cinemin is the latest result of these explorations, building on lessons learned and insights gained over the years.
Balestrieri reflects on his early experiences that shaped the development of Cinemin: “I've explored computer graphics tools since high school,” says Balestrieri. “When I attended Pratt, an art college, I was lucky to have an excellent teacher who taught us to perceive color in a new way — by giving students a simple glass prism. Looking through it, they could see the world, and color, differently. Inspired after this enlightening art school experience, I taught myself to program,” Balestrieri continues. “I began exploring how visual tools can alter our perspective and influence creativity. This exploration led to the development of apps like Waterlogue and now, Cinemin.”
Powered by Community
With the launch of Cinemin, we now have 10 active apps, and the journey has been incredible, thanks to our users," says John Balestrieri, founder of Tinrocket.
“Our community has turned these creations into millions of downloads. Their support fuels our creativity, and we've been fortunate to find an audience that has enabled us to do work we're proud of,” Balestrieri continues.
Get Cinemin Now
Cinemin is available for free download, and most features are unlocked. To offer users more flexibility, there is a premium version of Cinemin. This premium version can either be subscribed to on a monthly or yearly basis or through a one-time purchase.
The prices for Cinemin Premium, as of August 28, 2023 are:
Tinrocket’s commitment to respect the art community is tangible in the heart of Cinemin. Unlike other applications that use online artwork to train “Generative AI,” often without artists’ permissions, Cinemin takes another approach.
“Instead, I created Cinemin using my combined knowledge of art and technology,” says John. “I essentially programmed the app to ‘see’ like an artist, imparting an visual authenticity and ensuring we don’t use any unauthorized artwork.”
Moreover, Cinemin ensures complete privacy, as all image processing is performed on-device and no user data is collected.
Cinemin’s Origins
The creation of Cinemin follows a personal journey with software development that began with a curiosity for visual tools. From tinkering with computer graphics in high school to developing successful apps like Waterlogue, the process has been both challenging and rewarding. Cinemin is the latest result of these explorations, building on lessons learned and insights gained over the years.
Balestrieri reflects on his early experiences that shaped the development of Cinemin: “I've explored computer graphics tools since high school,” says Balestrieri. “When I attended Pratt, an art college, I was lucky to have an excellent teacher who taught us to perceive color in a new way — by giving students a simple glass prism. Looking through it, they could see the world, and color, differently. Inspired after this enlightening art school experience, I taught myself to program,” Balestrieri continues. “I began exploring how visual tools can alter our perspective and influence creativity. This exploration led to the development of apps like Waterlogue and now, Cinemin.”
Powered by Community
With the launch of Cinemin, we now have 10 active apps, and the journey has been incredible, thanks to our users," says John Balestrieri, founder of Tinrocket.
“Our community has turned these creations into millions of downloads. Their support fuels our creativity, and we've been fortunate to find an audience that has enabled us to do work we're proud of,” Balestrieri continues.
Get Cinemin Now
Cinemin is available for free download, and most features are unlocked. To offer users more flexibility, there is a premium version of Cinemin. This premium version can either be subscribed to on a monthly or yearly basis or through a one-time purchase.
The prices for Cinemin Premium, as of August 28, 2023 are:
- Monthly subscription: $0.99 USD
- Yearly subscription: $5.99 USD
- One-time purchase (no subscription): $9.99 USD
- Availability: Worldwide through the App Store
- Requirements: iOS 16.0 or greater
- Price: Free to download and use; upgrade to paid features available through a one-time in-app purchase (IAP) or subscription.
- Live Animation Camera: Transforms reality into vibrant 2D animation.
- Real-time Video and Photo Capture: Enables immediate capturing and editing.
- Media Import: Import videos and photos from the photo library.
- Cinema Mode: Enhances immersion in the creative experience without distractions.
- Export Options: Allows exporting at 1080p, 3K*, and 4K* resolutions.
- Save Unfiltered Content: Save unfiltered photos and videos for editing later*.
- Non-AI Approach: Doesn’t use generative AI, maintaining artistic integrity.
- On-Device Processing: Complete privacy with all data processing performed on-device; no user data collected.
*indicates a feature of Cinemin Premium
About Tinrocket
Tinrocket, founded in Brooklyn, New York in 2006 by John Balestrieri, is dedicated to making original, creative software for mobile and desktop. Other critically acclaimed Tinrocket apps include Waterlogue (App Store Best of 2014), Olli (App Store Best of 2017), and This (App Store Best of 2016).
Links
- App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1518176287
- Developer Product Page: https://www.tinrocket.com/apps/cinemin/
- Email: press@tinrocket.com
- @Tinrocket on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinrocket/
- #Cinemin (new hashtag; low volume): https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cinemin/
- #MadeWithTinrocket: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/madewithtinrocket/
- John Balestrieri on Mastodon: https://mastodon.online/@tinrocket
Gallery
Cinemin’s icon
Made with Cinemin
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