While the big publications have been hogging the iPad limelight with their heavyweight titles and in-app subscriptions, a small German publisher has quietly slipped into the App Store with the kind of rich, interactive experience that most of their bigger rivals could only dream of.
Textinc has released the first issue of Astronaut Magazine, an iPad-only interactive publication that features 90 minutes of video content including reports, interviews, documentaries and music videos aimed at independent filmmakers and the fans who love their work. The app was first envisioned as a traditional print magazine with an accompanying DVD until the publishers realized the vast potential of Apple’s tablet, so a group of friends embarked on a mission to realize their electronic dreams.
“Astronaut offers a place for independent filmmakers to present their documentaries and other projects that were achieved in their spare time often with minimal technical support or outside help,” the app description reads. “Up and coming music acts and photographers are profiled, artists and fashion designers are shown in their studios and people who are creating new disciplines are introduced. The user has a front row seat for all of this and gets to know these protagonists on an almost personal level.
“Astronaut lives from amazing stories about people who break rules and create new realms far removed from the commercial world,” the description continues. “Astronaut is a platform for individualists, for the courageous, for the unflinching and for daydreamers.” Sounds like a product that belongs on an Apple platform, right?
The first issue of Astronaut launched in mid-June, featuring the work of award-winning filmmaker Jason Wingrove, Tribeca Film Festival winner Alama Har’el, new releases from Erased Tape Records, the work of Herr Müller, one of Berlin’s finest illustrators and much more.
Astronaut Magazine 1.0 is available now on the App Store for $3.99, compatible with any iPad running iOS 4.0 or later. Be forewarned, at 1.1GB it’s a big download, but you’ll get plenty of visual and aural excitement for your patience. Finally, while the publishers are German, the magazine content is all in English language, so you shouldn’t have any fears about giving it a try today.
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