Monday, October 21, 2013

Creating (short) Vine and Instagram videos


(image credit)
They are the latest diversions of the digital age – those six-second (Vine) or fifteen-second (Instagram) videos that are the perfect outlet for creative smartphone owners who feel constrained by regular photos. But shooting an interesting and engaging short-form video can be harder than it looks. Whether you want to be funny, serious, or just come up with something unique, there are a few basic rules that you need to follow.
I run down these rules, and add my comments:

Map out a storyline

Clarify your purpose, that is, what you want to say with your video. You can sketch it out à la storyboard, or, because it's so short, visualize the storyline in your mind.

Get the lighting right

Be mindful of how your smartphone camera performs under different lighting conditions, that is, outdoors vs indoors and also at different times of day.  I suggest using natural or ambient lighting, if this serve your storyline.

Use a tripod

A tripod, even a small one, is a crucial piece of equipment, as I've realized from experience.  Amazon has all sorts of tripods for sale at low cost.  Just search for "iPhone tripod," for example.

Frame your subject

Most people make the mistake of taking photos or videos too far from the subject. If you're one of them, remind yourself to come closer.  Watch videos you like, on the sites you want to plan to upload to, and see how the subject is framed.

Make it loopy

In other words, once posted, some of these short form videos will function like a GIF.

Practice makes perfect

Optimize your efforts from the get-go, again, by thinking things through and considering these rules.  You don't need to spend all day, conceiving a 6-second Vine upload.  Spontaneity and 'naturalness' can win the day over high polish productions.


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