Another day, another social network, and this time I’m talking about Vine.
Vine, acquired by Twitter, allows you to capture and share short looping videos on your iPhone and iPod touch. It’s worth noting that the app is free and don’t fret Android users, there are rumours that an Android app is in the making, so watch this space!
Launched at the end of January, Vine has already surpassed over 100,000 uploads, confirming that people like what they see – me being one of them.
With a simple point and shoot video mechanism, Vine allows you to thread together little clips whilst capturing motion and sound to create a quirky little video: a six second video to be precise, hence why I wrote quirky little video.
And therein lies the challenge. Similar to Twitter where you only have 140 characters to get your message across, you have six seconds to make your mark with Vine.
That’s what I find most intriguing about it. Prior to capturing the footage, you almost have to envisage your full sequence of events in order to master the six second restriction.
In a way, Vine is to video what Instagram is to images. Where Instagram has allowed an everyday image from your smartphone to be transformed through one of their many nifty filters, Vine is paving the way for any Tom, Dick or Harry to try their hand at on-to-go short-form videography, straight from your smartphone.
I’ll pre-warn you however; don’t expect it to be a polished masterpiece. Vine videos are rotating images meaning they tend to have a homemade, sketchy feel about them.
As with all new tools, it can take a little getting used to, so you can also forgive yourself the odd wobble as we try to master the art of capturing footage using just your finger. Footage is captured by pressing down on the screen and you simply release your finger to pause the recording in-between clips.
This inventive way of capturing imagery has introduced a new form of storytelling – one that cannot be achieved through a static image. It’s making many fashion brands, amongst others, sit up and take note.
Topshop, Paul Smith and Matthew Williamson were among the early adopters by turning their hand to Vine and trial it during London Fashion Week last month. The short video clips revealed a quirky new way of sharing exclusive collection previews, final preparations and behind-the-scenes access.
This raw footage, set in motion, made you feel part of the action and I particularly like the fact that global fashion brands are rewarding online followers with a sneak peak of what’s to come, prior to fashion editors and celebs casting their eye on it as they patiently wait on the edge of their front row seat.
Overall, Vine is a fun, intuitive video-sharing app with a stylish user interface that you’ll get to grips with in no time.
Put simply, I like it. So much so that I’ve prioritised it on my second page of apps on my iPhone to ensure that I have it to hand when I fancy capturing whatever catches my eye.
For personal and professional use, I’d say it worth the investment of your time – bearing in mind that’s only six seconds per upload – and I believe Vine would be a welcome addition to your collection of social networks.
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