Social media photo and video services have been in circulation for a number of years, and we have all seen our fair share of popular apps that turn the amateur smart phone user into “semi-professional” creators. For example, apps such as Instagram and iMovie allow the everyday user to enter the creative world.
The new app, Vine—daughter company to Twitter—does precisely that. Vine is a mobile service that lets you capture and share short videos that continue to play on a loop.
Similar to tweets, the videos on Vine are short, lasting no longer than 6 seconds. It allows the user to capture “moments.” However, these moments don’t necessarily have to be consecutive.
You simply start and stop the recording by tapping on the screen. The sky is the limit for the community of creators as they begin to use this new art form of stop-motion animations.
The genius part of the app is that is was created to be incredibly simple. This was done with the hope that users would spend more time actually filming and creating, as opposed to wasting time trying to figure out how the app works.
Brands are also jumping on the Vine train, using it as a new and innovative form of advertising for product reveals and teasers. Many brands using the app have created incredibly simple, 6-second videos for their product using hand drawn signs, simple product demonstrations, and behind-the-scenes footage.
Due to the nature of the app, there is an inherent limit on the production value a video can have.
As fun and useful as Vine on Twitter has become, there are a few kinks that still need to be ironed out. Vine is currently not offered on the Andriod, and is only available for iOS. Its parent company Twitter insists that Vine will soon be offered on other platforms, but as of now a significant amount of smartphone users are unable to download it.
Another issue that users may find frustrating about the app is its lack of editing and saving. Due to the fact that the videos can only be created within the application, they cannot be saved or edited before you post or share them. This could cause issues for brands that require content approval before it is released.
Despite the app’s minor issues, Vine has established itself as one of the leaders in social videos. It certainly offers an incredibly simplistic way to film and share videos in our extremely complicated world. Now it’s time to watch the Vine grow.