How did you author the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?
This video was taken on and edited on the Instagram app on my iPhone 6S using the rear facing camera.
I felt a bit awkward taking this photo as I had to hang around this door as people walked through, lifting my phone in a not-at-all-subtle way. Originally I wanted to film the door itself, maybe me walking through and around the door, but because people were always near the door, I instead decided to film the button with the door revolving in the background, just so I could be done with it and get out of the way.
In Part 1 of the reading, Manovich (2016) discusses how digital cameras from the 2000s have settings like sport, macro, landscape, and even go as specific as fireworks and food. ‘The conventions are literally hard wired in camera designs’ (Manovich 2016, p.54).
In Instagram, the convention that has been hardwired is the vintage square format that hearkens back to Polaroids and other lo-fi photography. However, I don’t find this constraint all that constraining. The symmetry is satisfying and also, the small size helps cut out excess background mess and other unnecessary elements that might make their way into a rectangular photo.
Following my trend from last week, I decided to make this video black and white using I think the ‘Inkwell’ filter, mostly because I didn’t like how bright and blue the button was, as it drew attention away from the door itself (the real star of the show here).
One constraint of Instagram video is the fact that there are significantly less editing tools for video than there are for photo. I can’t do all my coloured shadows and highlights with a video. This contributed to my decision to make the theme for my Instagram videos all black and white. Additionally, I decided to officially adopt the accidental lack of sound from last week as when I accidentally posted this video with sound, I hated it so much, I deleted and reposted it as a silent video. Therefore, my theme for my Instagram videos is ‘silent black and white videos of automated doors.’
How did you publish the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?
Like last week’s video, all my ideas went out the window when it came time to actually taking it, and hence I simply took a video and posted it, without taking any alternatives.
One interesting thing I took from the reading was how the rules of originality are inverted when it comes to Instagram. Instead of trying to capture what has never been captured before, Manovich writes, ‘If you [sic] image looks like many images you have seen before, capture it’ (Manovich 2016, p.52).
This is evident through Instagrams hashtags. People want to see multiples of one sometimes very specific thing. People want to see differing perspectives and opinions on something they already know exists. It stems, I believe, from the realisation that photography isn’t objective, that there is more to gain from viewing photos as individuals POVs instead of omniscient all-seeing eyes. I like it. I think it opens more avenues for people’s individual opinions to be heard.
In class today, we spoke of how people don’t always automatically go to Google when they need to search for something. People are pre-filtering their searches. They go to Instagram for photos, Twitter for debates and opinions, YouTube for videos. I personally go to Reddit whenever I want real-life authentic opinions from people, because I find they are (or at least feel) more honest than what I find through a Google search, which is often inundated with companies and brands, whose ulterior motives appear to skew the candour of their content.
Phew, what a tangent. Back to hashtags: I have been spending a lot of time at Monash Uni in Clayton recently, playing board games and DnD with my friend who goes there. Hence, my quirky rambly hashtag is #monashunihasbetterrevolvingdoorsyepisaidit. I enjoy the lack of spaces. It makes it sound as if I said it all in a rush, like a confession.
How did you distribute the video you published on Instagram to other social media services?
Having linked up my Facebook and Twitter accounts last week, I just swiped the switches on the same screen where I added caption and location, and off it went. I didn’t even know how the cross-platform posts worked until I went to the respective platforms.
They look nice on Facebook, but on Twitter, it’s just my caption followed by a link. Without the visual, it’s remarkably less interesting.
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References
Manovich, L 2016, Instagram and the Contemporary Image, University of San Diego.