Week 10 Instagram Post Two
Instagram Video 2
How did you author the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?
I shot this video using an iPhone 6. Going into this week, I knew I didn’t want just a single take. Instead, I wanted to incorporate some more elements into it. Hence, why the final product is two clips edited together. In order to edit the video, I downloaded the app InShot. Through this app I was able to combine the two videos. Whilst Instagram allows for the selection of multiple photos/videos, I didn’t want someone to have to scroll to the next video. I thought that this would make the video disjointed as the two video would be seen as unrelated. Therefore, I resorted to using an app in order to complete the editing. Furthermore, I continued with the ‘white bar aesthetic’ by running the video through the Square Fit app. Along with this, I also took into account the cover I desired for the post. I wanted the door and its surroundings to be visible in the cover in order to give context to the functioning or lack thereof of the door.
In regards to the raw footage, I didn’t feel the need to edit any of the colours, shadows, etc. I instead chose to play around with different camera angles when I was shooting the video. This entailed a range of pans and static shots at varying distances. Ultimately, I decided to focus on two particular shots.
How did you publish the video you recorded for upload to Instagram?
This week I decided to add a location to my post. I did this to test out if the engagement with my post would differ. Whilst I can’t confirm if it were due to the location, I did notice that more accounts related to Flinders street/ the Melbourne CBD liked my video and/or followed me. Due to this, I will test out adding locations to my following posts and see if there is more evidence to support the notion that by adding a location, a post becomes more relevant to those within the vicinity of the location and so, are more likely to engage with the account. This post included my longest caption thus far. I felt quite inspired from the video to share some of my thoughts. In turn, through showing my honest feelings, I decided to include hashtags not only related to the video but also to the caption. This included hashtags such as #mentalhealth, #inspiration and #hope.
In regards to the caption, I have come to think a lot about the reasons why people use Instagram as opposed to other photo and video sharing platforms. The caption I included reflects the kind of writing that would be seen in a diary or a blog. Therefore, I find that this post in particular is more suited to a Tumblr account as opposed to an Instagram account. I find that Tumblr offers a more personal experience due to the ability for users to post just text, photos, videos or a combination. Furthermore, followers are able to send in questions through the ‘ask’ feature which sees questions being replied to through a post to the Tumblr account in which the question was directed. In comparison to Instagram, Instagram allows for a question feature through the story and live video functions. These however, are only available for 24 hours. In saying all of this, I wonder if it is possible for Instagram to achieve the level of connection between followers and creators that Tumblr has. Whilst it is possible to simultaneously have a highly curated feed as well as be genuine and connected to the people who engage with the posts, I can’t help but question if many people have commercial interests when creating an Instagram account.
How did you distribute the video you published on Instagram to other social media services?
In order to distribute the video, I shared the video to the Tumblr and Twitter account that I linked to my Instagram account. The sharing can be done either when publishing the video or at a later date. I chose to distribute it after my post went up as I wanted to ensure I was happy with the post before distributing it any further within the social media realm.