Why Instagram Videos Will Be Better...

[michael zaletel]

Is anyone talking about the significant talent advantage and production quality difference between the typical Vine video and the typical Instagram video?

Based upon the first few days, my instinct is that Instagram will win on far superior content. Instagram users have had to work very hard for years to hone their photographic skills. You can't just snap a pic at random and hope to get any likes or comments on Instagram. Users have been preparing themselves to shoot great video for years.

Take a closer look and compare the top videos on both. It's clear as day to me.

Michael Zaletel
Founder, i4software

 

[Ben Scott]

Instagram users have had to work very hard for years to hone their photographic skills.

Yeah after so many thousands of snaps of their lunch they really have it down to a fine art now.

 

[michael zaletel]

Yeah after so many thousands of snaps of their lunch they really have it down to a fine art now.

Out of 160 MILLION users, I'm quite certain the top 5 million users aren't taking pictures of their lunch anymore.

 

[Ben Scott]

top 15 followed instagram accounts

15 - ZooeyDeschanel
14 - Snoop Dogg
13 - Harry Styles
12 - Fuckyopictures (Chris Brown)
11 - Eye Media - Online solutions company
10 - Rob Kardashian
9 - Barack Obama
8 - Ariena Grande
7 - Kourtney Kardashian
6 - BadGalRiri - (Rihanna)
5 - Kylie Jenner
4 - Taylor Swift
3 - Kendall Jenner
2 - Justin Bieber
1 - Kim Kardashian

The idea of Instagram being a serious place for serious photographers to present good work is ludicrous in my opinion. Not to say there isn't a good photograph on the whole of instagram, but that isn't what it's for.

 

[michael zaletel]

top 15 followed instagram accounts

The idea of Instagram being a serious place for serious photographers to present good work is ludicrous in my opinion. Not to say there isn't a good photograph on the whole of instagram, but that isn't what it's for.

Still not "getting it". As with any social network, the top 1,000 are famous people. Your argument makes no sense. Instagram is primarily a place where small groups of 100-500 friends and followers share photos with each other. Unless you are famous, getting 100 likes on Instagram is really, really hard. Try it sometime yourself. That sort of ongoing contest pushes people to hone their composition skills and choose better content in the first place.

Besides, I am only comparing the typical Vine user to the typical Instagram user. Do you think Tweeting is better preparation and practice for video?

Pay attention to Instagram guys. Mark my words. It will matter!

Your best commercial clients will soon be asking you to shoot 15-second commercials for Instagram. You should know and master the medium. This includes trailers for feature and Indy films too guys.

Can you imagine how embarrassed you'll be if your commercial or trailer doesn't "measure up" or get many likes? Instagram Video will raise the low bar and push the high bar even higher. YouTube never did that. This is a good thing for motion pictures.

-Michael

 

[Ben Scott]

Ah right, so you're not actually talking about quality at all, but rather the ability to get hits/likes/whatever? Fine, just have a cat or baby do something funny or a a hot girl get her boobs out. Instant likes.

I don't think Vine or Instagram teach anyone anything about producing quality video. They teach people how to create the most impact in the shortest possible time. Not the same thing at all.

Instagram certainly never made the standard of shared pictures any better - in fact it did the complete opposite. I'd be surprised if the video side ever did differently. The caveat being obviously if you're judging 'quality' as having some intrinsic artistic merit as opposed to 'went vioral and made money'.

 

[Ben Scott]

Just to add apologies if I seem argumentative for the sake of it, but I just don't think social media being used as yet another advertising platform is a force for good in the world. And certainly not a force for good pictures

 

[michael zaletel]

I don't think Vine or Instagram teach anyone anything about producing quality video. They teach people how to create the most impact in the shortest possible time. Not the same thing at all.

Instagram certainly never made the standard of shared pictures any better - in fact it did the complete opposite.

We are talking about BILLIONS of photos a week. Instagram has without question taught the masses to take better photos. I can show you 10 brilliant photos uploaded just today. You aren't considering the scale. Go ahead, ignore this of you want. It's a big deal that Instagram has added video. It will imapct your career soon enough.

In two years, 300 million people will be shooting and uploading 15-second videos every week. Imagine how good the best 100,000 videos will be. Just make sure your skills can put you in that top 100,000. Considering 1 billion smart phones will have 4K cameras within 5 years, pros will have to step up their game. Again, this is a good thing unless you are lazy. Fear it or embrace it. Instagram video is not going to be about cats and cheap jokes. It will evolve to be short-form art. Will there be crap? Sure, there was crap coming out of major studios 20 years before the Internet.

-Michael

 

[Ben Scott]

Can you give me an example of the evolution of an instagram photographer and how instagram has taught them to be better? The greatest evolution I've seen is that some people now don't automatically put that shitty brown filter preset on everything.

As for the numbers - Billions of photos a week mean that just by pure luck some of them are gonna be keepers

You can make art out of excrement, and some big names have done, but it doesn't mean excrement has made people better artists.

 

[michael zaletel]

Just one example of many...

LINK

Remember that these are everyday consumers, not professional photographers. Just wait until these users start creating 15-second videos of same caliber.

 

[Paul J Steinberg]

Ben, post #4 was best laugh of the day. To paraphrase Lewis Black, Instagram is to images what KFC is to chicken.

 

[Jacek Zakowicz]

We get it Michael, you want to sell your editing program to the billions that use these social sites. Nothing personal- just business...

 

[Les Dittert]

Follow the money

 

[michael zaletel]

We get it Michael, you want to sell your editing program to the billions that use these social sites. Nothing personal- just business...

Am I excited about a billion people learning to create movies on their phones? Darn straight I am.

However, I only win if millions from that Billion will learn the value of creating better video through social popularity contests like Instagram. Otherwise, why would they pay $20 bucks for my app when Instagram is free?

I have a horse in this race too. Don't think for a second I don't care about the bar being raised on the quality of consumer video. However, I am certain that I am right on this. Millions of people are going to learn that their videos aren't good enough to be liked. Some will resort to party tricks, pet tricks and porn to stand out but most will be forced to create better content. To learn how editing matters and to learn about grading and music, focus and exposure.

How do I benefit at all if Instagram lowers the bar and makes people satisfied with creating crap with a free app? No. I say Instagram will raise the bar for us all. Open your eyes... Instagram's growth and the addition of video to Instagram is the biggest thing to happen to photography in a long time. Socialcam, Viddy and Cinemagram primed the pump, Vine started the wildfire but Instagram's latest move has solidified the trend forever and more importantly their decision to avoid looping, extend to 15-seconds, allow last segment delete and add filters will change everything. Do you think YouTube has 160 million content creators learning to frame shots, shoot and edit together short clips, making edit decisions on last clip shot and making beginner grading decisions on their final movies? YouTube is mostly consumption. Instagram will democratize better video content creation.

You may not like how it changes it, but trust me it already has and will even more. I guess I am the only one here that sees how it may change it for the better, for us all. It sure beats what YouTube has done. Vimeo has certainly helped, and 500px but the "content creation" scale of Vimeo and 500px is NOWHERE near sufficient to alter mass worldwide consumer behavior, ability, perception and expectation.

Michael

 

[michael zaletel]

More examples from today.

B&W children on swings

Classic Car

Chair & Lamp

And this is just from among 10 random videos I checked after a few days guys. Average consumers are creating and uploading these videos in minutes.

 

[Christopher Mills]

Nekkid Ruler!

Nekkid Ruler!

More examples from today.

B&W children on swings

Classic Car

Chair & Lamp

And this is just from among 10 random videos I checked after a few days guys. Average consumers are creating and uploading these videos in minutes.

These look very average to me.

the shaky cam effect in classic car and chair&lamp show that the source has not learned a thing about bracing themselves for the shot.

B&W kids shooter has.. but this is not captivating content. I bet the people posting these enjoyed the process, and I have no gripe with that... but these are not signs of a vast artistic underground arising from video clip posting apps..

If these are examples of the best out there, then this emperor is overpaying their tailor!

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

We are talking about BILLIONS of photos a week. Instagram has without question taught the masses to take better photos. I can show you 10 brilliant photos uploaded just today.

That doesn't seem very efficient.

In two years, 300 million people will be shooting and uploading 15-second videos every week. Imagine how good the best 100,000 videos will be. Just make sure your skills can put you in that top 100,000. Considering 1 billion smart phones will have 4K cameras within 5 years

Quantity and value tend to be inversely proportional.

 

[Karim D. Ghantous]

Vine nailed it. I am glad that it does not have filters and I hope that it never does. Vine is about sharing your environment with others around the world. It's not about cinema (but it does encourage creativity). Perhaps Instagram video is just like that. YouTube is generally awful (there's a lot of radio with pictures) but hey, I get free stand-up comedy and music. And there are some good educational videos there, too.

But Instagram? It's empty. There's nothing in it. It takes your phone's 8Mpx camera and turns it into an Apple QuickTake. I don't open Instagram links anymore. And I'm not going to waste my time viewing those Instagram videos, either. Sorry, advertisers. Forgive me.

To paraphrase Lewis Black, Instagram is to images what KFC is to chicken.

I have been searching for the perfect way to describe it. I think I have found my Holy Grail, my Promised Land. Thank you! BTW Lewis Black is hilarious!

Q. How much does a hipster weigh?

A. An Instagram.

 

[michael zaletel]

These look very average to me.

the shaky cam effect in classic car and chair&lamp show that the source has not learned a thing about bracing themselves for the shot.

B&W kids shooter has.. but this is not captivating content. I bet the people posting these enjoyed the process, and I have no gripe with that... but these are not signs of a vast artistic underground arising from video clip posting apps..

If these are examples of the best out there, then this emperor is overpaying their tailor!

It's only THREE days in!

...and no, these aren't the best our there, just the best 3 from the first 10 I looked at today.

-Michael

 

[Ben Scott]

That link on the last page shows some very poor photographs. With a filter stuck on top.

Obviously it has a place, but that is most certainly not being held up as example of how amateur photographers are getting to be on a par with someone who actually knows what they're doing.