At the risk of sounding like a one of those plastic goons who turn to the camera in an advert all wide-eyed and excited about a new product, “Vine! Everyone’s doing it!”
Yes, after Instagram or Pinterest, even I, an avid user of social media platforms didn’t think there was enough room for another tech obsession but Vine has squeezed into my digital life. From the makers of Twitter, Vine is essentially a video version of Instagram. Each Vine video can last for six seconds and loops like an animated GIF does.
Like most social media networks, it sounds nothing special on paper but like all the good things in life, it’s the people and what they do within those limitations that make it captivating. What gives Vine a scope beyond a mere six second look into the lives of others is the clever use of self-editing. A user must press the screen on their phone until the Vine hits its maximum duration meaning, the platform can be used to create little short stories through narration.
That rudimentary editing ability was exploited by Adam Goldberg (an actor/director known for his roles in Friends and Saving Private Ryan) who makes short horror movies which are both jarring and inventive. Goldberg has already been named the King of Vine but the platform is only two months old and he current has 35,000 followers, nothing compared to Twitter’s celebrity average of millions.
Goldberg’s early adoption shows what creative minds can use it for. Of course, the rest of us can be perfectly content to post Vines of pets, children and what’s outside the window but Vine’s curated “Explore” section encourages you to do more with hashtags like #remakes, #favthings, #vineportraits and #magic featuring clever videos. The more you use Vine, the more it feels that’s why your phone has a video feature.
Vine is available on iOs with other platforms launching soon.
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