With its June 20th release, Instagram’s video feature has been out for about a week and a half now. But timelines are still flooded with statistics, analysis, and opinions on the new competition between Twitter’s video sharing platform Vine and Instagram’s new cinematic video features. I’m all for the conversation around what we can do with all these new tools we have at our fingertips – because quite frankly, my inner tech geekdom gets flooded with excitement. But it was clear by the RIP Vine memes that circulated the interwebs the day of the Instagram Video release that we’ve put the two very different platforms head to head for an all out brawl. But let’s put our gun fingers away for a moment and look at these two platforms to understand why the conversation should be about video and not brand superiority.

As a photo-sharing mobile application, Instagram revolutionized our native form of online communication from text to image. Now, Instagram Video gives us more opportunity to show our audience the way we see the world from a creative perspective. Users are clearly concerned with how Instagram has collectively forced rose-colored glasses over all of our eyes and encouraging a lack of authenticity. And yes, that lack of consciousness is happening but Instagram pre-video allowed us to define and bolster our point of view through filtered images that became an extension of our identity. Now adding video with stabilization and the cinema feature that add seamless transitioning to our 15 second videos – this is the next frontier for our creatives. This is our chance to change the medium of conversation and begin communicating through the moving image. I’d like to see lots of short film, storytelling and more meaningful, highly shareable content and the decline of the glorification of superficiality and false realities.

This is our chance to change the medium of conversation and begin communicating through the moving image.

I love Vine, but let’s be clear – it’s a very new platform with less than 6 months since it’s launch. But within that time, we saw the birth of excellent, DIY stop motion, an inbred culture/behavior that is specific to the platform, skit scripting and everyone having the ability to share their diary via video. It’ll be interesting to see where it will grow and meander in the mobile video space. Props are given, where props are deserved, and yes Vine was the first successful video sharing platform. (Because there was Viddy before Vine) It fills a void and caters to a Gen-Y audience that loves broadcast the intricacies of their everyday lives and I’m all about over sharing. Its a platform that forces you to be transparent, with no filters, no focus and just six seconds to make your point. The functions and features as they stand now, require the user to get comfortable with video sharing and the beauty of imperfection.

Now, on the subject of Instagram Video v. Vine: they are two very separate platforms with two entirely different purposes, end product and psychology of user’s intent. We can’t expect that because a new function and/or tool has emerged into the market that we are going to have the same experience on each. They are two separate platforms, cut from two different cloths but utilize the same medium of video. Now, if we shift our attention away from the allure of buzzworthy, tech competition – it is clear that it’s video that we need to tackle, understand and experiment with. As creatures of this digital age, we need not champion any mindless dismissal of the technological and social change. The change of dialect, platforms, social behavior and engagement is not only inevitable but is necessary for growth. Instead, we should embrace it all, see where it can take us collectively, then work tirelessly on making it work for you.

I’ve always believed that when a new platform emerges, you have to be active, experiment and create what you wish to see produced. What are you creating on Vine and on Instagram Video? I’d love for you to chime in to this discussion and share your videos, too!

Resources:
Instagram Video May Be Strangling Vine Now, But This Fight Is Far From Over | Read Write
Is Instagram Video the Result of De’Vine Intervention? | Brian Solis
Instagram Video and the Death of Fantasy | Bit Blog, NYT