Introduce your video work in relation to responding to the conceptual brief and the guidelines on form.
In response to the prompt “Space and time for contemplation beyond our everyday life”, I decided to capture wild kangaroos in their natural habitat. I thought this would be an interesting response to the prompt because kangaroos are not seen everyday. I believe they are an element of life that can be classified as “beyond everyday life”. The aspect of space and time for contemplation is present when an individual is able to observe the kangaroos in their natural environment. Therefore, this is allowing individuals to experience space and time for contemplation beyond everyday life.
In regards to form of this video piece, I first made an Instagram carousel of photos. I then was able to turn this into a time-based media file. To achieve this, I used the app ‘SwipeMix’. I have uploaded both the carousel and the animated carousel to Instagram to demonstrate my attempt at both forms.
What did you learn from the authoring and publishing process?
I took all the photos used in this project with my Canon G7X camera. I used this camera because I needed to be able to use the zoom feature, whilst still maintaining a relatively good quality photo. I was a considerable distance away from the kangaroos and I struggled to capture photos of the kangaroos in positions where they were able to be easily seen. These are due to some factors out of my control such as the kangaroos being slightly camouflaged with their environment and their position in their environment. However, I moved around to the extent that I was able to, to capture the best angles.
Previous to this task, I had never heard the term ‘Instagram Carousel’. I was aware of the multiple images feature on Instagram but I had never attempted at making a photo sequence that flowed throughout these slides. I found this task to be a bit of a challenge, as I didn’t really know where to begin. However, I did some research online and found that Adobe Illustrator and Canva were able to be used to produce detailed carousels. Although, I still was unsure on how to ‘animate’ these. As I was not familiar with these softwares, time bound, and coming to terms with the idea of an Instagram carousel, I was determined to find another way to produce my carousel.
I came across the app ‘SwipeMix’ which provided me with templates for a carousel where I was able to upload my photos and position them in a way I chose. At the end of this process, I found that on the exportation screen there was an option to save this file as a video. As a result, I was able to create a regular Instagram carousel as well as an animated carousel (time-based media production). I then uploaded both to Instagram for the purposes of learning how each upload looked and worked on Instagram. The video automatically plays and scrolls across the photos.
What went well?
I was happy with the photos I was able to capture and their quality considering I required the use of the zoom feature.
The use of the app ‘SwipeMix’ allowed me to create an animated Instagram carousel; despite my doubts in my ability to achieve this and unfamiliarity with the concept.
I believe I was able to achieve the requirement of this task. I am quite satisfied with the end product, considering this was my first attempt at creating something like this.
What did not go well?
By using the app ‘SwipeMix’, I was limited to what I could create with my carousel. This is because the app provides you with a variety of templates to choose from. Majority of these are paid templates, however there are a few that are free which I was able to use. As I was grasping the concept of an ‘Instagram Carousel’, I was not confident with my ability to create a carousel. As a result of this, I was limited to what I could produce because I didn’t have any prior knowledge to bring to this task.
When saving the carousel to my phone, the carousel images saved in a random order. This meant that when uploading them to Instagram, I had to pay close attention to how each photo went into the next. I ensured that the carousel flowed. I believe this could have been prevented if I had created the carousel myself from scratch using a more detailed software.
I’m not overly keen on the way majority of the photos don’t flow from one square to the next. I would have preferred the carousel to allow half of 2 photos on one screen, which allows the rest of the photo to be shown as you swipe. I believe this feature of a carousel is what people find interesting about a carousel and it makes them wonder how to achieve this effect. In saying this, the last 2 slides of my carousel achieve this, as the last image carries across from the second last slide to the last slide.
What could you do better?
In the future, I would like to look into creating carousels using more detailed software such as Adobe Illustrator or Canva. I did not attempt to use these softwares for this assignment because I was time bound. I had a look at some tutorials on Youtube and I felt I needed an extended amount of time to use these videos in conjunction with the software to familiarise myself. As well as teach myself the features of the software and how to create this specific media. I believe using these softwares would allow me to create a more detailed carousel. As well as a carousel that would be more appealing to the audience and allow the content to create brand awareness by its content.
Respond to the studio prompt question ‘How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way video content is authored?‘ What insights can you add in response to this question?
The feature of an Instagram carousel is not one that is obvious to general users of the platform. An Instagram carousel could be seen as a creative way to present a series of images to an audience. Therefore, the affordances of Instagram allow for a carousel to be made. However, the affordances of the platform do not allow the carousel to be intuitively produced by an individual, due to the design in the software.
Because of this, an Instagram carousel is more of a creative way of utilising the Instagram software, rather than Instagram guiding the users. Therefore, this turns the audience into a ‘prosumer’; meaning the audience is able to consume content from Instagram as well as create (produce) their own. The content is an Instagram carousel can be seen as a creative method of authoring video content, to further engage audiences. It brings an aesthetic feature to one’s Instagram account.
References
2019. Creative Instagram Carousel Tutorial.
Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvSICN03N6E&t=515s> [Accessed 19 August 2020].
Mura, J., 2019. How To Make INSTAGRAM CAROUSELS – Illustrator Tutorial 2020.
Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9xPYMAfK2I&t=1258s> [Accessed 19 August 2020].