Six simple Vine tips

Monday, 22 July 2013

Vine videos are a great way to share breaking news, take your followers where they can’t go, and promote yourself in fun and creative six-second videos. Our own video producer and Vine expert, Ian Padgham (@origiful), offers six quick tips that can help you produce beautiful looping videos of your own.

Here, in Padgham’s own words, is your guide to getting started:

Tip 1: Get a tripod
If you only do one of these tips, make it this one. Using a tripod is the easiest way to improve your videos (especially stop motion). I’m a big fan of JOBY (@JOBYinc ) — their Gorillapod with a swiveling ballhead is awesome. You also may want to get a phone grip that attaches to your tripod. If you can’t get a tripod, be creative. I’ve used books, drift wood, chair legs, and bar ledges to get a steady shot.

Tip 2: Use the ghost feature for stop motion
With the most recent update of Vine, you now have the ability to use a ghost layer when you film. This is extremely useful when doing stop motion, and it can save your video if you accidentally bump something. Just click the little ghost icon in the bottom right corner to see your last scene, which will be lightly overlaid on your current view.

Bonus tip: Want your video to make a smooth loop? Take a screenshot when you start filming so you know where to end your video. Here’s an example:

Tip 3: Take your time, come back as needed
You don’t need to shoot all at once. You can shoot a few seconds, jump over to your Twitter application, lock your phone screen, play Dots, and then come back to finish your Vine video. However, I’d avoid leaving a Vine unfinished for too long –– your phone could randomly clear its cache or shut down, and then you’d lose your masterpiece.

Tip 4: Train your tap
If you are working on a time lapse video, try testing how you tap the phone. It might sound silly, but moisture on your hand will actually cause the phone’s screen to register a longer tap than you intend. But by cleaning your screen with a dry cloth (or your shirt) and making sure you have dry, clean hands, you can easily get 140 taps into one Vine (almost reach 24 frames per second). I’ve also noticed that protective screen covers seem to let you make shorter taps, too. Finally, try to avoid tapping too hard, as this can make phone shake. Delicate little taps, people!

Tip 5: Use earphones with a built in mic for better audio
Plug earphones with a mic into your phone when making a Vine video, and the audio will be a part of the final video. If you have an iPhone you can use the hands-free earbuds with a built in mic, and if you have an Android phone, there are lots of options.

Tip 6: Review before posting
After finishing your Vine video and clicking the check icon, you end up on the share screen. At this point, you can still click back (left facing arrow in the top left corner of the screen) to review your video. You can also close the app and go to your Photo Gallery - a video file of your video will already be saved to your phone. Reviewing before posting is always a smart idea and can help you avoid posting a clip you might want to redo.

Well, that’s about it. I hope you find these tips helpful and I look forward to seeing all the awesomely creative stuff you come up with. Have fun out there!

Cross-posted on the Vine Blog.