Ever since Snapchat created the 'My Story' feature I have used the mobile app to create on the fly made up short stories, as well as what most people use the app for which is capturing what they're doing at that moment in their lives. Recently the app allows you to download your story, instead of these great moments disappearing into thin air - which we know isn't entirely true since essentially what gets posted to the internet stays on the internet or in some database somewhere. Just last week Snapchat now allows you to record your videos while the music on your phone continues to play, whereas before if you were listening to music it would stop the music while you hold down the record button. I've wanted this feature for so long and glad it's finally possible to incorporate audio playing from your phone in your Snapchat videos. I took the short film idea a step further when this was made possible and made a little short film titled 'The Unknown' being that I had no idea what kind of story I was going to create, again I was just creating on the fly.
Below is a trailer I made of my Snapchat story I downloaded, and posted it to Instagram to lead more friends to follow me on Snapchat as well.
I've previously wrote about using the in-camera editing technique with 8mm film, Vine, and now the same thing is possible with Snapchat, minus the time limitations that Vine gives you. I think with the capabilities these apps provide, it could help beginning filmmakers learn the basics of filmmaking, or even turn someone onto becoming a filmmaker if they learn to love creating stories to tell their friends in a creative way. However, I know most people aren't using Snapchat "creatively", but for those who are it's interesting to see what the possibilities are for the future of filmmaking.
Personally, I've been using these apps to tell short stories, create highlight videos, or as a trailer to lead people onto seeing the full video (as seen above). For the most part I've been using Instagram to create highlight videos also known as "montage sequences" of family events. Anybody can create a montage these days, especially with apps such as Flipagram, or FlipClip but I believe there's an art to it that most people don't realize. Sure you can upload your photos into these apps, add some music and your on your way to posting your own montage, but to personally create your own montage there's a lot more that goes into to really create a feeling that gets across to the viewer. As an editor I try to lead the eye of the viewer through the choices I make of what clips should go together, where to make the cuts, what transition to create, and most importantly what music to use to drive the montage. For me it's a great exercise to create these short 15 second montage sequences for Instagram, and it's also nice to have these mini-highlight reels of a family event to look back on later on in life. I know a lot of people have old home movies that they never go back and watch, who really has the time? But when you have the capabilites that technology offers you today, and the apps to help showcase these moments, why not take advantage and create these short videos in the most entertaining way possible?
Below is one of my recent highlight videos, if you'd like to watch more follow me on Instagram/Snapchat @RaymondRoman and search under the hashtag #RayRomanVideo for more edited videos.