In the last few weeks I've been playing around with my Instagram Stories. Instead of filming just my ducks being released in the morning in one fifteen second clip, or perhaps just my chickens, or just the dog, I'll create a montage of clips that equal fifteen seconds, overlaying the clips with music.
Instagram Stories, if you didn't know, are photos or video clips that you can add to your Instagram account. It is separate to your main feed of photographs. Like Snapchat, the Stories disappear after twenty-four hours.
Many Instagrammers, like myself, have enjoyed using the Stories function to chat to our audience, to show more about our day; the behind the scenes 'action' if you like. When Wincey the chicken became broody and sat on some fertile duck eggs which eventually hatched I shared the entire process on Instagram Stories rather than my main feed which is styled. Stories allowed me to be more 'in the moment' rather than spending hours setting up a shot or styling a flat lay.
But now, instead of just uploading the clips I've taken once I'm back in the land of wifi, I do something a little more creative with it and create a video montage.
So the question must be - why would I spend so much time on something that'll be deleted in 24 hours?
I can think of at least six answers to that:
1. I love, love, love the creativity. I love the fact I am thinking about how to tell the story of my day and all the elements behind it.
What is my mood that day? What emotions am I trying to portray? I recently shared a picture of me closing the car door and opening the front door after the rush of the morning school run - then slowing down by capturing the ducks' wings flapping in slow motion, a falling leaf and a much needed coffee being made.
2. I love the freedom. There is only so much scrutinising of and pandering to one app I can do. Instagram has taken up far too much of my brain space for far too long since the changes in the algorithm. Why is my picture doing really well one day and bombing the next? Which hashtags should I use? Do I put the hashtags in the main comment or in one below? How do I get on the explore page?
Well I say sod all of that. I am a creative. Not a technology analyst. I'm just going to create. To learn a new skill. And then share it.
3. It's for me. It means my morning gets off to a good start. This makes me feel good and more productive for the rest of the day. Instead of scrolling aimlessly through social media and feeling soul sapped by the end of it - I have a purpose. It takes me between 30-60 minutes to create and upload. Basically the same amount of time I could lose to Twitter. But now I have something to show for it and to look back on. Even though it only lasts for 24 hours on Instagram Stories I obviously still keep the original.
I can see how I'm getting better over time, or trying new things. I can see what worked and what didn't. I can experiment with, say, 45 seconds of film and dividing it up into three 15 second clips. I can try different music.
4. I am learning the different elements of video editing. You get better with practice. Simple.
5. It makes me slow down and look around me to see what story I want to share that day.
It's still rough and ready video photography. It's all taken (vertically) with my iPhone not a camera and I'm not spending ages setting up scenes as I would for my main Instagram feed. I'm just filming what is happening during my day. And that in itself is a challenge as my day often involves the same elements. School run, writing, chickens, ducks and walking the dog. How can I vary this story every day?
6. I like to share my country lifestyle with other people. And I know, from my direct messages, that my slice of country life is something other people love to see. (And if you're one of those people who have sent me a DM, thank you!)
This film below is three of my Instagram Stories. The first one is just 15 seconds long and was my very first montage. The other two are 45 seconds long each which I divided up into 15 second clips in iMovie before exporting each one into Instagram.
I've had a few questions in my messages about how I create these montages - so I might create a tutorial very soon. If you have any questions then let me know.
