The Daily App: Vine Makes a Scene
Vine, dubbed the "Instagram of video," has been on a roller coaster of a ride in its two-week existence -- users flocked to it in droves as controversy over smutty pictures nearly derailed it. A project from rival Twitter, the app lets you share six-second clips, opening up the creative possibilities of social networking. But naughty photos keep popping up, drawing intense criticism. To address the issue, the company added a 17 and older restriction. But the question remains: amid the swirl of buzz, does the video-sharing app live up to the hype?
What's the App?
Vine, a free iOS social app, centers on video, instead of photographs or status updates. The idea is simple: take video, post it and then share it on Twitter. Other services tried to create that Instagram-like magic for video, so what shot Vine to the stratosphere upon its release in January? The difference: its camera feature. Vine has a unique mechanism that makes it easy to create and edit stop-motion animation on the fly, giving your amateur video footage a professional shape and technique. You open the camera within the app, which opens the video display.
But instead of pressing "record" to shoot, you press and hold down the screen and lift your finger to stop. To shoot within the same clip, just press down again. That feature lets you change to a new angle, subject or setting. You can make each "shot" in the clip as long or short as you want, as long as it's within the 6-second limit. The feature makes small in-camera movies and animations possible, without the need for extra video-editing software. As a result, you can make inventive and clever micro-short films, and then upload them to Vine, where a vibrant and creative community is building. Vine works with Twitter and Facebook, and promises to support additional social services soon.
You'll Want It If...
You're a creative person looking to explore the potential of your iPhone. Vine is, simply put, a lot of fun, offering a twist on a feature you took for granted. Once you have your masterpiece, you can join the active community and share videos and swap ideas.
It's Not My Thing -- What Else Ya Got?
Vine is fun and clever, and easy to navigate and use. But the app is still riddled with problems. The clips are short, but the files are much bigger than photos, causing delays or even total loss of your precious animations or mini-movies at times. In addition, some videos areuploaded almost instantly, while others take hours before showing. Fixes to the app make it more reliable, but occasionally it stutters in this respect.
It'd be nice to use previously recorded clips or adjust light, white balance or focus within the camera. You can only use the rear-facing lens as well, limiting the ability to record yourself. And there's no privacy policy either posted within the app, so if you're conscious of your security, you may want to pass. And, of course, there's the issue of naughty bits. Vine's age restriction gives it a cushion, and it also hides NSFW material under warning screens and bans porn-related searches. But Vine can't win this fight.
"Every time there's a human advancement, it is used almost immediately for porn," Daily Show host Jon Stewart noted. "The first words Alexander Graham Bell said after inventing the telephone were, 'Watson, come here. I need you.' But the next ones were, 'My pants are down, bring a mop.'"
Critics should sit Vine out for now -- at least, until the next big thing comes along, and the naked people flock to it. ♦
Categories: Entertainment | The Daily App
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