Video on Instagram: This changes everything!

By Chris Katon, June 21, 2013

This morning more than 130 million people around the world woke up to an update alert on their smart phone that may change the future of amateur video’s forever.

Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom have unveiled “Video on Instagram.”

According to Mr. Systrom, the newly configured update allows users of the popular photo-sharing application the ability to produce professional quality video with “Speed, Simplicity and Beauty.”

He explained that Instagram users can now produce short 15-second video’s, edit their work with 13 new custom filters and create a custom cover frame perfect for social media sharing.

The video upgrade also allows for tap-touch editing where the user can shoot multiple clips, then quickly edit content in real time.

Customized filters similar to the popular Instagram photo filters, but new to video, allow users to “turn their video into something special,” he said.

Perhaps the most innovative feature is an upgrade called Cinema, which at the touch of a finger provides cinematic stabilization to eliminate the wobble that traditional home video’s are famous for.

“And we’re really just getting started,” Mr. Zuckerberg said.

During his presentation, Mr. Systrom explained that the Instagram mission is to “Capture and share the world’s moments.”

He explained that since it’s inception in September 2010, 16 billion photographs have been shared on Instagram. He said the active community of 130 million members produces an average of 1 billion “Likes” per day.

“It’s our collective belief that recording the world’s moments should be captured and shared in real-time,” Mr. Systrom said.

His vision is that images are a way to stay connected and that the power of an image transcends language and crosses boundaries.

Mr. Systrom said that the 15-second limit for video was chosen because shorter video constrains creativity, while longer video limits download capacity.

Separating his product from Vine, the new Twitter video-sharing application unveiled in mid-January that provides a six-second video loop, Mr. Systrom said his Video on Instagram plays once, doesn’t loop and provides a seamless integration into Instagram.

This afternoon my daughter Amanda and I tested the new application for ourselves and found that the features were as user-friendly as advertised.

Here is our test video shot this afternoon while feeding apples to the horses at Oldfield Plantation near our home in Bluffton, South Carolina. http://instagram.com/p/a1CYIpMVXf/

Personally, I’ve experimented with every video sharing program from TwitVid to Vine and for what it’s worth, I think Video on Instagram beats them all, hands down.

But don’t take my word for it. Download the upgraded Instagram for yourself, then let me know what you think. Enjoy!