Every time I plan a video, I have to think about it twice. Once horizontally, which is how I want to shoot it, and once vertically, because I also want to put it on Instagram. The lighting, the background, where I sit, how much of the guitar you can see. Then I get to edit two versions. I already disliked vertical video before it gave me extra work.
I want to share my videos on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. But a shot I like horizontally doesn’t necessarily work when I crop it vertically. The background I arranged gets cut out. I have less space to work with the lighting and composition. Even before I start recording, I’m thinking about what will survive in both versions.
I understand why vertical video works on a phone. I just don’t enjoy making it. I prefer a wider image, especially when I’m playing guitar. I want to see the instrument and include some of the background. Those choices are part of what I enjoy about video production, and I’ve been compromising them to accommodate a format I never liked.
Instagram recently announced Features, its new long-form horizontal video format. It’s still being tested with selected users. Fortunately, I already have access, and I’ve uploaded two videos.
I’m more excited about this than I expected. I can shoot horizontally, finish one edit, and share that version across the platforms I use. That means less work, and I get to make the video the way I wanted to in the first place.
I wanted to produce videos because I needed a creative channel of my own. Somewhere I could decide what to make and how to make it, without anyone telling me which subjects to cover or what would get more attention. I’m doing the production myself, so I can follow whatever interests me enough to record.
I’m not planning to monetize it. Engagement has never been the aim. If two people watch a video, then two people watch it. If nobody watches, I’ll still be satisfied that I made something I wanted to make. Of course I’d be happy if more people enjoyed it. I just don’t need that outcome to justify doing it.
I also don’t particularly like the words “content” or “content creator.” I’m comfortable saying I play guitar, make videos, and enjoy producing them. That describes what I actually spend my time doing.
The guitar performances are especially satisfying because they bring several interests into one project. I get to play, work on the guitar sound, and record the audio. Then there’s the camera, lighting, background, and edit. Each part gives me something to learn or try, and I get to decide when I’m happy with the result.
I’ve included one of my performances below.
I want to keep making these alongside the videos where I talk. Being responsible for the whole production is part of the pleasure, even when it takes time. I like adjusting the sound and working out how I want a shot to look. Making a second version for a vertical screen was a task I kept having to account for whenever I considered recording something.
Having horizontal video on Instagram makes that process simpler. I can set up the shot I want, knowing I can use the finished video in more than one place. After uploading two, I’m already thinking about what I want to record next. That’s why this feature matters to me.