Photo courtesy of Souvik Banerjee on Unsplash.
This piece details my editing journey on Instagram from the types of editing I’ve dabbled in and how Instagram has impacted my life and identity.
by Jessica Welner
Digital technology has taken over our world for several years now and it continues to evolve over time. In the age of social media, we have all liked, shared, and commented on a post. Social media is the place where many of us escape to for entertainment, comfort, and even creativity. Instagram is a major social media platform that encourages freedom of expression. I want to discuss my use of Instagram on the daily for creative purposes and my connections to Glynda A. Hull and Mira-Lisa Katz’s Crafting an Agentive Self: Case Studies of Digital Storytelling.
The Beginning of my Editing Journey
Initially, I started using Instagram for editing in 2017. It all began with a fan account that I dedicated to the popular Netflix show, Stranger Things. I discovered filters, tons of fonts, and apps I never heard of earlier. As for my edits, I began by making scene edits. Scene edits are just images from the show. Then, I filter those images, place them in a collage, and add dialogue (as you can see in figure 1). I still make these types of edits for that account, @stsposts. They are a great way to connect with people in the community.
The Art of Graphic Editing
In 2018, I discovered the graphic editing community on Instagram and created my own account, @reinhvrts (now called @vibrcncy). Graphic edits are just digital art of a film, tv show, celebrity, or anything really. Graphic edits involve meticulous detail and dedication. Graphic edits start with images from a film, TV show, or a celebrity. Next, the images get filtered and cut out to be placed on a panel. A panel is just one section of a graphic edit. There are graphic editors who apply textures and overlays. I do not because I like the effect a photo gives as a texture or background. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my edits in general. I want to be proud of what I produce.
Graphics, for me, are an incredible way to experiment with various styles. My style continues to evolve over time and changes after each graphic edit I make. It is remarkable what I can do with apps on my mobile device with a TV show, film or a celebrity.
Further Exploration into Photo Editing
Likewise, I started my fan account, @rvdeffect, for the CW show, Riverdale. I made edits similar to the ones I make for my Stranger Things fan account. As I kept experimenting with different photo editing styles, I enjoyed making edits that had a lot of detail (as you can see in figure 3). I liked combining serif fonts with cursive fonts. I also enjoyed using serif fonts in all caps and experimented using color.
This year I decided to rebrand and change my account into a multifandom account. Multifandom just means that I can edit whatever films or TV shows I want, not just Riverdale. I changed the username to @cosmicvcid and started posting edits from all kinds of films and TV shows. At the moment, I am taking a break from photo editing and focusing more on graphics and video editing.
Video Editing: A New Era in the Making
Video editing is something I recently started getting into. When I create video edits, I work with moving images not still images. I find it more satisfying because I get to watch scenes from my favorite films and TV shows. In a similar fashion, it is gratifying to see the end product that was originally multiple drafts. As for apps, I use InShot and Video Star to make the edits and add audio.
I spend time changing the pitch and speed of the audio in Video Star because I do not want to get copyrighted on Instagram. Instagram will remove videos if they use certain songs that are against their guidelines. I change the pitch so I do not get my videos removed. Thus, the song becomes unidentifiable for Instagram so they cannot remove the video. On another note, I mainly use InShot to combine the video clips together, split and delete the clips I do not need, add my watermark and other text or png images (as you can see in figure 4), and add the audio I create in Video Star. I re-watch my edits to make sure everything looks good and that there are no mistakes.
I discovered this type of video editing on a whim and named my account @eclecticfilms_. I just take scenes of characters, couples, or the cinematography of a TV show or film and make an edit out of that. I also use clips from interviews and such to make edits of celebrities. For me, video editing is exciting because it is something new but it is nostalgic to look back and reflect on the progress I have made. This goes for my photo and graphic edits as well.
How Instagram Has Impacted My Life and Identity
Instagram has introduced me to the apps I use almost every day. It has become a digital home for me. The different communities that exist on the platform welcomed me with open arms and immediately allowed me to share my creativity with the world. I will be forever grateful that I have the ability to express myself so instantly and that I have met so many incredibly talented people along the way. It has become a place for me to escape my surroundings and dive into a world of digital art. Instagram has impacted my identity by allowing me to find myself through freedom of self-expression as well as discovering parts of myself that I did not know existed beforehand. It has made me self-aware of my creative abilities and my ability to connect with other creators.
Consequences On My Life And Identity
As much as I am grateful for the digital technology I immerse myself in on the daily, there are some consequences it has had on my life and identity. For starters, Instagram has become a massive distraction for me. There are times when I do not get things done when I need to or it takes me away from time with my family and friends. Comparably, seeing other editors’ work can lower my self-esteem in some cases. When I go on my numerous accounts, the first thing I see a home page full of edits made by other talented editors.
Moreover, the editing community is not a kind place sometimes. I have run into people who message me and call me names or tell me I am not talented enough. There are also accounts that repost edits. Most of them do not give credit. What I mean is that they do not tag the account in the post and/or caption who made the edit. This happens to me way too much and it drives me crazy. It makes me wonder why they do not tag me. Do they know it is my edit and I do not deserve the credit for it? Did they forget to tag me?
Additionally, there are people who steal edits. I have had my edits stolen. This hurts me because I spend hours on my edits just for someone to take a screenshot of my edit, put their watermark over mine, and claim it as their own. My self-esteem goes down and my anxiety levels go up.
Connections to Hull & Katz
Hull & Katz’s piece, Crafting an Agentive Self: Case Studies of Digital Storytelling, reflects on two upcoming writers, one who is a young adult and one who is a child. Their names are Randy and Dara. They both use digital technology in different ways as we all do. Randy uses digital technology for his music while Dara uses it to reflect on her identity. The studies completed on Randy and Dara demonstrate how digital technology can be used to foster social relationships and give an individual the opportunity to express themselves by various means. I relate to them because I use my editing as a way to express myself through television, film, and celebrities. It brings me a sense of happiness and entertains me when I need it the most.
Hull & Katz met Randy while at the community technology center, DUSTY. He gained an interest in multimedia and digital technology. The combination of “interested colleagues, cutting-edge technological resources, and enlivening social practices associated with writing, poetry, digital media, and the sharing of digital products with others” awakened “his sense of motivation and purpose in ways that resulted in rich learning, creativity, and enactments of self, despite his positioning within challenging economic and social worlds” (52). This engagement with digital media stimulated a passion for something he did not engage with before.
Hull & Katz explain that “Randy viewed the opportunity to be involved with digital storytelling as a path for change, literally a life-saving change…” (53). Randy lived in a dangerous neighborhood in Oakland and he wanted to do something that could make a positive change in his life. Randy’s specialty is storytelling though the art of music. I relate to Randy’s passion for songwriting. I have the same passion for editing. It is something that brings me joy and inner peace.
Next, the authors talk about 13-year-old Dara. Dara is concerned about her identity, who she is and she wants to become. She wanted to belong in a community. She used digital technology to visually display her thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Digital technology was an outlet for her to express herself in ways that words could not for her.
Overall, my connection to Randy and Dara is the passion for creating through digital technology. I relate to Randy’s passion for what he produces and Dara’s journey in finding her self-identity.
Time to Wrap It Up
In the end, Instagram can be used for creativity and self-expression. My use of the social media platform entails my involvement with multiple editing communities and my contribution to those communities. The beginning of my journey started with a fan account for Stranger Things and now I am taking on video editing of various subjects. There is no expiration on one’s imagination, it just depends on how one utilizes their creative juices. I use mine to share my love for film, television, and celebrities. How will you use your creative juices?
