Instagram is trying to "pull" the video horizontally

"Standing or lying down?" The discussion on the filming of a video is not recent, but it has gained strength in social networks. On the one hand, there are those who defend the tradition of film, television and even YouTube. On the other hand, there are those who believe in the simplicity of an "idea in the head and a cell phone in hand". In recent weeks, the argument of the second team has grown with the release of IGTV, the Instagram TV application sharing photos and videos.

"We always felt that there was something wrong with watching videos on the cell phone horizontally," said Mike Krieger, co-founder of the app. For ten days in the air, it reverses a tradition of more than a century. "We have both eyes aligned horizontally," says Philippe Barcinski, director of film and television (from the series 19459004) and the novel 19459005 . "Cinema and television have come out: it's something that comforts the viewer."

The tradition continues on the Internet. YouTube, founded in 2005, bet on the format, selling the idea that anyone could have its own channel on the web. But thirteen years and 1.9 billion active users later, "do it yourself" no longer works because the platform has become more sophisticated.

"The videos are very professional." It's no longer about making content uncompromising, about everyday life, as I did before. "

Casual . Instagram is trying to develop its consumption of videos, fueled by the explosion of the use of smartphones in recent years – and one of the key factors that led to the growth of YouTube. "The public sees my videos in bed with the phone, not on TV," says Pedro Rezende, RezendeEvil, who has 17.7 million subscribers on YouTube. Today, most views on the platform are made on mobile devices.

Use the mobile not only to view, but to produce your own videos has also become commonplace. "I've already argued that you could only film horizontally", explains Barcinski. "Today, I only say this if the person has That his video is broadcast on television or in the cinema. "Some are against it. "People do not want to turn the phone," says Luli Radfahrer, a professor at the University of São Paulo (USP). "Vertical video is not an aesthetic proposition, it's a resignation."

IGTV is browsing the success of another Instagram feature dedicated to "vertical" content: Stories, which allows you to post photos and videos up to 15 seconds, which disappear after 24 hours. Invented by Snapchat, this feature has become popular and has given space for shorter, simple and personal videos – on IGTV, however, videos can take up to an hour.

"It's something that the person can look at while doing other things … is simpler," says PC Siqueira, who has been using IGTV since its inception. "When I see a video horizontally, I meaning that I have to concentrate to see it. "

Indirect Line IGTV is still not a direct threat to YouTube for the moment, say the experts. Nor does it see "Instagram TV" as a rival. "Today, we are a great encyclopedia, there is room for other platforms with segmented performance," says Fernanda Cerávolo, director from YouTube to Brazil

Influencers bet that IGTV may be an alternative to the "war" of content producers in YouTube, reducing the barrier of entry for beginners. "IGTV will open the door. opportunity to all those who have never made video, "says Marina Viabone of the Primera Rabisco channel, which wants to record versions of their videos for both platforms.

Osmar Portilho, Josmi channel brings tips to anyone wanting to produce their own content. "My plan is to stay focused on YouTube, but take advantage of IGTV to create exclusive content," he says, who complains about the limitation. "For those who do audio-visual, the vertical recording is terrible." In one of his videos for IGTV, he even comments the feeling of being "pressed on the screen" without being able to gesticulate right.

Bet. For now, the youtubers who produced content for IGTV see the platform as a medium-term investment: they want to attract the attention of the public now to earn money later. This is because IGTV still does not show any ads. "We want it to be something balanced between influencers, us and brands," Krieger said.

The Instagram story shows that it's a real concern: since he's started having ads in the app in 2015, the content of the brands not to deviate from the beautiful photos, full of filters, published there. The result is a different experience than what exists on YouTube, where ads are displayed at the beginning or in the middle of the videos, without any adaptation.

There is still a long way to go before IGTV donates money. Until then, the format debate can change course. "Vertical video makes sense on the cell phone today," says Luiz Peres-Neto, professor of communication at the School of Advertising and Marketing (ESPM). "Maybe in 10 years, this discussion has no relevance, either because the smartphone has become ubiquitous or because it has lost room for a new gadget."

* is a trainee under the direction of journalist Bruno Capelas