Vervid – the App that Supports Vertical Video!
Watching videos is a pastime for many but it annoying when users turn the phone lengthwise and then try to upload the same on YouTube? Well, you are bound to feel shit.
The ubiquitous advice for all types of smartphone users is to turn your phone horizontally and film videos. Vervid video though does not believe this. Many people grumble and sigh when they forget to turn their phones to landscape mode. So Vervid helps users to deliver video at a 9:16 aspect ratio thus letting newbie users to film their way to freedom.
Snapchat is also trying out the vertical format through Discover’s default format. The vertical ads get nine times full views than the horizontal ones according to Snapchat representatives.
Vervid is also planning to introduce “Bursts,” which would be 8-second videos that users can shoot to stand in for profile pics playing with a single tap. Also, they will apply to comments and notifications along with smart alerts. Bursts will be part of Apple Watch as independent notification too.
In recent years, consumer behaviours have changed with respect to mobile devices and these videos are sure to be capitalizing in the changing trends.
Preference for Horizontal Videos
According to many assertions, the preference has been predominantly horizontal while video shooting because of the dimensions of television and movie screens. Our eyes are known to allow broad horizontal field of view rather than vertical dimensions. But since small-screened phones are held closely to faces and hence the traditional orientation preferences are irrelevant.
John Whaley, CEO of Vervid stated that phones are mostly held vertically 90 percent of the time. He also mentions that Vine used a square aspect ratio to exploit that. Whaley is an Industrial Designer and Human Factors Researcher with product design patents.
According to the creators, landscape video is here to stay and both formats will enjoy a good user base. Those looking to increase video views on mobile, most analysts believe that vertical videos have a better opportunity.
Increasing Popularity of Vertical Videos
- The popularity of apps including Snapchat or Periscope has increased the number of mobile video viewers and with vertical videos in Vervid, here is an app that can be ‘the YouTube of vertical videos’.
- Vertical video is now fast becoming a format that most media outlets would love to have on mobile.
- Filming vertically, and generally holding phones in a vertical manner is a “mass behaviour” according to the maker of the app. He also says that this orientation is preferred by the young selfie generation who are always clicking their way to capture their best moments in film.
- Whaley and his team have an app now for a space that is designed exclusively around vertical video, wherein Instagram or Vine preferred square dimensions of video.
Vervid – The Required Push
Vertical video has received a lot of attention amidst app makers who would like to explore such videos and have already implemented the same for mobile.
The platforms are required to evolve and with Vervid, here is the first investment that will exploit the benefits of shooting video vertically. Most people shoot video with the native camera rather than a third-party app and hence Vervid will pick up videos straight from the camera roll.
There is a built-in editor within the app that is specially designed for the vertical aspect ratio. Users can stitch short clips and even upload a final video of about 5 minutes on Vervid.
The app will be available on iOS, an Android version is on the cards along with an Apple Watch app. With Vervid, vertical videos will feature in a mobile-first platform.
Dhruvil is a Writer & Marketeer for Nimblechapps, joined in December 2014, based out of Sydney, Australia. He has worked briefly as a Branding and Digital Marketing Manager before moving to Australia. At Nimblechapps, he worked on Social Media Marketing, Branding, Email Marketing and Blogging. Dhruvil studies Business at University of Western Sydney, and also handles Operations for the company in Australia.