The Beginner’s Guide to Socialcam
1. Getting Started
First, you'll need to download
Socialcam's mobile app. You can also create an account at
Socialcam.com, but since you'll be using your smartphone to take and
upload videos, you may as well start there.
Once you have the app, registration is simple. You just need to decide how you'd like to sign up: through Facebook, Twitter or email.
If you'd like to get the most social experience out of the platform, you'll probably want to choose Facebook. Don't worry -- you can set privacy controls later.
Once you have the app, registration is simple. You just need to decide how you'd like to sign up: through Facebook, Twitter or email.
If you'd like to get the most social experience out of the platform, you'll probably want to choose Facebook. Don't worry -- you can set privacy controls later.
2. Connect With Others
Right
off the bat, Socialcam suggests users to follow. You can pick and
choose through your personal network and featured users, or you can hit
Follow All for a quick path to engagement.
3. Videos Tab
The Videos tab acts as a sort of news feed, where you can navigate between various tasks.
Sort through your feed of friends' videos, edit your profile, toggle between your social settings and manage general settings.
On your personal profile, you can see your own video feed, who you're following, who's following you, any comments users have left on your video and any tags.
Sort through your feed of friends' videos, edit your profile, toggle between your social settings and manage general settings.
On your personal profile, you can see your own video feed, who you're following, who's following you, any comments users have left on your video and any tags.
4. Popular Tab
The
Popular tab shows videos that have gained traction recently, based on
views and likes. Here you can check out what other Socialcam users are
into.
5. Trends
From the Popular tab, you can also see trending topics, similar to Twitter.
6. Friends Tab
The
Friends tab is pretty self-explanatory. You can view users that you
follow, users that follow you and find friends also using the platform.
7. Find Friends
From
your smartphone, you can invite friends to Socialcam and search for
friends using the app through Facebook, Twitter and a general search
bar.
8. Activity Tab
The
Activity tab acts a lot like Facebook's Activity Log. In the Yours
section, a list accumulates your actions, such as comments, likes and
views. The All section includes the same for the accounts you follow.
9. Camera Mode
If
you tap the red record button, you reach the most important part of
Socialcam: the camera itself. See the next slide for more details on how
to optimize your video.
If you've already recorded a video on your phone and you'd just like to upload it to the app, tap Library to browse for it and select it.
If you've already recorded a video on your phone and you'd just like to upload it to the app, tap Library to browse for it and select it.
10. Touchscreen Commands
Once you access camera mode, use your finger to manipulate the camera in order to create the perfect video.
Swipe your finger left or right to choose a filter, tap a section of the screen to focus, and pinch the screen to zoom in and out.
Swipe your finger left or right to choose a filter, tap a section of the screen to focus, and pinch the screen to zoom in and out.
11. Filters
The
filters Socialcam offers are very Instagram-esque, but they're
obviously geared more toward filming rather than static images.
The available filters are:
And, of course, you can always choose "No Filter."
The available filters are:
- Kodak: Vintage, burnt edges, shifting screen
- Grunge: Gray-washed screen, white streaks
- Watercolor: Reddish tint, water stains near edges, dark splotches
- Action: Very rich color enhancement
- Bokeh: Out-of-focus points of light
- Blueprint: Blue tint, orange-brown splotches
- 1971: Soft edges, bluish-green tint
- Noire: Soft edges, black and white, grainy image
- Bleach: White border, low saturation
- Electronica: Solid colors turn black, edges of objects are highlighted in multiple colors
- Rouge: Black and white, except for red color scheme
- 1970s: Vintage film quality, moving streaks and white spots
And, of course, you can always choose "No Filter."
12. Titling and Privacy Settings
Hit
the record button again to stop filming. Now you can title your project
and decide whether you want it to be available to all Socialcam users,
visible only to your followers or people you share with directly, or
private.
13. Preview
Before you publish your video, you can preview it to make sure it's exactly what you want others to see.
14. Themes and Music
If
you're not satisfied with just a filter, you can also add a theme
(style choices that include opening text) or background music.
Nine available themes:
Nine available themes:
- News: News channel-like banner with your name and video title
- Classic: Similar to the opening titles of films
- Celebrate: Video appears on a postcard/invitation next to party favors
- Journal: Video appears in a phone next to writing journal
- Casual: Video title appears in casual handwriting font
- Travel: Includes date and location in opening shot
- Reporter: Similar to the News theme, your name and video title will appear as if it's being typed onto the screen
- MTV: Video title, your name and date will appear in lower-left corner, as if in a music video
- Ticker: Title, name and date scroll once across the bottom of the screen
- Love: Mellow guitar and background cello
- Street: A mix of strings, drums and vocals leading to a hip-hop feel
- Action: Electronic sounds, drums and fast tempo
- Country: Nylon guitar with a bit of twang
- Deep: A simple piano tune with plenty of minor chords
- March: Parade-style drums and horns, almost with a swing feel
- Wonder: Slow, solemn electric guitar
- Club: Electronic, dance-inducing trance music
- Happy: Drums, guitar and keyboards for a delighted feel
- Breezy: Wind and guitars that sound harp-like and whimsical
- Time: Guitar and soft cymbals reminiscent of '70s acoustic rock
- City: Lots of bass, drums and electronic distortion
- Guitar: Electric guitar rock
- Orchestra: A soft symphony
- Rhythm: Electronic keyboards, drums, soulful vocals
Fifteen available songs:
15. Tagging and Sharing
After you choose a theme, pick a song and hit Save, you're prompted to tag friends in your video (this is optional).
You can also add email addresses to share your video directly, or you can post it on six social networks: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Dropbox, Posterous and Tumblr.
You can also add email addresses to share your video directly, or you can post it on six social networks: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Dropbox, Posterous and Tumblr.
16. Editing After Going Live
If
you'd like to make a few changes after you've already published your
video to your feed, not to worry. You can change the title, alter the
privacy settings or delete the video altogether.
In the same menu, you can also vote for your video to make it to the Popular tab, though it will require more votes to actually make it there.
In the same menu, you can also vote for your video to make it to the Popular tab, though it will require more votes to actually make it there.
17. General Settings
In
the Settings menu, you can change your account settings (profile
picture, name, email, etc.), social settings (showing your actions on
Facebook or Twitter) and push notifications.
This is also where you can change your overall privacy settings. You can manually approve follow requests, ask the platform to automatically approve Facebook friends or automatically accept all followers.
To automatically share your videos to the six available sites, configure your accounts in this menu, too.
Last but not least, your videos will automatically save onto your phone's internal memory. You can turn that feature off in Settings.
This is also where you can change your overall privacy settings. You can manually approve follow requests, ask the platform to automatically approve Facebook friends or automatically accept all followers.
To automatically share your videos to the six available sites, configure your accounts in this menu, too.
Last but not least, your videos will automatically save onto your phone's internal memory. You can turn that feature off in Settings.
18. Featured Bio
If you get seven of your friends to sign up for a Socialcam account and integrate Facebook, you can get a featured bio.
Featured bios are short descriptions that appear under usernames and on profiles, and they're usually reserved for featured users.
Featured bios are short descriptions that appear under usernames and on profiles, and they're usually reserved for featured users.
19. Facebook on the Web
When
you completely integrate Socialcam with your Facebook account, you'll
be able to see videos from the users you follow in your Facebook news
feed, alongside your friends' other updates.
20. Socialcam on the Web
The
web counterpart to the Socialcam app allows you to view videos on a
bigger screen, though you can't upload your own videos directly through
the site. You can also access your feed, popular videos and general
settings.
One of the more interesting things the site version offers that the app doesn't is the Leaderboard. Here, you can view the most-followed users and brands using Socialcam.
One of the more interesting things the site version offers that the app doesn't is the Leaderboard. Here, you can view the most-followed users and brands using Socialcam.
To participate in the digital age requires a certain kind of visual thinking. Whether creating a snazzy website layout, capturing artsy pics with Instagram or even choosing the perfect Facebook cover photo, interesting images and videos enhance social engagement .
Social video sharing platforms, such as YouTube, Viddy and Socialcam, have recognized (and propagated) this shift away from plain text. Users can express their personalities and interests in videos and share them with friends and followers.
Socialcam has specifically worked to streamline mobile video sharing. Spun from Justin.tv in March 2011, the quick and easy platform allows you to upload and customize videos that you capture with your smartphone (iPhone and Android). Plus, it doesn’t have a time limit like Viddy’s 15-second cap. You can add filters, themes and music, and it’s simple to integrate your multiple social media accounts.
Autodesk, a company known for its 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, bought Socialcam earlier in July for $60 million, thus acquiring its 54.7 million monthly active users.
If you’re looking to see what all the buzz is about, we put together a simple guide in the gallery above, outlining everything you need to know. All you’ll need is your smartphone and some creativity.
Note: Socialcam’s Android app hasn’t been updated for about a year. The iPhone and Android apps vary as far as layout goes, but the functions are similar. The user experience is much smoother for iPhone users.
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