imDown: Redefining video storytelling for Gen X

This is mobile-first world. Be it company or the content, it has to have mobility factor to stand apart from the crowd. However, with all sorts of content blasting through mobile avenues presently, it's obvious to ask, are we fast approaching the saturation point? The answer is a big No. Mobile viewers will be clicking and engaging with all sorts of content, from cat videos to inbound marketing podcasts in the coming years.

The reigning king, however, is video. According to Cisco’s ‘15 Mobile Forecast, mobile video accounted for 55% of mobile data usage and the numbers are increasing year by year. Higher usages are aided by higher standards. There is demand for better content and better ways for effective screening of that content.

LA-based imDown, is a mobile-first media company focused on changing video storytelling for the next generation by creating tools to make mobile friendly videos, and a place for that content to thrive.imDown realized early on that if we hold our phones vertically, 90% of the time, then evidently that’s the default comfortable position for many people. It’s annoying to rotate your phone, which is why people don’t do it.

LA-based imDown, is a mobile-first media company focused on changing video storytelling for the next generation by creating tools to make mobile friendly videos, and a place for that content to thrive.imDown realized early on that if we hold our phones vertically, 90% of the time, then evidently that’s the default comfortable position for many people. It’s annoying to rotate your phone, which is why people don’t do it.

For Jose Llorens, CEO & founder of imDown, when viewing a video on a mobile device, it shouldn’t be only 20% of your screen in a small box. It should be full-screen, captivating recording that provides a more engaging experience with 100% of the screen. It was hearing stuff like, “I hate black bars when watching videos” or “I never really turn my phone to watch a video”, from people that helpedimDownevolved into a mobile-first media company focused on changing video storytelling by embracing vertical, full-screen content.

“imDown is a simple and easy way to create mobile-friendly videos. We allow users to focus only on what they want viewers to see throughout the video. Choose the points of interest in a video by sliding the frame, and change positions as you go. This is what defines responsive video design, which is a method of video design that is focused on providing an optimal user experience while watching a video. Video creators achieve this by creating mobile-friendly versions of their videos,” Jose says.

FSV (Full screen vertical) video

FSV (Full screen vertical) video is a significant part of the evolution of video screens today and is expected to become a prominent format for all content creators who want to capture the attention of both desktop and mobile viewers by delivering video formats according to the device the content is being consumed on.

Jose says, responsive video design will become the standard for videos, and as it becomes the rule rather than the exception, mobile-first approaches to video design such as shooting in FSV (full-screen, vertical) format will surely grow in popularity, and imDown will become the place for that content to live.

This however will take some time before video producers and creators start adapting and filming in new aspect ratios specifically for mobile. Also, there is an important distinction between FSV videos and responsive video. FSV video refers to the way the video story is captured while being shot. Filming in FSV format requires a creator to have these aspect ratios in mind from the minute they start filming. This format differs from responsive video that involves simply transforming already existing video content into a mobile friendly version.

Youtube’s bad mobile experience

Jose cites Youtube as an example of “bad mobile experience”. He says that when YouTubedeveloped an app and made the transition to mobile, it“didn’t take a mobile-first approach to their app, and simply didn’t think about an optimal user experience for viewers. Storytellers and creators always think to themselves, “How can I provide a more immersive and engaging experience to my viewers?” YouTube should’ve thought the same way.”

A vast chunk of viewers never turn their phones and instead watch tiny video in the middle of their screens with huge black bars above and below it. “Traditional landscape video isn’t meant to be consumed on mobile devices. It’s a broken experience, and they need to focus on enhancing it for viewers in order to keep them engaged and grab their attention. This has created an opportunity for us to create a mobile-first video platform that is not only truly immersive, but is also fun to use,” he adds.

VR and AR will take time

The team at imDown is presently focusing on bringing awareness around responsive and FSV video to the industry by providing fun products and services to make video content responsive. imDown chose video medium over VR and AR because Jose feels it can have more of a global impact on mobile experiences to people around the world right now because of the amount of existing content and the trends in how people are creating and viewing content on mobile.

“VR and AR will take a lot longer to become mainstream because of the lack of content to consume, the cost of the devices, and the friction there will be in creating that content. There are people in this world who are just getting an iPhone for the first time, and it’s the first television they’ve ever had. Imagine being able to change that person’s experience when they watch their first video to be just a bit more enjoyable,” he adds.