Instagram Reels: step-by-step tutorial (2)
Laia Ordoñez
26/01/2021
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We published this Instagram Reels tutorial from scratch now that we have analyzed what it is, its virtues and strategic uses in eCommerce.
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Instagram Reels Tutorial
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Actually, using the tool is not very complicated. The challenge (and never better said) is to understand the language, be creative and see if Instagram can really gain a more mature user profile than its competitor TikTok.Even so, it should be noted that Reels has many options that, with time and a little practice, will make you perfect the level of your videos a little more and more.
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#1 – Access Reel Mode
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Where is this option? Well, where all Instagram posts are now: in the "+" symbol at the top of the screen.Once in, you have to look for the Reels format by scrolling the bottom past posts, stories and, thirdly, you will find the Reels option.
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Another even faster way to access is to simply swipe the screen to the right as if we were going to create a story, but then choose the corresponding option.
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#2 – Select video duration
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The menu appears with a series of white icons on the left side of the app. The first one allows you to choose the duration of the video moving between 15 and 30 seconds maximum. Simply tap it to select.
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#3 – Choose music and audio
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The next icon in the menu is music. Clicking on it opens a screen that allows us to select one of the recommended songs or use the search engine to find a specific one.
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The songs are complete, but as we can only place a few seconds, Instagram Reels allows us to search within the song the 15 or 30 that best fit our creativity. In some cases, the lyrics of the song are available and that will help you to better match video and audio.
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As a somewhat advanced option worth mentioning, we have the possibility of including two audio channels. This means that we do not have to choose between recording an audio or playing a song in the background, we even have the possibility to play with the volume of one and the other to make it well balanced.Record your audio clip with its background sound, select the song you want to play in the background and then click on the white arrow icon pointing to the right that appears next to the record button. In this way, you will enter into the editing of some aspects such as those given in Stories (add texts, freehand drawing...).Click on the scrollers icon, between the stickers and the microphone icon. You will then access this screen with two vertical bars for you to make the corresponding adjustment.
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Let's talk about the voice-over recording option. Remember the microphone icon we just told you about? Well, you can use it to add a third audio channel. We will have the background sound, the music and even this voice-over that works as that of a narrator.
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#4 – Recording speed
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The next option refers to the recording speed of the video. We can record at a normal pace to achieve a natural effect or, if we prefer, play with slow or fast motion.
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In total we have 5 speeds: two slow and two accelerated levels in addition to the standard one.
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#5 – Add effects
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You have plenty of Instagram's own and community-generated effects to choose from. Just tap on the smiley face icon and it will activate a menu at the bottom that scrolls horizontally. Be prepared to browse for a while, because there is plenty to choose from and you can see how they work in real time.
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This is one of the most fun parts, but as with Stories, it is best not to go overuse.
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#6 – Now you can record
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Actually, there is an additional option: the timer option, which allows you to set the exact time you want to record.
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When you click on the record button it starts recording your video, while you see a small progress bar at the top and the chosen music plays.If you prefer not to be permanently pressing the button, you can also give it a single tap and let it record continuously. This is useful when you will not be using multiple clips.
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If we lift our finger from the record button or the programmed time runs out, the video stops and a new option appears in the menu: the alignment option.Basically what it does is to show us the last recorded frame as a layer above the video, with a lower opacity. In this way, we can resume recording at the same point without any transition being visible.
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#7 – …and edit
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One last review and you are ready to upload. Simply look at all the recorded clips and, if necessary, rearrange them on the timeline by moving or cutting what you need to get the video exactly as you want it.As editing is very juicy and there are quite a few advanced options to discuss, let's write a third full post to all this before hitting the publish button.
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Did you like what you have seen so far of this step-by-step Instagram Reels tutorial? It is not very complicated, is it? Well, do not miss the next part to become a real Pro.
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Images | Unsplash, Instagram.