Tap that App: VUE Video Editor
By Jocelyn Richards
Tap That App is a monthly segment where we feature an app our editors think is cool.
Posting photos on WeChat and Instagram is cool, but if you really want friends back home to live vicariously through your awesome experiences abroad, you can’t keep sharing stationary selfies. No, your pics have to move – or at least offer 360-degree views (see our review of the Camorama).
Enter VUE: the video editing and movie making app that lets you shoot footage and create video montages between 6 and 60 seconds on your smartphone. You can also spruce up old videos saved on your phone by adding background music, filters and stickers. Check out an example below:
https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=t0374glwcw8&width=500&height=375&auto=0
Even if you don’t plan on posting footage of your live 10-second bungee jump at Baiyun Mountain to social media, VUE can make you feel a little more like Peter Jackson, and that’s never a bad thing.
Available for free on Google Play and the Apple Store in both English and Mandarin, the app is simple to master and makes even a mundane shot of the floor in your office look like a scene from a disturbed indie drama (we tried it), so you really can’t go wrong.
Start by selecting the shape of your frame (full screen vertical video, square, widescreen, etc.) and then choosing a filter from a list of names like ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.’ You can decide how many shots to take (1-6) and the total duration of your video. Next, pick your subject(s) and start filming!
Polish your work by adding in transitions (fade, dissolve) between shots, subtitles, stickers (please don't) and background music (‘cinematic’ is our favorite). VUE lets you access your iTunes music as well, in case you don’t like the generic but surprisingly tasteful jingles included in the app.
Now go out and film something!
VUE is available on iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded in English or Mandarin.
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