Reeling out creativity

Shanelle Ferreira

Instagram Reels have become an important part of our screen time, and young content creators like Shanelle Ferreira explore the feature to reel in fresh ideas. The 18-year-old singer shares that when Reels began gaining popularity, engagement on longer videos dropped. When she realised the importance of adaptability and versatility, Ferreira decided to dive into this format.

The content on these 15-30-second videos usually comprises trending songs or audios with users miming to them in a set context. But many go a step further to ditch trends and make new content. This is a reinforcing example of the feature being a playground for creativity, especially for newcomers like Ferreira. The singer says, "Instead of just picking trends off Instagram, I make content by turning songs into memes." The Bandra-based artist has been singing to relatable scenarios like that panic-filled moment when you, as a child, realise you've held a stranger's hand and not your parent's.

Recently, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram confirmed its shift to focus on video-based content. A student of Scattitude Academy of Music, the college-goer says that while watching and making Reels is fun, the shift will mostly benefit content makers. An old soul, she is happy that certain trending audios have brought the classics back to her generation. However, she also cites certain algorithm issues where a Reel might not get the engagement one hopes for which can be demotivating.

Log on to: @shanelleferreira on Instagram