Instagram is testing out a new sibling to the popular Boomerang video effect — Instagram recently confirmed that a Stop Motion tool is currently in testing. Like a traditional stop motion, the effect on Instagram combines multiple still photos into a video to either give stationary objects the appearance of being in motion or make time appear to speed up.
The new Instagram stop motion, which is only in testing and not globally available to every user, allows you to take a series of photos to automatically stitch into a video. The tool doesn’t limit you to a specific timing sequence for subsequent photos, but instead allows you to change as much as you want between frames. While stop motion traditionally involves physically moving an inanimate object between frames, the Instagram tool could be used for creating any type of video from a series of photos. Once the series is finished, tapping done at the top stitches the photos into a video.
Just like a Boomerang or the new Super Zoom effect, those Stop Motion videos can be used inside of Stories. While the photos aren’t available to edit individually, users still have access to the usual video tools, including options for adding stickers, a sketch or text. The videos can then be saved or shared directly to a Story.
While not an official release, the Stop Motion comes just a few days after the official launch of the Super Zoom effect, a tool that does dramatic zoom-ins to a short Stories clip. The effects join the Boomerang along with the Rewind options. The new effects suggest Instagram could be focusing on the different video options as a way to differentiate its service from the originator of the Stories tool, Snapchat, using different creative video effects alongside options like stickers and augmented reality masks.
Like other tests, there’s no guarantee the feature will become mainstream, but a number of users can try out the feature while the platform tests the new tool.
The potential Stop Motion tool joins a growing list of camera-focused features. In September, Instagram moved those virtual face filters into live video, a change that came shortly after launching the ability to go live with a friend. The Facebook-owned company also recently introduced the ability to cross-post Stories to Facebook, along with the option to post non-square galleries.
