An Underrecognized Art Form
In today’s world where social media is full of toxic, overwhelming and draining messaging, there is one thing keeping me on Instagram: the art of edits and montages. I think most people are familiar with the editing accounts that spend time thoughtfully curating these wonderful little videos, but I’d like to dedicate this article to these creators and their mini masterpieces. Editing is something that most might come across on Instagram daily, but the time and effort that goes into these videos is underrecognized. Here’s a couple of thoughts on why this community is so fun:
After the rise of masterpieces like Bridgerton and Heated Rivalry, my feed began to fill with multiple accounts that showed a similar pattern. Each had a sizable fanbase, a creative mind, and tons of videos dedicated to various movies and TV shows that many of us know and love. These videos are called “edits,” or in some cases simply “montages” that generate a minute of serotonin boosting emotion in the midst of a world filled with terrible news, misinformation and negativity.
I’ve recently come to understand that the editing community also includes people who dedicate their page to filming reality, including travel, nature, their backyard garden, a cozy cafe, etc.
I think most of us can agree that an epic montage during a film or television series is one of the more compelling artistic choices that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Whether it’s a group of people working hard on a project that serves a greater purpose, or a protagonist running to catch up to the love of their life, a montage often pulls at the heart strings. This is why Instagram editors are so great. Their content is like taking the very best parts of the pop culture that we love and cramming it into a short, emotionally charged trailer of sorts that makes you want to go back and rewatch the movie or show all over again.
I often close out of Instagram at the end of the day feeling discouraged or insecure, but there are moments of shared experiences and fangirling that ultimately prevent me from deleting the app. Edits usually involve a montage of quotes, scenes, and emotional or calming music, and a really good editor will often combine multiple films or television series into one video. For example, it was popular a couple of months ago to see edits that combined dancing scenes from period pieces like the 2005 Pride and Prejudice and the 2019 Little Women, or edits that combined National Park travels into one mini film dedicated to mother Earth.
The online editing community rallies around the joy of being part of a fandom, or of simply sharing the beautiful moments in life. Editors make their art accessible to those of us that need a serotonin boost at the end of a long day. This mutual love of art in all forms is just what we need in an increasingly polarized world. Who doesn’t love romanticizing life every once in a while?