Instagram is adding another effect to its Stories camera. Calling it "Superzoom", it does exactly what it sounds like.
In June 2007, a short clip of a prairie dog was created and quickly went viral. For a good reason, the "Dramatic Chipmunk," as it was titled, captivated the internet. Using dramatic zooms popular in cultures, it just caught the little animal at its best moment.
While people can create a similar one using manually using their smartphone, things somehow don't get that dramatic. And here is where Instagram's Superzoom wants to do.
Rolling out to users on Android and iOS, it allows users to create that Dramatic Chipmunk-style zoom with a single tap.
What they need to do, is access the feature which is next to the Boomerang option under the record button. Highlight the tool in the story camera, choose the front- or rear-facing camera, and then tap the button.
Once the users tap, they will create a three-second Superzoom, with tapping and holding longer to create a longer one.
Instagram started its life as a photo-sharing platform. Then it went to add short-form videos. This has proven to be popular, and even became one of the main lifeblood to its Story format.
Boomerangs, for example, can play particularly well in Instagram's Stories, with tiny loops to hint motion.
And here, Superzoom feels similar to Boomerang. With a little training, users can re-create that melodramatic Chipmunk effect, and make just any moment absurd. And to make it complete, all Superzooms include suspenseful music.
Instagram also adds five themed face filters that can transform users into a vampire, zombie, ghost and more. There are a range of stickers that include pumpkins, candy corn, and other spooky things. Just in time for 2017's Halloween.
