Sitting in the dark production studio of a New York City high-rise, Meagan Cignoli gazes at her progress with the self-critical eye of a professional. She has done this before. Commercial production is often known for gloss and polish: the bright lights, expensive cameras and several examples of the product on hand.
But today, the setup is minimal. The camera is an iPhone, and the Clinique makeup product comes to life frame-by-frame as Cignoli uses it to illustrate a technicolor snowflake. Though Cignoli has only been using Vine since the beginning of this year, her work has quickly boosted her into the limelight among casual and professional users of the app.
See also: The 33 Best Vine Videos of 2013
Vine, the six-second social video platform, has proven itself as a new medium. Though creatively limited, a handful of users have made it a social phenomenon. On Vine, Cignoli is known for a style that combines vivid animation with well-timed stop motion. She operates with precision, which her work reflects.
For more than a decade, Cignoli produced fashion films and worked as a photographer in that industry. She was used to squeezing a lot of style into small space. This translated well to Vine, which has made her a go-to for many advertising agencies.
Platforms like Vine and Instagram provide easy entertainment, Cignoli says. By extension, brands and advertisers have moved to the platform as well. This means a huge increase in work for Cignoli. Dozens of brands have taken her on to spearhead their Vine and Instagram content.
Cignoli says that creating a six-second video isn't hard — after all, millions are doing so. But most don't look this good.
Image: Mashable, Kenny Suleimanagich