Snapchat is one of the go-to camera apps for most smartphone users and in order to keep up with TikTok and Meta, the company is giving users more powerful video tools through a new feature called Director Mode. The new feature is being rolled out starting today globally for iOS and Android.
Director Mode comes with plenty of new features for filming and editing videos on Snapchat, including a few that have been ripped off from other popular platforms. Green screen, for example, allows users to record videos with a background, similar to the TikTok filter of the same name. The dual camera feature which was previously only available for iOS users is a BeReal-esque feature that takes a front and back-facing photo or video simultaneously.
Other tools include quick editing, which allows users to trim and splice multiple videos together, and a camera speed feature to speed up or slow down videos. Director Mode is available via an icon on the main camera toolbar.
Director Mode can be used to make content to share with friends, but the emphasis on new editing tools comes as Snap tries to make a case for Spotlight, its TikTok competitor. Snapchat has introduced several programs to try to entice creators to make videos for Spotlight, including challenges that pay cash for top videos using different Lenses or sounds.
Spotlight, which is Snapchat’s equivalent to Instagram Reals or normal Tiktoks, is a priority for Snap. The company wants 30 percent of Snapchatters to use Spotlight every day in 2023. The company recently admitted that engagement on Stories was down; it also laid off around 20 percent of its employees.
