Vimeo makes a play for the ‘Instagram for video’ crown with Looks, adding over 500 creative filters

Capitalizing on the popularity of analog filters offered by apps such as Instagram, Vimeo has added a new feature today called Looks, which offers users over 500 professional-looking filters that can be applied to videos for instant and stylistic visual effects.

Located in the video enhancer, users can now preview a filter on a single frame of their uploaded video and then compare it with the original footage before choosing whether or not to apply it.

The intensity of a filter can also be adjusted using a percentage slider or applied to only a specific section of the video.

Both of these points are incredibly important for filmers looking to create high-quality and personalized content. Filters, both in photo and video-editing apps, tend to look a bit overdone and can actually have a negative impact on the quality of the finished article.

Being able to tone down the effect to as low as 5 or 10 percent should help users to create a subtle, but noticeable look in their work which until now, had to be replicated using professional software. Interestingly, the video enhancer will also recommend an optimal set of filters based on an analysis of the user’s video and social data to try to speed up the entire process.

Vimeo has also taken care to categorize each Look by genre and “mood”, making it easier for users to search for a suitable filter. Individual Looks can also be saved as a favorite, so that if a user wants to apply the same effect in the future they don’t need to remember the name or their choice of intensity.

The new Looks feature is being powered by Vivoom, a new cloud-based video enhancer that can be customized and integrated by its partners such as Vimeo.

Looks is available for free to all Vimeo users over the next 90 days. It’s not clear what will happen after that point, but it’s likely to become a paid feature for both Vimeo Plus and Vimeo PRO subscribers.

Vimeo continues to add new features to its video sharing platform, including content ratings (All Audiences, Mature and Not Yet Rated) which were rolled out in January.

The most notable addition for users, however, was the reveal of a paywall option and “Tip Jar” feature last September, which has helped aspiring filmmakers to monetize their work.