Twitter’s mobile app Vine has received much attention since its launch. This video app allows users to record six-second clips without the ability to edit or import preexisting videos. Alongside actors such as Josh Peck and Chris D’elia, many “Viners” are common people who have gained an enormous amount of recognition for their creative videos.
One of these Vine stars is San Diego State business management sophomore Thomas Carpino.
Carpino, who started out as a film major, began making Vines for fun in the last few months of his freshman year. He has now accumulated more than 443,000 followers and has joined the well-recognized “Vine famous” family.
Members of the Vine famous community, hailing from all around the world, reach out to one another on Twitter to create collaborations and strengthen their fan base.
Carpino’s overnight fame resulted from a collaboration he did with another Vine famous user, Ronnie Banks. With more than 880,000 followers, his collaboration with Banks resulted in Carpino gaining 10,000 followers, leading him to where he is today.
“I am supportive of SDSU students who think outside of the box and use social media to establish a niche identity and, as a result, generate a large following and ultimately advertising dollars,” assistant professor in the School of Journalism & Media Studies Rebecca Coates Nee said. “Some of the efforts, but not all, will transfer well into the professional or entrepreneurial space.”
Carpino, who recently had a meetup with fellow Viner Cody Johns in San Francisco, said he’s still getting used to the screaming fans.
“For me it was kind of overwhelming because I didn’t know how to react to it, given the way I grew up was completely different. But for Ronnie it’s different because (he), along with Cody Johns, is used to the whole thing because they’ve all been famous since they’ve been really young.”
Carpino said that his Vine fame has changed the way he perceives everyday scenarios. Where negative situations would have once weighed him down, they now present themselves as opportunities for new relatable Vines.
CNN acknowledged this factor in its article about Vine fame.
“One reason some of these Viners say they are growing a devout following is their relatable nature,” Christina Manduley from CNN said. “The Vines often tackle real-life scenarios and common pet peeves. People connect, and even become a little obsessed, with their down-to-earth, funny personalities.”
Although Vine is not profitable, it does create recognition opportunities. Many brands, such as Trident Layers and Wendy’s, have reached out to Viners for marketing.
“It’s almost like a job at this point. It takes over a little bit because you have to keep on top of your videos and keep growing and gaining followers, because opportunities grow as you progress,” Carpino said.
Unlike some Viners who have moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, Carpino said he wants to continue his education and wait for the right opportunity.
Photo by Monica Linzmeier, photo editor
