Houseparty is a popular social video chat app that allows users to video chat with friends in a casual and fun way. The app makes it easy to spontaneously join your friends’ video chats, play games together, and communicate through fun hand gestures.
Table of Contents
An Overview of Houseparty
Houseparty launched in 2016 and was acquired by Epic Games (the developer behind Fortnite) in 2019. The app is available for free on iOS, Android, MacOS, and Chrome.
Some key features of Houseparty include:
- Video chat with up to 8 friends at once
- Get notifications when friends go online
- Lock rooms for private chats
- Play in-app games like Heads Up!, Chips and Guac, and Trivia
- Send video messages called “Facemail”
The casual format of Houseparty makes it easy and fun to video chat with friends. The ability to spontaneously join chats and the inclusion of games helps Houseparty feel more like a house party than a formal video call.
Why Use Hand Gestures in Houseparty?
Using hand gestures in video chats like Houseparty helps add expression, emotion, and fun to your conversations. Hand gestures can help:
- Animate your storytelling
- Emphasize or clarify your message
- Convey enthusiasm and confidence
- Engage your audience
- Lighten the mood
- Make your video chats more dynamic and lively
Appropriate hand gestures demonstrate effective nonverbal communication skills. They act as a second language alongside your spoken words.
Hand Gestures to Try in Houseparty
Here are some fun hand gestures you can use during your Houseparty video chats:
1. The Steeple
Press the tips of your hands together, with fingers pointing upwards, to form a steeple shape. This demonstrates confidence and authority. Use it when making an important point.
2. Finger Counting
Hold up fingers to indicate numbers, counts, lists or steps. This adds clarity and organization.
3. Open Palm
Face your palm outward towards the camera to signal honesty, openness and welcome.
4. The Shaka Sign 🤙
Make a shaka sign by folding down your three middle fingers and extending your thumb and pinky. This casual Hawaiian hand gesture signals a chill, friendly attitude.
5. Snapping 👌
Snap with your hand perpendicular to the camera to show enthusiasm and agreement.
6. The Chef’s Kiss 🤌
Swiftly kiss the tips of your fingers and open your hand outwards. Use this gesture to convey something is impressive, excellent or perfectly executed.
7. The Heart ❤️
Make a heart shape with your hands to share affection towards friends or loved ones.
Tips for Using Hand Gestures in Video Chat
When using hand gestures in apps like Houseparty, keep these tips in mind:
- Frame your camera shot to fully capture gestures. Shoot video in landscape orientation.
- Time gestures carefully to coincide with your words.
- Make sure gestures are visible. Avoid gesturing outside the camera’s view.
- Use gestures to complement your message, not overshadow it.
- Practice new gestures before using them in video chats. They should seem natural, not forced.
- Consider cultural differences in gesture meanings to avoid misinterpretation.
- Moderate your use of gestures. Do not wildly over-gesture.
Conclusion
Adding hand gestures appropriately in video chat apps like Houseparty helps make your conversations more dynamic, expressive, and fun. Gestures act as a second nonverbal language to complement your words. Master this technique to take your video chat skills to the next level and have livelier conversations with friends.
With the tips provided above, you now know some fun gestures to try out, along with best practices to ensure they work effectively. So go ahead, put these ideas into action during your next Houseparty video chat!
