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What are Moving Cinemagraphs and How Are They Used?

March 22, 2012 IADT Chicago, Video and Animation Production 0 Comments

Cinemagraph - Animated CameraPeople like to absorb information visually, and that’s why the best websites bolster their copy with videos and photos. But have you ever come across a combination of the two?

The Story of Moving Cinemagraphs

Cinemagraphs are a fascinating new media format. At first glance, cinemagraphs appear to be still photos, but they suddenly catch your eye with a glimmer of animated movement. The effect is breathtaking, slightly eerie, and above all, eye-catching.

The “moving cinemagraph” was developed by Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg, two New York City-based artists. While digital photographs are typically JPEG files, Beck and Burg convert their photos into GIF files, which are capable of animation.

To create a cinemagraph using a series of photos, you must isolate the part you want to move. Some examples from the most popular cinemagraphs include moving eyes, hair blowing in the wind, or the reflection of a taxi in the window of a restaurant. Targeting one feature or area makes the effect of cinemagraphs more startling, since your eyes can recognize the still photo features as well as the animated ones.

Once the moving area in a photograph is chosen, artists must use software to create multiple layers that demonstrate the movement. The more complex the movement, the longer it takes to develop the cinemagraph. In fact, the process of turning still images into a partial animation is so painstaking that Beck and Burg claim it can take a full day to complete.

How Cinemagraphs are Used

Although producing cinemagraphs can take a lot more work than snapping a photo or recording a video, the results can be exciting. The cinemagraph medium is perfect for significant events such as graduation day or weddings.

Cinemagraphs also have great marketing potential. When you want to attract visitors to your website, the longer someone stays on your page, the more likely they’ll be to buy your product or return to the site in the future. What better way is there to grab and hold a viewer’s attention than to prominently display an intriguing cinemagraph?

If developing cinemagraphs and other animated projects interests you, consider learning the proper production techniques in a film, video, and animation post-production program.



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