Cinemagraphs are wonderful and have gained much popularity in the mainstream media. They grab your attention because of their appealing quality. Interestingly, a cinemagraph is neither an image nor a video. Therefore, you will feel like you are watching something special whenever you see it on your browsers or social media platforms.
If you are amazed by the different cinemagraphs, you could be tempted to make one for your brand and amaze your target audience. However, if you learn how to create a cinemagraph, you can also use it for the welfare of your business. They look like magical visual content and can be used to catch the attention of your website visitors.
Even if you have been using beautiful visuals or creating good photography for a long time, you may find it challenging to explain your images and videos to clients. To bring clarity to your concepts, you must learn how to create a cinemagraph for your business.
What is a Cinemagraph?
Osho Coco described cinemagraph as more than a photo, but not quite a video. A cinemagraph is the difference between a static photograph and a moving video. Like the photos you see on the Internet, most of its frame is completely still. However, there is one moving element within the frame. It is the photo that is moving continuously.
Usually, the moving element is small, and it carries within cycles. However, if the frame has too much movement, it will look like a video, and your cinemagraph will lose its mystique.
For example, if you are making your breakfast and see someone pouring tea into a cup, you can have the pouring tea in motion. Similarly, if you are on vacation and sitting next to a waterfall, the pouring water from above can be in motion, whereas the rest of the frame will appear constant.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
For those confused, it isn't an alternative term for GIFs. A GIF is a low-quality animation you often see on memes across social media platforms. Although they have a lot of similarities, cinemagraphs use high-quality images and videos.
Cinemagraphs are made by combining a short video with a constant frame. Adobe Photoshop and Fixel are the two special software used to combine visual content to form a cinemagraph.
Use of Cinemagraphs
Fashion is an excellent place to start your career in cinemagraphs. Beck and Berg are the two historical figures who brought cinemagraphs to the fashion photography world. Using the natural movement of clothes or your hair is a great way to bring life into your static photo.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
However, cinemagraphs are not just related to the fashion industry. You can use it in many other types of photography. For example, you can use street photography alongside a static clock. Many artists use cinemagraphs to add mysterious quality to their brilliant photography work. The movement of the elements improves the overall atmosphere of their work.
Commercial photography is also an example that has reached extravagant heights due to cinemagraphs. Recently, they have become a powerful marketing tool, as you will often see them used for online advertisements. You can also upload cinemagraphs on your social media accounts. It is a great way to boost your online presence and increase your fan following. Some of the notable examples where you can use cinemagraphs are as follows:
- Digital ads
- Social media
- Websites or landing pages
- Blogs
- Marketing emails and newsletters
Elements to Consider for Creating a Cinemagraph
In today's day and age, there are specialized apps for creating a cinemagraph. They are available on Android and iOS, which is crucial for attracting a large online community.
However, you don't need to research the best software to create a cinemagraph for your brand. All you need is Adobe Photoshop and your mobile camera. If you have these things, you can look into the following elements in making your cinemagraph.
1) Select Moving Object
You must think about the required movement in your picture. There must be a small and repeated movement in your visuals. Remember that you are not making a video but only adding a few movements to your static photograph.
The animation of your cinemagraph has to be in a perfect loop. The starting and the ending points of your visual must be the same.
2) Use a Tripod To Maintain a Steady Scene
When you shoot video footage, you shouldn't compromise on its quality. You must keep your camera steady because unnecessary camera movements may destroy the illusion of a good cinemagraph.
The best way to maintain consistency in your video footage is by using a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, you can try to rest your camera on a flat surface. However, there is still a risk of shaking. Hence, the most important thing is to make your cameras ready.
Create a Cinemagraph in Photoshop
- Open your video file in Photoshop: Once you have completed the video, you can open it in Adobe Photoshop. You can either drag it into the program or open it through the navigation menu
- Finalize the starting and ending points of your video: Since you are the content maker, you must finalize your video's starting and ending points. Once your boundaries are set, you will create a loop.
- Create a new layer: You can create a new layer for your cinemagraph in the Video Group folder.
- Paint the parts where your subject lies: When on your new layer, select a visible color and put your opacity at 100%. Paint any parts of your image that you want to see moving in your final version. You don't have to be careful in this step because the paint won't appear in the final cinemagraph.
- Set the static parts of your cinemagraph: You must keep your layer invisible before creating a new one. Now, you can shift your focus to the static parts of your cinemagraph. Transform your new layer into a stamp visible layer and only proceed if you are happy with the result.
- Select the layer with the painted subject: Click on the painted layer (which should be invisible).
- Create a layer mask: Click on your stamp visible layer (that contains the static image) and create a new layer mask. Click on that new layer mask to get your desired results and reverse the effects.
- Save and share your cinemagraph: To avoid wasting all your hard work, save your progress before you publish it on your website. Once you are finished creating a cinemagraph, you can convert it to GIF. You can also resize your GIF so you can upload your file easily. Depending on your file size, uploading may take a lot of time. However, this step won't be time-consuming if you have saved your progress regularly.
Add Cinemagraphs to Your Strikingly Website
If you have not built a brand website so far, you don't need to worry because you will find many professional website builders on the Internet. Strikingly is one of those top website builders that allow you to build professional websites and ensure that you build your platforms without wasting time or money. Once you have registered for your free account, you will gain access to the Strikingly dashboard. Once you come to the template collection, you must choose a suitable template before accessing the Strikingly editor.
Image taken from Strikingly
Once you see the Strikingly editor, you can add all the content to your brand website. Strikingly allows you to add different types of visual content to your websites, such as images, audio, GIFs, and cinemagraphs. For example, you can create cinemagraphs and upload them on your Strikingly website by going through the following steps:
- Go to 'Big Media' after adding a new section through your Strikingly editor
- Click the 'Edit' button that appears on the sample video embedded on your web page
- In the case of cinemagraphs, move from 'Image' to 'Video'.
- Copy the video link from your source. You cannot upload the video on your Strikingly website directly. You must upload it on a third-party video platform, such as YouTube or Vimeo
- Paste the video link in the given field
Image taken from YouTube
Having a professional website on Strikingly is all that matters. You can display a cinemagraph right on top of your website homepage. This placement of cinemagraphs will add to your brand personality and help you attract visitors and customers like a magnet. In addition, you can share your website URL on social media platforms and other professional networks to boost your online presence. Once your brand gains a reputation, you will eventually see a rise in online sales.
Conclusion
Cinemagraphs are one of the biggest ways to attract the attention of audiences worldwide. They are not images or GIFs, they are simply moving photographs. They are something unique and bring wonders into your imagery. There is always some sort of magic or unexpectantly about them which grabs your attention instantly.
Creating a cinemagraph is not as difficult as you think. Since its introduction to the world in 2011, its has become more accessible to make and have gained popularity amongst the audience.
Cinemagraphs are mostly used for commercial or fashion purposes. However, you can make it as well to promote brand awareness. For example, if you are creating for your advertising campaign or social media, cinemagraphs are an ideal way to liven up your images.
