Visual design is always in quest of new ways of expression. Cinemagraphs, or still photos with subtle motion, have become the new medium which takes strengths from both still photography and video. This format has conquered the web and became a new aesthetic approach to presenting content. It looked simply stunning arriving online in 2011 with the help of cutting-edge creative minds - visual graphics artist Kevin Burg and photographer Jamie Beck. Today cinemagraphs are web design chic, with intriguing impact on the viewers and strong marketing potential.
Origins
The term was invented by a talented tandem Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg. Kevin experimented with .gifs in a far 2009 searching for ways to make them more cutting edge and artistic. Such opportunity showed up on New York Fashion Week in 2011 where he collaborated with Jamie. How the first cinemagraphs were done? The process of cinemagraphs creation looked like taking a photograph and enlivening it through isolated animation of multiple frames. They shot on both still and video equipment and used Adobe After Effects and Photoshop for editing. Everything sounds simple now, but in 2011 these guys were pioneers innovated a powerful tool in photography and marketing. Today their creative Ann Street Studio with a lot of cool cinemagraphs can be found on Tumblr.
Cinemagraphs as New Age .GIFs
The .gif format itself is ancient by internet standards but much like photography people are always finding interesting new ways to communicate within the confines of existing formats.
– Jamie Beck & Kevin Burg
All cinemagraphs are .gif files, and their difference from regular .gif is more sophisticated nature. Elegant and subtle, they feature artistic feel and mystery created by slightly moving elements on a still image. I’m sure that you’ve spotted millions of .gifs since this format was introduced in the late 80s (in those days not all of them were of premium quality.) Something had to be changed and it happened with innovation of cinemagraphs – the very classy-looking gifs.
While shooting cinemagraphs, the position of the camera shouldn’t be changed. As a result, it gives a subtle animation, and you have to be very attentive to spot it. Seamless repetition of the motion is one more important point. As you see, cinemagraphs are the same as .gifs, but more visually refined and inspiring.
Marketing Potential of Cinemagraphs
Fashion industry was the first which benefited from using cinemagraphs. Later the other industries adopted these new age .gifs. They have become a powerful tool of marketing for a variety of businesses like food & drink, jewelry, perfumes, food, real estate. One of the spectacular examples was Coca Cola advertising that got 35,000 likes on Tumblr during the first 24 hours. It was a raving success.
The marketing potential of cinemagraphs is their mind-blowing impact they have on the viewers. This intensive visual effect works for efficacious promotion of whatever products. People watch these .gifs with acute fascination and it’s the epitome of their success.
Their Power in Blogging
The immense popularity of cinemagraphs in blogging sphere is determined by their visual aesthetic power and striking expressiveness. They perfectly communicate ideas and promote products, making people interested in them, and can be shared instantly at the same time.
Using them instead of usual images, bloggers can enliven all the content they share with the web audience. Traditional pictures won’t make much impression in today’s digital age. And true living images with traditional photography principles at the core plus cinematic quality can differentiate your posts and drive more people in. Looking at two images below, you'll see the difference. Which one is more engaging?
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Without any doubt, cinemagraphs win this competition.
The first blog where cinemagraphs appeared was Tumblr. Highly social nature turned it into a powerful instrument for promoting cinemagraphs, and the latter contributed to Tumblr popularity.
Cinemagraphs are also widely used in social media. For example, Google+ where you can use them as the default image for G+ event invitations or cover photos. Just imagine how inviting it looks for the audience.
Visually stunning cinemagraphs fascinate the viewers and enliven blogs. They are highly beneficial thingummies that can do much good for a blog. That’s their power. And now let’s enjoy the most expressive examples of cinemagraphs.
By the way, our designers have a surprise in store for you. We try our best to offer you a bunch of chic cinemagraphs in the nearest future. Stay tuned!
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Rainy Day Tune
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The Cool Fall Air is Just Around the Corner
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Shedding the Light on Breast Cancer in the City
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