9/13 Into It: Cinemagraphs

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KMUW / Andrew Bales

This week on Into It Andrew Bales discusses a brand new Internet trend, cinemagraphs.

The term “cinemagraph” was coined earlier this year to describe what are essentially more artful versions of the common animated .gif. The .gif file format dates back to 1987, but in recent months it has been used to present cinemagraphs that have flooded blogs and forums, further bridging the gap between film and photography.

While old-fashioned animated .gif’s are sequential images looped to create a choppy video, cinemagraphs are a little more complex. To make them, a video clip is broken into its many component frames and one is selected. Then, with the help of a technique called masking, a small section of that image is allowed to continue to move.

The result is a photograph that sways. A model’s hair blows in the wind while her face remains perfectly lit. An escalator revolves as shoppers stand static beside it. Two men talk in the background, while in the foreground a blurry pedestrian is frozen in time.

The key to an engaging cinemagraph is subtlety. If the image is too congested with movement, it comes across as a shoddy rendition of a film. A seamless loop is also crucial, but easier said than done. For every captivating cinemagraph, there’s another that skips like a failing digitally video.

Choice examples of cinemagraphs (click image to enlarge and see motion):

While some find cinemagraphs to be kitsch, the hi-resolution and surreal effect they have are remarkable.

These cinemagraphs are by Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg, who are credited with coining the term “cinemagraph”  and are key proponents of the form. Find more of their work at cinemagraphs.com.

Music: “Melody” by Blonde Redhead, Misery Is a Butterfly.