A cinemagraph is a type of image combining elements of still photography and video. They typically feature a still background with a small, repeated animation or movement in a specific area of the image, such as a person moving, water rippling, or smoke rising. They are often used in advertising and marketing to draw attention and create a sense of movement in otherwise static imagery. They can be created using video editing software or with a specialized cinematography-making tool.

Cinemagraphs have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly in the realm of advertising and marketing. They are used across various mediums such as social media, email marketing, websites, and even in out-of-home advertising. They are often used to create more engaging and memorable content and can be used to make a static image more interesting and dynamic. It’s a relatively new medium and it’s growing popularity is expected to continue in the future. Many brands and businesses are starting to experiment with cinemagraphs to see how they can use them to promote their products or services.

Why Cinemagraphs Work

Engagement: Cinemagraphs are visually striking and can grab attention in a way that static images cannot. They can be used to make a message or product more memorable and engaging.

Storytelling: Cinemagraphs can be used to tell a story or convey a mood or feeling in a way that is difficult to do with a still image. They can be used to create a sense of movement or action, and to add a layer of depth and meaning to an image.

Advertising and Marketing: Cinemagraphs are often used in advertising and marketing because they can be used to grab attention and make a message more memorable. They are used to create more engaging and dynamic content, and to make a static image more interesting.

Artistic expression: Cinemagraphs can be a medium for creative expression, they can be used to create abstract, surreal or fantastical images.

Technical Challenge: For some people, creating cinemagraphs is a technical challenge, they enjoy the process of isolating the moving elements in a video and creating the final looped animation.

Overall, Cinemagraphs are a powerful visual medium that can be used for many different purposes, from advertising and marketing to storytelling, artistic expression and just for fun.

Brief Case Studies

Here are a few examples of marketing campaigns that have utilized cinemagraphs:

Nescafe: Nescafe used cinemagraphs in a social media campaign to promote their instant coffee. The cinemagraphs featured a steaming cup of coffee with a small animation of the coffee swirling and steaming, which helped to create a sense of movement and make the image more engaging.

Samsung: Samsung used cinemagraphs in a campaign for their Galaxy S7 smartphone. The cinemagraphs featured a close-up of the phone with a small animation of the camera lens opening and closing, which helped to draw attention to the phone’s camera capabilities.

Mercedes Benz: Mercedes-Benz used cinemagraphs in a campaign for their new car models. The cinemagraphs featured a still image of the car with a small animation of the headlights turning on and off, which helped to create a sense of movement and draw attention to the car’s design.

Apple: Apple used cinemagraphs in a campaign for the launch of the iPhone X. The cinemagraphs featured people using the phone with small animations of the phone’s new features such as the animojis, portrait mode and other camera features.

Michael Kors: Michael Kors used cinemagraphs to promote their new line of watches. The cinemagraphs featured a still image of the watch with a small animation of the watch’s hands moving, which helped to create a sense of movement and draw attention to the watch’s design.

These are just a few examples, many other brands and companies have used cinemagraphs in their marketing campaigns. Cinemagraphs are becoming a popular medium for brands to showcase their products and services in a more dynamic and engaging way.

How To Make Cinemagraphs

Cinemagraphs can be created using a variety of methods, but the most common method is to start with a video clip and then select the still frame that will serve as the background. Next, the moving elements are isolated using video editing software or a specialized cinemagraph-making tool. The animation or movement is then edited and looped to create the final cinemagraph.
One method to create a cinemagraph is to shoot a video, then use video editing software to trim the video to the desired length, and then mask out the static areas using rotoscoping or other masking tools, Next step is to loop the animation to create the final cinemagraph.

Another method is to take a series of photographs and blend them together to create the final image. This method is known as “Cinemagraph Pro”. It’s a software which is designed specifically for creating cinemagraphs, it allows to blend images together and animate specific areas of the image.

Regardless of the method used, the final step is to export the cinemagraph as a GIF or video file, which can then be shared on social media or used in other forms of marketing.

Where To Find Inspiration

You can find examples of cinemagraphs on various websites and platforms such as:

Instagram, where many artists and photographers share their work

Giphy, a website and database of GIFs where you can search for specific keywords and find a variety of cinemagraphs

Tumblr, where many users create and share cinemagraphs

Behance, a platform for creative professionals to showcase their work and get discovered

Flixel, a website that specializes in cinemagraphs, they showcase work from professional photographers and cinematographers.

Other platforms such as Vimeo, youtube, pinterest, and Facebook also have a good number of cinemagraphs. You can also search for specific brands or companies that use cinemagraphs in their marketing and advertising to find examples of how they are being used in real-world applications.