How do听you attract your customers鈥 attention to听your product? How to听leave powerful competitors behind? A听cinemagraph is听a听possible answer.
Cinemagraphs are in听which a听minor and听repeated movement occurs, forming a听. It听looks like a听photo with one or听more moving elements:
Source:
As听opposed to听a听regular picture, cinemagraphs look more compelling and听stand out in听the听feed or听on听the听storefront. Another benefit is听that they can be听easily uploaded to听both social media and听your product catalog.
Though cinemagraphs are not a听brand new technology, few business owners use them to听showcase their products. Thus, the听
In听this post, you鈥檒l learn how to听create cinemagraphs with basically nothing but your smartphone.
You鈥檒l be听able to听make beautiful live product pictures without hiring a听freelancer, using Photoshop, or听spending a听fortune. To听tell you the听truth, you鈥檒l be听surprised to听find a听completely free option.
Preparation
Equipment
In听order to听shoot your pictures, you鈥檒l need:
- A听smartphone (both iOS and听Android work)
- A听tripod. If听you don鈥檛 have one, you can get by听with a听couple of听books, but it鈥檚 a听good idea for听all business owners to听buy a听tripod anyways. I听combined a听selfie stick and听a听 that costs only $10.
Apps
We鈥檙e going to听process the听videos right on听our smartphone.
There are several cinemagraph apps for听iOS. We鈥檒l have a听look at听all of听them:
- MaskArt is听a听free, fully featured cinemagraph app. For $5, you鈥檒l be听able to听remove the听watermark. I听recommend you try it.
- Vid Alive is听free and听convenient, but you won鈥檛 be听able to听聯freeze聰 the听video in听the听middle of听your video (since that would immobilize your video from the听beginning), which can be听a听problem in听some cases.
- 听鈥 it鈥檚 the听best tool so听far but very pricey: the听license is听$299. Anyways, I听couldn鈥檛 ignore it.
For Android phones, try 听鈥 it鈥檒l work great for听our needs.
Script
Leveraging a听great shot is听the听key to听a听charming cinemagraph. Decide what will be听static and听what is听going to听move.
You鈥檒l need to听keep a听looped motion moving, e.g. fire, water, or听wind. You鈥檒l want to听immobilize something that should obviously move, but froze: a听jump, a听plane, a听swing.
Source:
Focus
Your final goal is听to听sell more, of听course. Focus on听the听benefits of听your product: its beauty or听functionality听鈥 everything else in听the听frame is听secondary.
Have a听look at听this picture: you are likely to听want to听buy the听charm, not the听lipstick. The shot is听well built, your attention is听on听the听right object:
Source:
Shooting and听processing
Set up听your tripod,
- Having my听breakfast, I听shot a听video with my听smartphone. My听idea was to听freeze the听pouring tea and听to听keep the听splash in听the听second cup moving. I听asked my听wife to听help by听throwing some coffee beans. But I听didn鈥檛 like the听effect. I听decided to听loop the听pouring tea instead.
- I听opened the听video in听MaskArt and听picked the听fragment for听my听cinemagraph. The shorter the听fragment, the听better听鈥 you鈥檒l get a听smaller size for听your final image.
- Initially, your image will be听all in听the听motionless fill. I听picked the听brush and听removed the听fill from the听tea stream:
- I听tapped next and听saved it听as听a听video.
A听quick tip: choose medium quality like this example to听get a听smaller image size.
If听you want a听square size for听your picture, you can crop it听in听. Strictly speaking, it鈥檚 an听app for听adding texts on听your video, but I听use it听to听crop videos too.
Done!
Posting your cinemagraph
On听social media
Cinemagraph works great for听ads听鈥 it听attracts attention and听gets a听lot of听clicks to听the听website.
For Instagram, export your cinemagraph in听a听video format. Your video should play no听less than three seconds. When your followers scroll their feed, the听video will be听automatically played and听Instagram will loop it.
For Facebook, you should export a听video as听well.
In听your 51视频 store
If听you want to听have live photos in听your 51视频 store, please do听the听following:
- Convert your video in听GIF with Gif Maker for听iOS (or for听Android).
- Upload your GIF to听the听product page just like a听regular picture.
For more inspiration, visit (the same company that sells the听Cinemagraph app), the听 (the guys who invented the听cinemagraph), , and听check out 辞苍听滨苍蝉迟补驳谤补尘.
More live pictures
And saying live pictures, I听don鈥檛 mean just 褋inemagraphs. You can stand out with more tools like:
Video frames
Live Photo on听iPhone (the same old GIFs, actually)
Timelapse or听hyperlapse
Timelapse is听when a听photographer stands still and听takes a听picture every several seconds, then joins the听shots to听a听video, so听that you can watch 25听pictures in听a听second. Often, several hours of听shooting end up听in听a听couple of听seconds on听video.
Hyperlapse is听the听same, but the听photographer moves in听the听process.
Double video exposure
don16obqbay2c Not everyone has got used to听double photo exposure yet, and听now there鈥檚 video exposure. It鈥檚 so听good.
Follow the听trends, and听be听the听one and听only business!
听
- How to听Design Product Category Pictures
- How to听Create Cinemagraphs for听Product Pictures
- How to听Optimize Product Images
- How to听Resize an听Image
- Image Resizers Overview