Six Ways to Use Cinemagraphs Posted on: March 31, 2016 /
Comments: No comments /
Categories: Video Editing Tutorials
We're exposed to thousands of videos, images, and various media that vie for our attention every day-making it a huge challenge for a single visual to stand out. The need for eye-catching content led to the birth of the cinemagraph: a combination between a still image and a video, with just one element in motion. Now an explosive trend, we've outlined six ways to use cinemagraphs for your own creative projects.
Before diving into these ideas, watch a preview of cinemagraphs from the VideoBlocks Unlimited Library to get a feel for how they work:
Now that you've seen cinemagraphs in action, here are our six favorite ways to put them to use.
1. Bringing Digital Displays to Life Who wouldn't stop and stare at a 30-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe in motion? The pedestrians in Times Square certainly took notice when this cinemagraph was projected onto the sides of iconic buildings in New York City. The creative folks at Flixel had the ingenious idea to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Seven Year Itch by turning one of the most recognizable scenes in film history into a cinemagraph. The concept showed that outdoor art could really take advantage of the new medium to capture the attention of passersby, even in one of the most media-rich corners of the world.
2. Producing Unique Short Films With focused motion, filmmakers can use cinemagraphs to control the eye of the viewer-drawing attention to the one moving part of the frame.
Michel M lder composed a stunning short made entirely of standalone cinemagraphs called #WOKEUPLIKETHIS. The effect is eerie and dramatic, but it also pokes fun at itself with the absurdity of the story's scenario. We look forward to seeing how auteurs in the VideoBlocks community use our cinemagraphs in their own original shorts.
3. Generating Social Media Buzz The relatively small file size yet highly compelling visual of cinemagraphs makes them super shareable-bringing action to images that would otherwise be static. Cinemagraphs work across most social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Instagram's automatic looping makes it is especially well-suited for cinemagraphs.
This particular post captures the essence of the critically-panned Batman v Superman that was just released into theaters. You'll probably get more out of this cinemagraph than the 153-minute film.
Anybody see @batmanvsuperman yet? This pretty much sums up the whole movie. Superman flies and Batman just stands around pouting. #flixel #cinemagraph by @knarfotography #spoileralert #batmanvsuperman #batman #superman #lego
A video posted by Flixel Photos (@flixelphotos) on Mar 28, 2016 at 5:48am PDT
4. Boosting Advertising Success Perhaps the greatest success of cinemagraphs thus far has occurred in advertising. From big fashion brands like Chanel to international wineries like Ecco Domani (pictured below), companies are finding that cinemagraphs drive much higher levels of engagement. Some claim to have experienced a 5x increase in click-throughs compared to still images.
Motion grabs the eye of Internet users when they'd usually ignore the static ad in a sidebar. It allows brands to uniquely showcase their product, whether it's a swirling beverage in a glass or the spinning wheels of a skateboard.
Ad for Ecco Domani by Ann Street Studio
5. Making E-mail More Engaging The same principal applies to e-mail. When a user sees a captivating visual, they are less likely to ignore the content. Netflix has taken to using cinemagraphs to reach their audience's inboxes-capitalizing on the motion of the image to allude to upcoming scenes from certain shows.
6. Building Showpiece Websites The Nature Conservancy wanted to make their educational website about water extra impactful. So, they took the video clip of falling droplets below and turned it into a cinemagraph-making it the background of the site's homepage.
A cinemagraph can be embedded just like a YouTube video and enabled to auto-loop in HD. Since they're compatible with all devices and browsers, you know your website will look good no matter how it's being viewed.
Ready to see what you can do with cinemagraphs for your own projects? Then download the entire collection from our Unlimited Library today!
Start Downloading Cinemagraphs
Related Posts
Halloween Special Effects Video Editing Tutorials
Top 10 Blog Posts About Video Editing
September's Best Video Editing Blogs
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Six Ways to Use Cinemagraphs Posted on: March 31, 2016 / 
