Cinemagraph vs. Plotagraph: Is One Better Than the Other?
Cinemagraph vs Plotagraph, which is better?
People are typically drawn to good images.
But which software do you use to make your images magical?
We enjoy taking selfies, shooting natural wonders, and immortalizing our loved ones in videos.
High-quality imagery is much sought after nowadays.
Moreover, the field of photography has become more ‘intelligent.’
Aerial photos are made possible by flying drone cameras.
Macro images are made more interesting by built-in lenses that can zoom in as much as you like.
Specific objects in a video or photo can be made to “move.”
More on cinemagraph vs plotagraph will be discussed in this article.
Let’s get this conversation going.
Table of Contents
What is Cinemagraph?
If you’re unfamiliar with the word, a cinemagraph is a still photograph with an animated feature.
Essentially, they’re animated GIFs.
These are still photographs with a small, repetitive movement that creates a video clip.
Cinemagraphs are created by compositing a sequence of images or video frames into a continuous loop of sequential frames.
An image editing software makes this possible.
It is a picture created by combining still photography and active video to produce a picture with a small moving part and the rest frozen.
Cinemagraphs and animated GIFs are similar in that they both use video loops.
On the other hand, GIFs are shown in a low-quality file format, while the format of a cinemagraph varies depending on how it is viewed.
Cinemagraphs are “live” photographs.
They consist of a mixture of static image and video looped endlessly with no apparent breaks or edits.
The cinemagrapher may highlight certain specifics, tell stories, or create a unique atmosphere by identifying which elements move inside the frame and which are static.
These are looped animations that produce isolated movement except for the Harry Potter films’ supernatural parts.
Cinemagraphs are a flexible and useful type of media that can be used in a variety of applications.
History of Cinemagraph
Motion pictures came about, thanks to the efforts of crazed inventor Louis Le Prince.
He is also the “Father of Cinematography.”
Yes, it was just a collection of pictures printed on a roll of paper that looped in time, but Le Prince had won by a long shot.
The 1800s gave us two truly revolutionary pieces of technology that forever changed how we record and show our work.
Things quieted down after that, except for a few minor innovations.
It was eerily silent and camera technology improved, allowing us to enhance both our photographs’ quality and how we collect them.
And it all started when Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg produced the first cinemagraph in early 2011,.
They used the technique to animate their fashion and news images.
In March of that year, the fashion photographers wanted to coin a new word for this.
At that time, there was no appropriate term to explain what these new media files represented.
That is how the word “cinemagraph” was born in the United States.
Photographers were researching the technique for illustrating images with movement at that time.
But their body of work drew attention and inspired people to make cinemagraphs.
It was suddenly common to have vivified GIFs once more.
Usage of Cinemagraph
Cinemagraphs are now ubiquitous, but most people have no idea what they’re looking at.
They’re like magic that they trick the audience into thinking they’re looking at a live photograph.
Cinemagraphs, on the other hand, are a harmonious union of photography and film.
Cinemagraphs consists of fused the media and are fast-looping videos that last anywhere from 3 to 10 seconds.
They’re made in such a way that the audience has no idea when the video loop begins and ends.
It’s seamless.
Traditionally, a single cinemagraph loop is very short, lasting just a few seconds.
When sharing a cinemagraph, it’s common for people to loop the file a few times to get the desired video length.
4K and even 6K footage are often used to produce the highest quality cinemagraphs.
Cinemagraphs can be exported in various file formats.
However, exporting them as a video file maintains the highest quality and ensures that they look great.
With cinemagraphs becoming more available, many photographers are integrating them into their work.
Here are several examples of how photographers are incorporating cinemagraphs into their work.
Portrait
Windy conditions help create a realistic environment, and even a simple turn of the head can add personality to a picture.
Food
Cinemagraphs may be used to illustrate freshly served food or show the specifics of food being sliced, steamed, or fried.
Outdoor
Rain, snow, clouds rising through the sky, leaves falling, waves on the beach and water flowing in a stream are all examples of motion that can be captured nicely in a cinemagraph.
Commercial
Motion brings depth to a simple product shot using cinemagraph. You catch the viewer’s attention in a way that would be perfect for a digital ad asset.
Street
Cinemagraph can be used to show the movement of people in a crowd.
It could also be a single person walking down the street, rain on the pavement, or street lights turning on.
Busy and complicated shots are perfect choices when taking street photography for a cinemagraph.
Cinemagraphs have grown in popularity among advertisers and artists since their launch.
It provides new ways to draw the audience’s attention and allows for a more thorough examination of a picture, highlighting information that would otherwise be overlooked.
Big brands are using cinemagraphs, the world of native advertising is into it, and so on.
Some of the reasons you should use cinemagraphs are because cinemagraphs are a captivating tool that people can’t stop looking at.
The art of making a cinemagraph is simply showcasing particular moments and isolating certain special gestures in a continuous loop.
It is a low-cost alternative to videos and social media.
Best Cinemagraph Apps
There is a plethora of fun and creative cinemagraph examples available.
All you need is the right cinemagraph app to build your own.
The best part is that creating a cinemagraph is easy.
Let us help you determine which cinemagraph maker is best for you.
You’ll be a pro in no time!
Fotodanz – an application that allows you to create moving photographs to save and share special photos with a little more freshness.
Cinemagraph Pro – Cinemagraph Pro allows designers to use cinemagraphs to redefine their visual storytelling in photography, social media, and digital advertising.
Mask Art – a GIF and Live Picture video converter with a Cinemagraph effect
Draw Motion: Motion Picture – an app that lets you create stunning cinemagraph videos
Cliplets – By integrating static and dynamic elements from a video clip, the app offers an imaginative lens that can concentrate on crucial aspects of a moment.
User Review
Cinemagraph is entertaining, but it’s a gimmick.
It’s a fantastic way to make infinitely looping stills, which are best suited to nature scenes or creepy human statues.
Users might find some use for it as a hiker, and as a front-end web developer.
It’s just another tool in their vast arsenal of media apps.
Although some apps can replicate the effect, it’s a lot more work.
On the other hand, some apps will create animated masks and work with both vector and raster masks.
While others have the upper hand even when it comes to making animated “stills.”
The main issue with cinemagraph apps is their high cost.
Read more about Cinemagraph here.
What is Plotagraph?
Many of you might be familiar with a plotagraph, which is a similar technique.
Consider those moving Harry Potter photos; it’s also a new term, so you’re fully justified in your ignorance!
It refers to a photograph that “loops.”
You start with a single image, saved as a JPG, and then “animate” it with Plotagraph.
The effect is a looping movie file that loops so seamlessly that the seam is invisible.
Plotagraph is a piece of software that uses an animation technique to give still images movement.
This provides a special impact of a still image with moving pieces.
Plotagraph is a professional image animation software and sharing platform now available in a lite edition for iPad and iPhone.
Users may use the Plotagraph technique to add motion to any still picture.
This innovative new medium falls somewhere between still images and conventional film.
The loops are created by animating a frame, illustration, or painting with proprietary algorithms to generate an endlessly looping video or APNG (Animated PNG).
History of Plotagraph
Troy Christopher Plota invented this animation technique in 2009.
Some others say that Troy Christopher Plota and Sascha Phoenix formed Plotagraph together.
It’s a family-owned tech company that released its pre-paid beta on July 4th, 2016.
It had its official launch at the Photo Plus Expo in New York in October of that year.
Usage of Plotagraph
Plotagraphs are not limited by film, allowing billions of images to be brought to life at a fraction of other methods’ cost.
The user interface seems to be straightforward, and the effects are unmistakable.
Of course, there are limitations due to the single JPEG source, but there are also numerous possibilities.
Plotagraphs are extremely useful in any structure with clear visual lines.
Following the lines of the structure will help you preserve your vanishing point.
And, despite being built for professionals, plotagraph is amazingly easy to use.
To create a motion track, click and drag; mask the areas you don’t want to move, and feather your edges.
That pretty much sums up the “must use” features for architecture animation.
We have to admit that the opportunity to breathe new life into any current still picture is pretty appealing.
It seems that we’re not the only ones who think so.
Plotagraph has been used by major names, including Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Airbnb, according to Digital Trends.
This is a fantastic way to revitalize every picture you’ve ever taken.
It looks amazing in various environments, including clouds, flowing water, grasses, hair, flowers, and fire.
If you’d like to see how simple it is to use plotagraph, here’s a step-by-step guide.
- Login or Register
- Create a new Plotagraph
- Crop your photo
- Use animation points to animate the regions
- Add stabilizer points
- Set the timer for your animation after previewing it
- Refine and re-preview
- Rinse and repeat until you’ve completed your project.
So there you have it!
Your first Plotagraph is now available for sharing on social media!
Best Plotagraph Apps
This section will go over how to build better and use plotagraphs to promote your company.
We hope you’ll be able to find a plotagraph development method that meets your needs.
Take a look at these three cinemagraph applications to see which one is right for you.
Plotaverse – is a Digital Arts Network that integrates three professional-level applications into one kit. Develop, Share, and Discover.
Plotagraph – Join the community of millions of professional motion artists and start animating your art today!
Splish – a looping videos creation and sharing app.
Lumyer – Lumyer is a Google-approved app that was named one of the best of 2016. With this app, you can choose your favorite effects and start recording your video.
Zoetropic – Transform your memories into mind-boggling animations that will blow your friend’s mind!
User Review
These apps are pretty simple, and if you are familiar with the fundamentals of the Photoshop CS series, you will have no trouble using them.
In terms of speed, the user discovered that less is better when achieving natural movement, opting for fewer points and faster speeds in most of these images.
Coming from a photography and post-production background, users wish there was a little more selective control for blending.
But overall, the software did a decent job of simulating motion.
However some users, really appreciate how easy it was to use the plotagraph app.
So let’s face it.
Keeping up with all of these applications could be challenging.
Learn more Plotagraph here.
Similarities of Cinemagraph and Plotagraph
Let’s start with a quick rundown of what makes them similar and try to figure out where the uncertainty comes from.
Plotagraphs, like cinemagraphs, have an enticing quality to them that draws you in right away.
You’ll think it’s a video first because sections of the composition are shifting, which is already a thumb-stopper.
With minimal learning curves, you’ll be able to create amazing content with both programs.
Both give you a completely free hand.
They enable you to unleash your creativity and achieve the desired result using those various resources and techniques.
Differences of Cinemagraph and Plotagraph
Cinemagraph: necessitates a greater amount of planning.
Plotagraphs: necessitate less mental gymnastics and less attention to detail.
Cinemagraph: there are a lot more considerations to make
Plotagraphs: treat the piece as if it were a photograph, then use the blending technique to finish it.
Cinemagraph: video is prominently used in the composition
Plotagraphs: picture files, such as.JPG or.PNG, are used exclusively.
Cinemagraph: You begin by watching a video. You can select which parts of the video are moving and which are static.
Plotagraphs: You begin with a single image. You take this picture and make an animation out of it by moving parts of it.
Cinemagraph: users had a lot of problems with compression.
Plotagraphs: through hosting its software online, the company was able to prevent several possible problems.
Cinemagraph: the price was reduced from $200 to just $19.99.
Plotagraphs: will set you back almost $200 a year.
Cinemagraph: The format appears to be very straightforward.
The trim tool, the mask tool, the loop tool, and the effects tool are all located in the upper-left corner.
It’s user-friendly, plain, minimalist, and modern.
Plotagraphs: The software comes with a few extra resources that, when used correctly, will help you create engaging content.
It will take a bit more trial and error.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, both programs use various techniques to animate.
some of which are similar to those used in other editing programs.
In general, these tools interact with Plotagraph and Cinemagraph.
They tell them what to animate, what to hold still, which direction to animate it in, how quickly to animate it, and how it will loop.
Users have different perspectives on these applications.
So, who wins between cinemagraph vs plotagraph?
Plotagraph is favored by others, while many others choose Cinemagraph.
What matters now is the level of comfort you experience when using an app or software.
These applications are simple to use and produce fantastic results.
You get out what you put in, just like everything else.
However, there is a lot of promise here.
With the right picture and the right settings, you can create some truly unique and breathtaking images.
Are you interested in learning more?
Do tell us what you think about this article.
Also, if you’re looking for more Cinemagraph and Plotagraph examples, click here.
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