What are Cinemagraphs?
Cinemagraphs are looping visual compositions in which most of the scene remains still while a limited region repeats motion. They may be delivered as animated images or video files.
How Cinemagraphs work
A cinemagraph is authored by choosing a still base, masking the area that remains dynamic, and arranging source frames so repeated motion returns smoothly to its starting state. The frozen region can come from one frame while the moving region retains a short temporal sequence. Export then balances loop quality, color fidelity, dimensions, transparency, and playback behavior across animated-image and video delivery paths.
Key facts
- 1Loop construction must align motion and exposure at both ends; crossfades can hide a transition but may create ghosting when objects do not follow a repeatable path.
- 2Animated GIF offers broad image-style embedding but limited color and compression efficiency. Modern video delivery is often smaller, though looping, muting, and autoplay behavior need explicit handling.
- 3A tight motion mask reduces encoded change and keeps the still illusion convincing, but camera movement, sensor noise, or shifting light can make supposedly frozen pixels shimmer.
When Cinemagraphs matter
Choose a cinemagraph when subtle repeated motion should attract attention without presenting a full video sequence. Poor loop alignment or an unsuitable format can cause visible jumps, large files, or unwanted playback controls.