Over the past couple of months our design team has been all too giddy learning about the professional techniques used to make a cinemagraph. What's a cinemagrah you ask? Well, let me show you...

A cinemagrah is simply a video (or GIF) with a twist.  Take an image and animate a subtle detail and boom! You have a beautiful visual that comes to life. The technique is fairly new, with some of the first cinemagraphs appearing around 2011 by US photographers Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck. The two coined the term "cinemagraph" and used the technique for their fashion and news photographs. with major brands like Heineken and Netflix using the technique to advertise on social media, cinemagraphs have exploded in 2015. 

How To Make A Cinemagraph

Cinemagraphs are as tricky to create as they are beautiful to watch. The technology used to make a cinemagraph is actually pretty straight forward to anyone knowledgeable in Photoshop. It took our team just a few minutes to figure that part out. Were it can become challenging is producing a video (or finding a stock vid) that is ideal for the technique. You have to watch out for shadows, unintended movements, choppy loops, and quite a bit of other factors. Here's a good YouTube tutorial to get you started.

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Cinemagraphs In Multifamily

Our team searched far and wide and to our surprise, no one in multifamily is currently using cinemagraphs in their advertising. This lack of presence in the industry can turn into a huge opportunity for the company that takes the first plunge into this exciting new way to speak with your residents and prospects. 

 Just think of all the apartment features you could highlight in a cinemagraph:

• Front-load washer
• Ceiling fan
• Stove top (cooking)
• Swimming pool
• Fitness Center
• TV
• Lifestyle (birthdays, social gatherings, etc.)

 Can you think of any features that would look great on a cinemagraph? Let's chat in the comments!