EDUCATIC

Robin Good: Microsoft Research has recently released its own authoring tool to create cinemagraphs, by utilizing short video clips in which, only an element is kep "alive", while all others are rendered as a traditional still photo. 

From Wikipedia: "Cinemagraphs are still photographs in which a minor and repeated movement occurs. Cinemagraphs, which are usually published in an animated GIF format, can give the illusion that the viewer is watching a video.

...

The term "cinemagraph" was coined by U.S. photographers Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck, who used the technique to animate their fashion and news photographs beginning in early 2011."

My comments: Cinemagraphs / cinemagrams is a new emerging visual art form with great potential. It captures "moments" in a unique way, providing a new exciting and infinite exploratory space for the artist/author creating it. I'd recommend it as a "core" topic in all visual communication courses. Start experimenting with it yourself on your PC with this very tool from Microsoft, or on your iPad/iPhone with Cinemagr.am

For Windows PCs only.

Gallery of examples: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/cliplets/gallery.aspx

Software Download + Tutorials: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/cliplets/tutorials.aspx

Cliplets Forum: http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/cliplets

Find out more: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/cliplets/