Best 4 Apps to Make Beautiful Cinemagraphs on Android and iOS
Flixel Cinemagraph by Jon Kane Houldsworth
It’s very easy to become obsessed with cinemagraphs. They disrupt what we know about traditional photography, and encourage both creators and viewers to think a little more deeply about the story at hand. Because of the booming trend in quick, digestible, micro-video content, cinemagraphs are often compared to things like GIFs, Boomerangs, and even Apple Live Photos. What separates them from these other formats is that only one part of the composition involves a perfectly looped element of motion, which draws and holds attention much more effectively, while the rest of it is still.
They are popping up all over social media, websites, digital advertising campaigns, television, and beyond, so naturally, more people want to learn how to make them. There is cinemagraph software available for desktops, but if you’re a mobile creator, then you’re also in luck.
We know there is a great tool for creating cinemagraphs on an iPhone. We also listen to what our community says about some of the Android tools that are out there, so we decided to put together a list of some of the apps that can introduce you to the world of creating cinemagraphs.
Create Moving Images with these 4 Cinemagraph Tools for Android and iOS
1. Cinemagraph Pro for iOS
Flixel Cinemagraph Pro is an app that you can use on any iOS device; it’s also a cinemagraph software available for macOS devices. It simplifies how to create and edit cinemagraphs on your iPhone and iPad. All you need to do is either import or shoot in-app, for up to 10 seconds, then edit using a live masking feature. Paint to unveil the motion beneath the still photo, loop, and crop. You can then export it as an MP4 video file using any of the optimized social presets to Facebook, Instagram, and more. You can upload it to your Flixel gallery, which makes it easy to use your cinemagraph on blogs and websites. Cinemagraph Pro is not available for Android devices. You can download the iOS app and try it for free, with the option to upgrade to a subscription plan.
Learn More | Download Flixel Cinemagraph Pro
2. Zoetropic
Zoetropic is one of the most popular Android apps to create a moving photo, but the results aren’t truly a cinemagraph. You select areas of a still image and blend it to create motion-like effects. It’s challenging to make these motion-like effects look realistic, but some might like practicing the art of cinemagraphs with still images before they move into making a cinemagraph based in video. There are free and Pro versions of Zoetropic available for download.
3. Fotodanz
We’ve heard cinemagraphs described as “moving pictures”, “living photos”, and even GIFs – but never a dancing photo. fotodanz is a tool that keeps cinemagraph creation simple. You can record your video in-app up to 3-5 seconds. A photo is taken at the same time so that you have both the video and photo parts ready to use. You’re limited to just a few seconds of video in Fotodanz, but it might be a way to learn the basic steps needed to create cinemagraphs. There are free and paid versions of Fotodanz available for download.
4. Lumyer
Lumyer allows you to add animated effects over still images and videos. It’s a quick, fun way to create a cinemagraph-like effect on content shot on your mobile Android device. You might compare it to what many users are doing with the GIF function on Instagram Stories; they add little animated effects to their selfies, portraits, and other shots. The effects in the Lumyer app are higher in quality compared to what you’ll find on Instagram, but still are notably different than real video motion. Lumyer exports are GIF and MP4 files. The app is free to download and has in-app purchases available.
3 Important FAQs Worth Reading Before You Create Cinemagraphs
Cinemagraph by koi_chiro shot in Tokyo, Japan
If an app has stabilization, do I still need a tripod to make a cinemagraph?
While some of the mentioned apps have stabilization tools that will work for a casual creator, a tripod is always recommended for best results. This allows you to shoot completely still video footage, so that when you edit, you can seamlessly blend the photo and video elements together to create a true cinemagraph. Without a tripod, you will see a break in the cinemagraph, which is less mesmerizing, and more chaotic. Check out this video to learn how to make a cinemagraph with a tripod compared to a handheld device.
What cinemagraph file format is better for social media?
Every social media platform supports video. You can easily share cinemagraphs as a video (MP4 file) on Instagram, Instagram Stories, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and even LinkedIn. All of these platforms allow video to auto-play, and most allow them to auto-loop. They can loop seamlessly and live beautifully on social media as high definition video, which is also smaller in size. When shared as GIF files, they are larger in size, and lower in quality, which makes the user experience poor.
Which Android app is the best for creating cinemagraphs?
We can’t pick one particular Android tool for cinemagraphs. It really depends on what you want to create them for. If you have never created any video before, then maybe you want to start with the apps that make cinemagraphs from still images. While these photo animations aren’t true living photos, they may give you an idea of what can make one effective. If you’re ready to jump into video, try Fotodanz or MotionGraph. The quality isn’t the best, especially when your outputs are exported as GIFs, but you’ll start learning the basic steps to creating a cinemagraph with an Android device.
We know we’re a little biased when it comes to cinemagraphs. We even created an new stock cinemagraph platform at cinemagraph.com so that more people can start buying and selling high quality cinemagraphs for their social media, ads, and more. It will feature the best cinemagraphs from artists around the world. What we know for sure is if you can create a high quality cinemagraphs easily, you’re going to push the boundaries of visual storytelling, and share an effective, professional micro-video content piece that will actually have an impact on audiences. All of the Android apps to create cinemagraphs seem to curb some of the major parts of making and sharing them, such as offering stabilization as a replacement for a tripod, or only allowing GIF exports, not MP4 exports. While not the best for making the most of this art form, they are apps that can help you get started.
