resources for beginning edit/gif makers
Making a gif/edit is honestly not that hard and takes about 5 minutes, well, depending on the scene, how long you’ve been doing this and how you color but the steps are:
Getting your screencaps.
Importing them into Photoshop.
Cropping and putting them into the correct dimensions for tumblr.
Sharpening.
Color.
Save.
Six pretty easy steps. But this is not a tutorial post, this is a resource post.
Tutorials on how to make gifs:
Windows using KMPlayer
Windows using PotPlayer (my settings for capturing frames)
Windows using GOM Player
Mac using MPlayer OSX Extended
Windows AND Mac using MPEG Streamclip
Resources for getting caps:
KMPlayer (For Windows)
Potplayer (For Windows)
MPlayer OSX Extended (For Mac)
GOM Player (For Windows)
MPEG Streamclip (Windows and Mac)
Downloading videos from youtube, vimeo, and some other sites:
4K Downloader (windows, mac and linux) <- best one imo
KeepVid (windows and mac)
Clip Converter
Downloading videos from twitter:
Put a m. in front of the url, for example,
m.twitter.com/GameOfThrones/status/867070159902486528
Click on the video and then right click > Save Video as…
New Dimensions for tumblr:
10 gifs: 268x145
9 gifs: 177x177/178x178/177x177
8 gifs: 268x160
6 gifs: 268x186-200 (whichever you prefer)
4 gifs (side by side): 268x268
4+ gifs: 540x220
2 gifs (side by side): 268x300
2/3 gifs: 540x240
The width is the most important, that stays the same but the height can be different as long as the gif size is under 3MB
this is a really good tag too see different sizes
Sharpening for gifs: (these are the best ones)
Actions I have made (includes two: the basic sharpening & gaussian blur)
Current sharpening I’m using by hoechlin
the above sharpenings you need to convert your gifs into a smart object when you are in video timeline
Basic Sharpening (up to 150 frames) by karazorel
Resources for getting good quality pictures and caps for making edits:
farfarawaysite
screencapped
grandecaps
7kingdoms
kissthemgoodbye
Downloads for Photoshop:
completeresources: windows // mac
photoshopshitilike (includes downloads for other things too)
This is probably the hardest part finding a good download, its a trial, I went through a couple before I found a good one (I forgot where I got it sorry.)
Photoshop CS5 is probably the best one for making gifs, makes them look smoother.
Some tips:
Never use google to find images especially those found in pinterest, weheartit or other sites like that. Use the ones above or from official sites.
Never stretch an image more than it’s original size. If you already sized it down to 268px but now want it to be 540px, you need to just start over cause stretching it would make it really pixelated and gifs/edit that have pixels are ugly.
Always download 1080p, 720p is fine but try to find 1080p. Never 480p. Never, just love yourself.
When it comes to sharpening gifs, keep it simple. If you do use gaussian blur, don’t make it too blurry. Simpler is better but again, everyone is different so its not my place to tell you what to do. *You know you oversharpen your gif when you get that weird line around an object.*
Always use the right dimensions! Only use widths of 268px or 540px, unless you are making 3 gifs side by side then its 177 x 178 x 177. If you are makings gifs that are side by side, example, keep it 268px never anything smaller or higher, it makes the gifs blurry.
The only time it’s okay to use a bigger size is when you make a graphic, infographic, or art. Never for gifs or edits.
A clear sign that someone is stealing/recoloring gifs is if the gifs in the post are all different sizes from each other and/or have different sharpening.
For text, keep the font size between 10.3-11px. The best front to use is Arial Rounded MT Bold with a stroke of 1px and if needed, a drop shadow at 50%, angle 30, distance 3, spread 0, and size 5. You can download my font psd here if you want.
Make your frame rate 0.05, 0.05 or 0.07. Personally, 0.05 is the best, makes it more naturally looking. When you save your gifs, photoshops puts the frame rate to 0.07, so make sure to reopen your gif and put your frame rate back to the one you want and save.
