PowerPoint Tutorial: Cinemagraphs in 3 Steps

Have you noticed all the rage about Cinemagraphs and GIFs? Or wondered how to make them?

I’m going to show you how to easily create Cinemagraphs using PowerPoint in just 3 simple steps…

Follow the steps below OR watch the video tutorial here:

So what’s the difference between a GIF and a Cinemagraph?

A GIF is simply a series of still images placed together to look like they are moving – or to look like a short video.

See in this GIF here that it looks a little choppy – it’s just images that were put together to form what appears to be a video. And there is movement all around the clip.

A Cinemagraph, on the other hand, is a video that has an isolated portion of the video that keeps the movement. They can draw attention to a specific area of the video to help make a point. This is perfect for PowerPoint presentations when you need to explain or point out something, but don’t want to just use boring arrows or other ways of drawing the viewer’s eyes.

Look at this first video – this is  a boring video from a shopping mall’s camera – so it’s black and white and nothing.

However, after I add the effect, the little girl on the escalator is the only thing moving and it draws your attention to her – and somehow is no longer a boring black and white video or photo.

So, now let me show you how I did this.

First, open PowerPoint and Insert the video you’d like to edit. You should really think of the message you want to send before you select your video… and of course, make sure you have appropriate copyrights to use the video.

This original video shows the entire movement of the water and the sky, including the clouds.

But let’s say we’re talking about cloud formations and would like to isolate the cloud movement.

First, I’ll duplicate the video using Copy and Paste. Depending on the effect, you may want to trim the video to only the portion you want to show.

So, I’ll crop the copy of this video so that it only includes the sky. Basically, I have both videos on the slide, but I’m going to leave one static, meaning it will not play – it will appear as an image. And, the 2nd video, the one I’ve cropped to just include the sky and clouds, will keep its movement or motion.

Next, you’ll fix the animations.

So, I’ll select the first video, the one I don’t want to move and click on the “Playback” Tab. Since this is already setup to Start On Click, I’ll leave it alone.

Next, click on the copy, the one I cropped to just include the sky and clouds, and click on the “Playback” Tab. I’ll select the “Automatic” Start option.

Next, to check that all of my settings are correct, I’ll click on the “Animations” Tab and open the Animation Pane. If the original video shows in the Animation Pane, I like to delete it just to make sure I don’t accidentally click and start it playing while I’m presenting.

So, let’s Play our Slideshow and see how this looks.

Notice that the water and waterfalls remain motionless and the sky and clouds are moving. When playing this slide, you would draw the viewers eyes to the sky and clouds. Cool, right?!

So, that’s how you create a Cinemagraph using PowerPoint.

You can get really creative and make your PowerPoint presentations standout by using this technique. However, as with all PowerPoint Tips and Tricks, limit your presentations – do not have every slide include a Cinemagraph, for example. It will get old and lose its effect on your audience.

Practice this technique with various videos and see what works best.

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PowerPoint Animation Tip

Animations in PowerPoint can get your point across, when not overdone.  With PowerPoint 2007, it is easy to add sound to an animation and now users have the ability to edit the volume of the particular sound.

Once an object has been added, select it and click on the "Custom Animation" button in the "Animation" group on the "Animations" tab.

Select an animation from the "Add Effect" button and make any settings needed for the specific animation.

Once added, simply double-click on the animation in the "Custom Animation" wizard on the right side of the screen.

This window allows users to add sound and set some other specific settings.

Click on the "Sounds" drop down to select a sound.  Once the sound has been selected, simply click on the "speaker" icon to the right of the drop down.  Edit the volume by clicking the slider up or down.

Once set, click on the "OK" button to save the changes and return to the PowerPoint presentation.

PowerPoint Master Slides

PowerPoint has the option for "Headers and Footers" much like Word and Excel.  However, it is very limited.

To create Headers and Footers that are not limited, use Master Slides.

To do so, follow these steps:

PowerPoint 2003 (and older):

Click View | Master and choose which Masters you wish to apply your changes.

Once in the Master, you may add whatever you wish to appear on every slide.  For example, you may wish to add a Logo in the background and you may wish to add a Header and/or Footer.  Just remember that everything you place on the Master Slide will appear on every slide.

Once you've made your changes or additions, remember to click on View and go back to "Normal".  This will ensure you are no longer working in the Master Slides.

PowerPoint 2007:

Click on the "View" Ribbon and choose the Master Slide you wish to apply your changes.

As with 2003, make any changes and additions you wish and they will appear on every slide.  However, there is a small difference in 2007:  you can make changes to each layout style within the Master Slides.

Now, your PowerPoint presentations can and will look very professional.  It's that simple!