Convert a video to GIF format
1 FIND A VIDEO ONLINE
If you have the copyright holder’s permission, or you uploaded it yourself, you can download a video from the web to turn into a GIF. Download and install 4K Video Downloader ( www.4kdownload.com), then find the video you want online and copy its address from your web browser. Open 4K Video Downloader and click the green ‘Paste link’ button.
2 SAVE IT TO YOUR PC
You’ll now be prompted to choose a quality option. Part of the appeal of animated GIFs is their small size, so the ‘High quality 480p’ option is fine. Leave the format as MP4, choose a location for the saved file – we recommend either your desktop or your Videos directory – and click Download. You’ll see a green progress bar; once this is full, your video is ready.
3 CAPTURE A VIDEO FROM YOUR SCREEN
If you want to make a GIF from a game or other software, you need free screen recorder OBS Studio. It might look intimidating at first, but it’s remarkably easy to use. Download it from https:// obsproject.com/download and run the installer. You don’t need the plug-ins, so feel free to uncheck them. When it’s done, launch the software and skip the optimisation wizard.
4 START AND STOP RECORDING
Click the ‘+’ icon under Sources and select ‘Display capture’ from the drop-down menu. Click the ‘Start recording’ button on the right, then minimise OBS Studio and do whatever you want to record. When you’ve finished, maximise the recorder and click ‘Stop recording’. The captured footage will be saved automatically in FLV format, and stored in your Videos directory.
5 DOWNLOAD SHOTCUT
Whether you’ve downloaded a video, recorded your own, or found one somewhere else, Shotcut is the best tool for converting it to GIF format. It’s totally free, doesn’t add watermarks to your videos, and is packed with lots of handy tools and filters to make your GIFs look great. Download it from www.shotcut.org and run the installer. When it’s done, click Close and launch the program.
6 CROP YOUR VIDEO
Click ‘Open file’ and load your chosen video. GIFs work best if they’re tightly cropped to focus on the most important part of the action. If your video needs cropping, click Filters, then click the ‘+’ icon to add a new filter. Click the small monitor icon to see video filters, then click Crop. Now use the sliders to adjust how much is cut off the top, bottom and sides of the video.
7 KEEP IT BRIEF
Drag the video preview into the timeline at the bottom of the screen. Try to make your GIF ten seconds long or less. Drag the vertical white bar (the playhead) along the waveform until you find the point where you want your GIF to start and click ‘Split at playhead’. Select the section of video you want to remove and tap [Delete]. Now do the same for the end of the video.
8 PREPARE TO EXPORT
When you’ve trimmed your video down to a few seconds, click Export and select GIF as the format. Now take a look at the resolution. The ideal size of the GIF will depend on where you’re planning to use it, but a resolution of 800x600 should be fine for most purposes. Click the Codec tab and change the codec to GIF – you’ll need to scroll down a little to find it.
9 SAVE YOUR GIF
GIF format doesn’t support sound, so click Audio and select ‘Disable audio’. Reduce the frame rate to approximately 15fps, click ‘Export file’, give it a name ending in the extension .gif and click Save. A status bar on the right will show you when it’s finished processing. Congratulations, you’ve turned a video into an animated GIF, ready to share wherever you like.
10 GET THE SIZE RIGHT
Want to share your GIF on a certain site, but not sure about the best size? Sprout Social has a handy guide at http://bit. ly/2AtqVL4/ that shows you the optimum image dimensions for all the most popular social networks, including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. It’s a very useful reference that will help ensure your GIFs look as good as possible when you publish them.