How to Start Telling Stories with GIFs

GIFs never seem to get old or go out of style.These animated silent loops have dominated the world of online memes for some time now, going viral on blogs and social media more times than we can count.Just consider The New York Times’ GIF game during the Olympics. In addition to producing a GIF-centered interactive story on gymnast Simone Biles, they experimented with GIF-like graphics to show just how fast Olympians Katie Ledecky and Usain Bolt are in their respective events.What’s clear here is that GIFs make for great short-form storytelling — especially in an attention economy where audiences crave imagery and other snackable bites of information.Here are six tools to try now, if you’re looking to enhance your communication with animated GIFs.1. GIFs.comGIFs.com makes GIF creation look easy. To get started, simply search for the video you want to use or paste a video URL directly into the search bar.The site supports video from YouTube, Vine, Vimeo, Facebook, and Instagram. You also can upload your own video files.Once your file is in, you’re taken to a simple editor, where you can select the frames you want to use for your GIF. You can add captions, stickers, fun effects and more.2. GIPHYGIPHY.com is essentially the godfather of GIF search engines. If you’ve ever been on the hunt for a good GIF to send a friend or coworker, you likely stumbled on this site.To create a GIF here, head to the “Create” tab, and upload your video file or link to begin creating your animated file in its easy-to-use interface. You also can edit existing GIFs or create a mashup.If you’re feeling uninspired, take a look around. There’s no shortage of GIF inspiration here.3. RecorditRecordit allows you to create a GIF from a selection on your screen — a great tool for sharing a snippet of an interactive piece on your site.This quick and easy application lives in the tray or menu bar of your computer, and allows you to start recording with just a couple of clicks, as shown in the GIF demo below.Once you’re done recording, a pop-up allows you to view and share the GIF immediately.

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