Cinemagraph are photograph stills where a small portion of the photo is animated. The term cinemagraph was first coined by photographers Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck.
Cinemagraphs were created by combining a video recording a series of photographs. Using photo editing software such as adobe photoshop, the section to be animated is “masked” into the still photo. In other words, just to make a complicated thing sound simple, you are seeing a small snippet of looped video laid on top of a photo. This allows you to create some fanscinating and amazing photos. Some are beautiful like a person sitting on a beach with the waters sparkling. Some are straight up scary, where eye balls suddenly move or some something unexpected moves in the photo.
Cinemagraphs are more startling when the photo is clearly a still (depicted by something that is normally moving that is frozen) while another portion that should be still has subtle movements.
See some great examples from around the web below:
Sorry, couldn’t figure out the source as these photos are everywhere.
VOTE BELOW FOR YOUR FAVORITE
Let us know what you think of this new Cinemagraph style!
21 Amazing Cinemagraph Photography to Blow Your Mind
Cinemagraph – Beautiful Beach Ocean
Cinemagraphs – Beautiful Beach Ocean
Cinemagraph – Sizzling Bacon
Cinemagraphs – Bacon Sizzle – My Kind of Photography!
Cinemagraph – Birthday Candles
Cinemagraphs – Candles
Cinemagraph – Newspaper Reading at Park
This One Blew Me Away! Stunning Cinemagraph.
Cinemagraph – Cat Ears
Cinemagraph – Cat Ears Wiggle
Cinemagraph – Coffee Latte Stir
Cinemagraph – Coffee Latte Stir
Cinemagraph – Dr Strangelove Facial Expression
Dr Strangelove Facial Expression – Hilarious!
Cinemagraph – Expresso Coffee Machine
Never thought, staring at an Expresso Coffee Machine was so Fascinating
Cinemagraph – Scary Moving Eyes
Moving Eyes – Like a Bad Horror Film
Cinemagraph – Time Watch
Hey I Remember when Those Watches Were Popular!.. did i just date myself?
Cinemagraph – Windy Clothes
A Slight Breeze. Very Harry Potter Like
Cinemagraph – Fresh Tomatoes on Vine
What I Would do to Bite into those Tomatoes (w/ some sugar)
Cinemagraph – Wine Pouring
Cinemagraph – Never Ending Wine
Cinemagraph – Freaky Shining
Speaking of Freaky – Shining?
Cinemagraph – Hot Dog Stand
Cinemagraph – Hot Dog Stand – Mmm Hungry
Cinemagraph – Ketchup Bottle
Cinemagraph – Ketchup Bottle for that Hot Dog Above!
Cinemagraph – Pigeon Hangout
Cinemagraph – Pigeon Hangout
Cinemagraph – Picture Model
Cinemagraphs is the Most Popular in the Fashion Industry
Cinemagraph – Scary Models
Honestly, I find these Model shots Absolutely Frightening
Cinemagraph – Scary Movie
Another Clip from some Scary Movie I’d Never Watch
POLL: Which Cinemagraphs were your Favorites! [Pick up to 3]
[poll id=”31″]
Cinemagraph App on App Store
There is an App called Cinemagram that makes it easy to do this on your phone!
Button below should take you to the Cinemagram App:
Cinemagraph Tutorial Video
For those who are too curious and want to know. You can watch this video. Warning: Not for the technically impaired. Those of you impaired should just get the Cinemagram App.
The Impact of iPhone’s Design on the Mobile Phones
Sometimes pictures speak louder than words. It was not that long ago that you could walk into a “cellphone” store and find some hundred varieties of phones that all looked completely different. Flip phones, slide out phones, long keyboards, no keyboards and so on. Apple has already disrupted the computer industry, the music industry, mobile industry and perhaps soon the TV industry, but in doing so, they have also become a leader in design. Mobile phone designs are becoming homogeneous because every phone needs to be able to accomodate whatever features Apple popularized on their own phones and tablets (touchscreen, sliding gestures, on screen keyboards, web browsing etc). See for yourself. Check out these images circulating around the internet.
Influence of iPad’s Design on Tablets
What is your opinion? Is it legitimate to say Apple is the leading designer in these categories?
So people have been asking. This Pinterest thing seems to be the newest fad and Pinterest growing pretty fast. How can I get an invite so I can try it out or at least figure out if it is something worthwhile?
Pinterest is a “virtual pinboard” used to share images from around the web. Many businesses are now using it as a way of attracting visitors to their sites. Pinterest is already growing to be a big traffic driver for a lot of retailers as people “pin” up products they like or things they find artsy or beautiful.
Ok enough talk, so how can I get an invite!
Two Ways to get an Pinterest Invite
1. Ask around for an Invite!
It’s cool. It’s not like begging for an invite to a party you aren’t invited to. You’ll be surprised how many of your friends are already on Pinterest and pinning away. Just ask people on Facebook, Twitter and see if one of your friends already have an account. Then when they offer, first accept the invite, open your account then say “Why didn’t you invite me earlier! You hid this from me! You are not my friend!” JK.
2. Ask Clean Cut Media for an invite!
We are happy to give away a few invites, but we’d like to give it to our most engaged readers so here is what you can do to secure an invite from us. It’s easy. See below!
Securing an Invite from Clean Cut Media
Please do both #1 & #2 and the Invite will come your way quicker than you can say Pinterest!
1) Leave a comment below telling us how you plan to use the account! (valid email so we can invite!)
2) Follow Us on Facebook & Twitter – and send us a note via one of these accounts asking for the Pinterest invite!
Twitter has announced through it’s blog that it could “reactively withhold content from users in a specific country”. Basically, twitter is saying it has the right to remove content if it is against the laws of a particular country or if needed by special request.
This created a bit of controversy.
Is upholding Freedom of Speech important enough to break local laws?
Twitter Controversy – Freedom of Speech > Local Laws?
Freedom of information advocacy groups criticized the decision, afraid that it curbs the freedom of information and expression. Their concern is that it opens a dangerous precedent. Twitter’s response is that as they enter countries “that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression,” that they need to comply to such laws. One example is France and Germany banning pro-Nazi content. Of course, there are more controversial bans such as China’s famous suppression of information regarding Tienanmen Square, and more recently the killing sites discussing human rights issues during the Beijing games.
Twitter has said that they have not used this ability yet, but if they do, they said “we will attempt to let the user know, and we will clearly mark when the content has been withheld”. They also admitted that some country’s views on this issue is so divergent that they won’t be able to exist there at all. China is one such country where twitter has been banned altogether due to being a source of news the government does not look kindly on.
Questions to Ponder about Twitter
Is Freedom of Speech being violated considering this Local Laws of other countries may differ?
Should we demand Twitter to uphold Freedom of Speech, if it means ignoring Local Laws if other countries?
Is Freedom of Speech a right that goes beyond Laws, a higher right that everyone deserves?
Pinterest is a clever social media bookmarketing site where users can “pin up” pictures and snippets of interest from all around the web. Users create pin boards in different categories and share with all their friends who then can repin your pin ups to further spread the fun. Pin board categories can be anything from Humor, Weddings, Photography, Art, Gadgets or anything else the user desires.
Pinterest is Rising in the Social Media Ranks
Pinterest has been growing rapidly, increasing 400% just in the last quarter. In December Pinterest had 7.51 million unique visitors. Many retailers are also showing Pinterest as a top 5 referrer.
Pinterest on Clean Cut Media
Clean Cut Media has also felt it’s impact as we have been seeing a stream of visitors from many of our Chalk Art pictures being pinned up on various pin boards. Pinterest has lodged itself as a top 5 referrer here as well!
Clean Cut Media also has a pinterest where we will do our best to post some of the great examples of clean creativity and art across the web.
Pinterest Infographic
Have you tried Pinterest? How do you like it?
Do you feel Pinterest is a fad, or an idea that will continue to grow?
How do I get a Pinterest Invite?
Dying to try it out but don’t know how to get an Pinterest invite?
We are happy to give our readers an invite, but since it’s limited, we want to give to our best readers.
How many times have you gone to youtube to watch 1 video and ended up watching 7?
Google confirmed that YouTube is now averaging 4 BILLION views per day. They also confirmed that 60 hours of video is uploaded into the site, every MINUTE.
Then Back in May 2011, a mere 8 months ago, YouTube celebrate it’s 6th birthday by citing YouTube is averaging 3 billion views per day and 48 hours of video uploaded per minute. Incredible. At the time, YouTube cited this is equivalent of every US Resident watching at least 9 videos per day. That is EVERY US RESIDENT. That means if some guy without internet is not watching a video, someone is watching 18 times. But now at 4 Billion Views, YouTube has seen a 50% increase in views in about less than a year. At this rate, they would probably hit 5 billion within 6 months.
Is there a ceiling to this?
How many videos can one person possibly watch in a day?
That is an insane about of videos. We really need a resurgent of hobbies or find some meaningful work! Anyone have any good stories of replacing mundane video watching with something productive?
Ironically having said that, below is a YouTube video highlighting this latest milestone. HA! Add another view to that figure.
Confession Time
So a little confession time. Let us know below in the comments & poll:
How many videos do you think you watch a week?
How many times have you gone to youtube to watch 1 video and ended up watching 7?
Don’t leave out those outliers where you watched 25 videos with your two friends around the couch!
Do you know who has access to your Facebook? Your Twitter? To your Google Account?
What Apps, Programs, Websites have you given access to over time that you have forgotten about?
You may be surprised how many apps have access to your account!
With the new year, take a few minutes to see who has access, and clean it up! A new site called “mypermissions.org” provides links to the various settings pages. It’s quite simple. No login needed. Just click on the link to go to your settings and see who is linked to your account.
If you are so lazy or so fearful of clicking over to another site… I have provided the direct links to your setting pages below. Just click on the links below, log into your account (unless you are already logged in) and you should be at your settings/access page. Just click off the ones you don’t want accessing your data! A fresh new start for 2012.
Merry Christmas Everyone! A little Holiday Post for you all! For all your Musical Lovers and Improv Everywhere lovers… check out this heart warming spontaneous musical at a New Jersey Mall. Who doesn’t enjoy random musicals breaking out at the mall? This one centers around sitting on Santa’s lap.
Look! Santa Claus is Singing a Musical!
Improv Everywhere – Carousel Horse Race
Also enjoy this fun, feel good Improv stunt where the agents take a regular Carousel and make it into a live, legit horserace. Must have been exciting for the kids riding the carousel and the parents who witnessed this spectacle.
Google has released it’s Zeitgeist 2011 statistics. Google Zeitgeist highlights the top search trends of the year. I also see it as a snapshot into our culture because it really highlights recent fads, what sparks our interest and what grabbed the most attention. Whenever I see these lists, it’s a mix of excited curiosity and a bit of sadness over what grabs the most attention in our society. Take it as you will. Here is the top 10 list with some notes and comments for reference.
Top 10 Fastest Rising Google Searches in 2011
1.) Rebecca Black [WHY?!!] 2.) Google+ 3.) Ryan Dunn [He was the main daredevil in the show jacka**. Died this year] 4.) Casey Anthony [Mother was found not guilty of first degree murder charges of her daughter Caylee] 5.) Battlefield 3 [Video Game] 6.) iPhone 5 7.) Adele [Singer] 8.) 東京 電力 (TEPCO) [Japan’s Nuclear Power Plant Evacuated after Quake.] 9.) Steve Jobs 10.) iPad 2
Considering all the tragedies that happened this year, you would think such things would be higher on the list, but Rebecca Black? Really?
Couple more top 5/10 lists for those interested.
Top 5 Google Searches – Gadgets
1.) Amazon Kindle Fire
2.) iPhone 4s
3.) Sidekick 4g
4.) HP Touchpad
5.) Spb Shell 3d
*6) iPad 2 [case you were wondering]
Top 10 Fastest Falling Google Searches in 2011
1.) Myspace [it has traffic to be falling?] 2.) Hi5 [oh I hate those spam friend emails!] 3.) Mebo
4.) Nasza Klasa
5.) Netlog
6.) Baidu [Largest Search Engine in China.] 7.) Wer Kennt Wen
8.) Meinvz
9.) Hotmail Correo
10.) Delta Airlines
Top 5 Clean Cut Media Searches
Only because I know you are dying to know this…
I’ve also linked to the article driving the most traffic.
Note that these statistics favor postings that came earlier in the year since the data is cumulative.
Facebook released the top 40 Most Share Stories on Facebook of 2011. It’s a list dominated by Yahoo and CNN stories ranging from light-hearted articles of babies and dogs to more serious topics such as the Japanese Quake and Steve Jobs.
Here at Clean Cut Media, we’ve posted on a number of articles on these very popular topics from Steve Jobs, the Japanese Quake, to the Golden-Voiced Homeless Man. Finish this article then check them out later!
Top 3 Media & Parenting Related Articles Shared on Facebook
Since we are a media site, we wanted to list below a few notable and well written articles related to MEDIA as well as Parenting. We’ve provided an excerpt so you can get a feel for the article before clicking through. The titles of the Articles are links.
Enjoy! Please leave comments below on your thoughts on the article!
This is a very enjoyable article discussing how even the smallest compliments can really mess up a girl’s perception of what is important especially when it comes to her looks. Considering we’ve written many articles here about a Girl’s Self Image, Young Girl’s Perception of Beauty, among many other similar topics, this article seemed pretty relevant to our readers. I think you’ll find yourself saying “that makes a lot of sense…” Please do comment your thoughts on the comment section below on this post.
Little Maya was all curly brown hair, doe-like dark eyes, and adorable in her shiny pink nightgown. I wanted to squeal, “Maya, you’re so cute! Look at you! Turn around and model that pretty ruffled gown, you gorgeous thing!” But I didn’t. I squelched myself. As I always bite my tongue when I meet little girls, restraining myself from my first impulse, which is to tell them how darn cute/ pretty/ beautiful/ well-dressed/ well-manicured/ well-coiffed they are. What’s wrong with that? … …This week ABC News reported that nearly half of all three- to six-year-old girls worry about being fat. …15 to 18 percent of girls under 12 now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly; …eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down; …25 percent of young American women would rather win America’s Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize. …Even bright, successful college women say they’d rather be hot than smart.
…Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything.
This piece is more of a rant towards parents than anything. However, the rant is still valid in pointing out that parents really need to take more responsibility about how their kids dress and understand how they are really messing up their child’s perception of themselves by dressing them up inappropriate ways. Check it out, then if you feel like ranting about it , leave some comments below on this post ok!
I guess I’ve been out-of-the-loop and didn’t realize there’s been an ongoing stampede of 10-year-old girls driving to the mall with their tiny fists full of cash demanding sexier apparel.
What’s that you say? Ten-year-olds can’t drive? They don’t have money, either? Well, how else are they getting ahold of these push-up bras and whore-friendly panties? Their parents?
Noooo, couldn’t be.
What adult who wants a daughter to grow up with high self-esteem would even consider purchasing such items? What parent is looking at their sweet, little girl thinking, “She would be perfect if she just had a little bit more up top.” …
… It’s easy to blast companies for introducing the sexy wear, but our ire really should be directed at the parents who think low rise jeans for a second grader is cute. They are the ones who are spending the money to fuel this budding trend. They are the ones who are suppose to decide what’s appropriate for their young children to wear, not executives looking to brew up controversy or turn a profit.
This piece is not “media” related per say, but an article I enjoyed mainly because I have many friends who work full time as teachers and understand a little bit of the pains teachers go through. A good interesting read none-the-less. Feel free to comment with your opinions in the comment section below.
Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list “issues with parents” as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel…
…For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don’t fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don’t want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you’re willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future…
…Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has “given” your child, you might need to realize your child “earned” those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education…
Hope you enjoy those! Please leave some comments below and give us your thoughts on these matters!
Online Shopping for Black Friday once again broke all previous records with sales of $816 million, up 26% compared to 2010. Even Thanksgiving Day (November 24th) which traditionally is a low sales day, saw a 18% increase in sales to $479 million.
Cyber Monday is estimated to have produced $1.25 billion dollars in sales (according to ComScore), up 22% from Cyber Monday 2010 which also was a record at the time. Last year we were stunned as Cyber Monday exceeded 1 Billion. However the sales continue to roll in. Other surveys conducted by IBM and eBay found even greater increases of 33% and 25% respectively. It’s final. Americans are spending more and more each year. Doesn’t matter if the economy is down, people will buy what they want.
Black Friday Sales Statistics at $816 Million
Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target & Apple Leads the Way
Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and Apple were the top 5 most visited retailer properties during Black Friday. 50 million Americans were out and about, visiting retail stores to search for the best Black Friday deals. These visitors accounted for a 35% increase in visits versus 2010.
A source from Apple Retail has shared that Apple’s forecast for Black Friday was 4X the normal sales levels. However, by 7PM, Apple had already blown past those forecasts fueled through big ticket items like the iPad and MacBook Air sales.
Other Black Friday Sales & Visit Statistics
Mobile devices accounted for 14.3% of all online Black Friday traffic, up 5.6% and responsible for 9.8% of online sales.
Ecommerce sales were up 59% compared to last year.
Black Friday mentions on Facebook & Twitter was up 110%.
On Cyber Monday, the average American consumer spent $198.26, up 2.6% from 2010. That’s nearly $200 dollars a person folks. More than 1 in 10 people used a mobile device to do research while about 6.6% of sales took place on the mobile device itself. This is 3X compared to 2010.
Mind Boggling Numbers: What do you think?
Any of these statistics surprise you? Disturb you?
Were you able to find anything good on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collin Short Review: It’s Awesome
Super Short Review: Wanting to find a fun book to read? Have extra credits on Audible and want wondering what book to download next? The Hunger Games Trilogy. I read it. Ok. So I listened to the Audiobooks. Almost the same thing. It’s an excellent read (listen?). Very gripping. Dives deep into the psychology of it’s characters and touches upon themes of independence, big brother, the sinfulness (evil) of people, trust and relationships. It’s not for children however, tons of violence as expected from a book centered around… 24 youths forced to… battle to the death… more info below.
The Hunger Games Story
16 year old Katniss Everdeen lives in a post-apocalyptic world in a country called Panem which lies where United States once existed. Panem consist of a wealthy Capitol and 12 surrounding run down districts. The government holds power through an annual event called the Hunger Games where each of the 12 districts chooses a boy and a girl representative or “tributes” to a highly televised battle royale to the death. The Hunger Games is as much as a “show” as is a fight to survive as your popularity can gain you more favors and donations from the outside world. Unfortunately only one of the 24 tributes are allowed to walk out alive. It is a government that controls through fear and resource control. The winning district is rewarded with food and benefits in a world where resources are scarce. Katniss’ younger sister is chosen as a tribute, so Katniss chooses to volunteer to replace her and thus enters the Hunger Games a place of shaky alliances, friendships, suspicion and a lot of posturing.
The Hunger Games Tributes are Chosen - Peeta & KatnissKatniss Displays a "Special" Sign to the District
The Hunger Games the Movie is Coming – Watch the Trailer
This past week, the first theatrical trailer for The Hunger Games was released to the delight of many fans of the book. The Hunger Games the Movie is set to release on March 23, 2012 featuring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. It is expected to be a huge blockbuster considering the Hunger Games Trilogy is one of the best selling books in the modern era. It is regularly in the top reads on Amazon, one of the first to hit 1 million sales on the kindle and easily one of the highest downloaded book on Audible. The rights were picked up by Lionsgate. Word is that it will be PG-13. Watch the trailer below!
The Hunger Games Themes
Government vs Independence: The majors themes in The Hunger Games involve topics of government control vs. personal independence. The “capital” in this book controls the populace through fear and forces the hunger games upon them as a means to assert their power.
Survival vs Value of Human Life: Through the struggle through the hunger games, the themes of survival vs humanity becomes very apparent centered around the value of human life. Lot of the characters struggle through being put in a position of placing their own life against the life of others. What is acceptable for survival? Is it ever ok to hurt (or kill) another person in order to survive? Should one feel guilty over lying and deceiving others as needed?
Will Katniss be able to Kill other Youths if it Came Down to it?
Selfishness of Man: Personally, one thing I appreciate about these stories is that it is very blunt about the innate selfishness of man. People often want to think that deep down inside all people are “good,” but let’s be honest here. When we look at little children who have no concept of image or wearing masks, we know we are born innately selfish. You need to teach them to share. You need to teach them to be thankful. You need to teach them that they just can’t cry because they don’t get what they want and not to bite the kid next to them. When we are honest with ourselves and our thoughts, our motives, we know that we think mainly of ourselves and how we feel above everything else. We know if all boundaries and rules were removed as it is in the scenario in this book, all hell would break loose and eventually everyone would simply do as they please. Thank God for laws, and punishing sticks.
This book is very real about this truth. When it comes down to it, everyone innately wants to serve themselves. It is a beautiful thing to see characters fight their way away from this innate desire to survive to thinking for the good of someone else even while everyone else is becoming dead to their sensitivity. It is often the thoughts of someone Katniss loves that helps her fight from spiraling into just forgetting humanity altogether. But the struggle is very real and very difficult especially for the main protagonist Katniss. You can tell her natural inclination is to mistrust and watch out for herself. Having compassion and love is a considered a “weakness” within the book especially when everyone in the hunger games are just simply trying to outlive one another. This is true of the real world, where the message often tells us that ultimately we need to watch out for ourselves and do what we need to do to get ahead in life. But just like in real life, it is compassion and love that we all know is how it is meant to be. When we see people suppress the urge to serve oneself out of love for another, it is something we know to be right. When people sacrifice their own good for someone they love, we know that is right. Yet again, this is something that does not come naturally. It is hard and something we need to fight for. I think this is portrayed well within the story.
Other Themes: There is this “love conquers all” type of feeling which is not necessarily a great theme to take in blindly without some context.
Warnings: This is NOT a children’s book. When it comes down to it, it is a battle royale so many people die. Also there is a lot of discussion on deception and posturing which without proper understanding can be really confusing. However it is a relatively clean series in all other aspects.
The Hunger Games Trilogy – The Books
The Hunger Games originally released in 2008, followed by Catching Fire in 2009 and Mockingjay in 2010 completing the Hunger Games Trilogy. It has since become one of the most popular, bestselling series. It remained on the New York Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks.
The Audiobook version of the Hunger Games is fantastic. The reader Carolyn McCormick does an excellent job portraying all the various characters guys and girls! Two links for you below.
There is an App called Cinemagram that makes it easy to do this on your phone!
Top 10 Fastest Rising Google Searches in 2011
Top 5 Google Searches – Gadgets
A source from Apple Retail has shared that Apple’s forecast for Black Friday was 4X the normal sales levels. However, by 7PM, Apple had already blown past those forecasts fueled through big ticket items like the iPad and MacBook Air sales.
