Photo-Based Animated Gif with Photoshop and ImageReady

Minnesota 9-12 Media Arts Standards
Used in this Lesson

  • 1. Demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of the arts area.
  • 1A. Analyze how the elements in media arts such as image, sound, space, time, motion and sequence, are combined to communicate meaning in the creation of, presentation of, or response to media arts.

  • 1b. Evaluate how the principles of media arts such as repetition, unity and contrast are used in the creation of, presentation of, or response to media artworks.

  • 1c. Analyze how the characteristics of a variety of styles and genres such as documentary, narrative or abstract, contribute to the creation of, presentation of, or response to media artworks.

  • 1d. Apply understanding of the health and safety issues related to creating in media arts.

  • 2. Demonstrate knowledge and use of the technical skills of the art form, integrating technology when applicable.
  • 2a. Integrate tools, materials, and techniques to create original products for artistic purposes.

  • 2b. Integrate linear and non-linear software including video- and sound-editing software to create original products for expressive intent.

  • 3. Demonstrate understanding of the personal, social, cultural and historical contexts that influence the arts areas.
  • 3a. Analyze how a work in media arts influences and is influenced by the personal, social, cultural and historical contexts, including the contributions of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.

  • 3b. Synthesize and express an individual view of the meanings and functions of media arts.
  • 4. Create or make in a variety of contexts in the arts area using the artistic foundations.
  • 4a. Create a single, complex work or multiple works in media arts.

  • 4b. Revise creative work based on artistic intent and using multiple sources of critique and feedback.

  • 4c. Justify an artistic statement, including how audience and occasion influence creative choices.

  • 5. Perform or present in a variety of contexts in the arts area using the artistic foundations.
  • 5a. Present, exhibit, publish or demonstrate collections of media artworks for different audiences and occasions.

  • 5b.Revise a presentation based on artistic intent and using multiple sources of critique and feedback.

  • 5c. Justify artistic intent, including how audience and occasion influence presentation choices.
  • 6. Respond to or critique a variety of creations or performances using the artistic foundations.
  • 6a. Analyze, interpret and evaluate a variety of media artworks by applying self-selected criteria within the traditions of the art form.

  • 6b. Justify choices of self-selected criteria based on knowledge of how criteria affects criticism.

    • Additional Tie-ins

  • Animation History
  • Story Telling
  • Animation timing
    • Students are introduced to animated gif's through a few examples. The best gif's are ones that are repeatable, meaning that the first and last frame are nearly the same.

    A sense of motion can be achieved by attaching the camera to a tripod to keep it stationary, taking a picture of some object, then moving that object slightly and taking another picture. Repeating this process will result in a series of photos that, when viewed in quick succession give the impression of motion or animation.

    Students are to:
  • 1. take a series of pictures that show some sort of motion
  • 2. resize them to no larger than 6 inches
  • 3. Use photoshop in some way to add or take away something in each photo
  • 4. Save the images into a folder
  • 5. Open Imageready and, under the "File" menu, choose, "Import folder as frames"
  • 6. Tweak the animation as needed by rearranging/repeating frames or adjusting the timing
  • 7. Optimize animation and then, under the "File" menu, "Save Optimized as.."
  • 8. Save animation as "Animation your initials.gif"


    • Evaluation:
    2 point -- Smooth motion (not just stuff appearing and disappearing, steady camera)
    2 points -- Repeatable/cyclical
    3 points -- Quality of original photos
    3 points -- Creative Use of Photoshop
    10 points total


    List of sample animations:
    Katie Y
    Jason Z
    Barking Dog
    Chain Production