5 Tips for Creating a
Festive Holiday GIF
Filmmaker Iz Harris shows you how to raise the bar on your holiday cards.
This year, dare to be different and make your holiday card a crowd favorite. Iz Harris is revamping the traditional season’s greetings and getting into the GIF-giving spirit. Check out her tips on how to make a GIF for Instagram that dazzles your followers.
Set the scene
Make your surroundings magical. A well-lit tree and some twinkling lights will give you some dreamy bokeh effects while showing off your home’s glittering holiday vibe. Wondering what type of lights work best? “I love the vintage, colorful, ceramic bulbs and the bokeh they create, so I always use these,” says Iz.
Start capturing
Gather your people and get ready to record your video. If you’re filming with a group, then Ultra Wide is the way to go. “We found the Ultra Wide lens to be invaluable when trying to squeeze each of us into a shot together,” says Iz. Another option is to record your video from a distance using your S Pen as a control.
Add some holiday flair
A little motion can add energy and visual interest to your video. For Iz, a simple way to do this is playing with what’s around you. "I love capturing the real moments, the hanging of ornaments, placing the star on a tree, or playing house with the toy reindeer,” she says.
"I love capturing the real moments, the hanging of ornaments, placing the star on a tree, or playing house with the toy reindeer.”
Make a GIF
Now that you’ve captured the magic, it’s time to transform your recording into a GIF. Simply launch your Gallery app and press “play” on your video. Once the video starts rolling, select the GIF icon in the upper-right corner of your screen. From here, you can edit playback speed and trim the content. Once you’re satisfied, just hit save.
Share instantly
All done? Tap “share” straight from your phone’s gallery and post your GIF directly to Instagram. Now the only thing left is coming up with a great caption.