For our first Visual Assignment from the DS106 Assignment Bank we had to create an animated GIF from our favorite or least favorite movie that captured the essence of a key scene. The assignment was titles “Say in Like Peanut Butter.” The only directions we were given was to make sure that the movement is minimal but essential. We had to figure out how to make it ourselves using our resources. I knew right away that my roommate Erin would know how to make a GIF, she’s a digital studies major, she took this course, and she interned for an online blog this summer, but I wanted to try to figure it out on my own before I asked her. There were a couple tutorials on the assignment page, but I decided to ask the all knowing Google first.
Google gave me four easy steps and a website to generate my GIF.
- Upload images. Click the upload button and select as many images as you want.
- Arrange images. Drag and drop the images you selected until you get them ordered correctly.
- Adjust options. Adjust the Delay until the speed of your GIF looks normal.
- Generate.
So I followed the instructions and before I knew it I had a GIF. This website was extremely easy to use. As far as embedding my GIF it gave me codes to do so, but they don’t appear when I preview my blog post. I had this same problem with embedding a link from twitter into my blog. It also provided me with a code but it didn’t appear when I previewed or published it. I read the “Blogging Tips for ds106” article that tells you how to embed media, but it doesn’t tell you how to embed from the website that I used. I’m going to watch a video on how to do it and hopefully that will solve the problem. If not I’m going to try to add my GIF to either Vimeo or YouTube and then embed from there.
Not only can you make GIFs from pictures on this website but you can also make them from videos, that is what I did. I retrieved the video of the scene from YouTube and then pasted the link into the URL box. The website then brought up the entire video and I selected the section I wanted to use for my GIF and wahlah my GIF was made. The website allows you to add text to your GIF, crop it, reverse it, and then add it to there website or download it to your computer.
I chose the movie Grease as my inspiration for this assignment because it’s one of my favorite movies. I was also listening to the soundtrack on my three hour drive back to campus, before I made this GIF so that might have influenced my choice a little too. We had to chose a part that captured the essence of a scene. I believe that the iconic line that Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy, recited embodies the end of the movie and the changes the characters go through. It demonstrates the change from sweet, innocent Sandy to rebellious Sandy. 
Her line “Tell me about it, stud” gives off a sexual and seductive tone that leads to the end of the movie. It shows how Sandy is conforming to Danny’s ways and vise versa. It leave the audience with hope and happiness as the two leave Rydell High School behind.
x Kelsey
