Would you like to learn how to make cool animated GIFs? Would you like to win a $100 UMD Stores gift card for taking 1st place in one of four categories in our GIFable UMD contest?
Whether you’re new to GIF creation or a seasoned GIFer, we’ll make it easy for you to capture your unique UMD story in a GIF. All participants must be currently enrolled students at UMD.
Deadline for Entry: April 4
Four Easy Steps to GIF Glory & Prizes
- Take original pictures & video OR find images from Kathryn A. Martin Library’s Archives and Special Collections. The images or video must be your original work or found in public domain materials within Martin Library digital resources. [See Minnesota Reflections.]
- Decide which categories to enter. You can submit one GIF per category. Each GIF must be less than 10 seconds in duration.
- Animate your media to tell your UMD story. We’ve got everything you need to learn how to make amazing GIFs. We recommend you attend one of our hands-on workshops on Wednesday, February 7, offered from 3-4 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. (take your pick) in the Media Hub (2nd floor of the library). You'll get help from highly trained GIF experts courtesy of the Media Hub and from Martin Library’s Archivist Aimee Brown. Please bring or choose source materials in advance to make the most of this help session. We’ll also have a photo booth to allow you to capture selfies to include in your GIFs.
- Submit your GIFs (one entry per form and one entry per category) through the GIFable UMD entry form by April 4, 2018. By entering the contest, you give permission for your GIF to be used by the Kathryn A. Martin Library in any social media, via web pages, on the Library's GIPHY channel, or in teaching presentations.
Categories
You can submit one entry per category.
- Library Scenes. Take a selfie in the library, or shoot a book- or research-themed image to animate. Remember, two of the judges are librarians!
- UMD Life. What's your story? What connects you to UMD, to classmates, to Duluth?
- Time Capsule (Based on Library Special Collections). Find an historical image about Duluth or UMD on the Minnesota Reflections site and make it dance! UMD Archivist Aimee Brown can help you find an image if you need assistance.
- Wild Card (Use Your Imagination). Choose this category if your GIF doesn't fit in any of the others. We're flexible!
Prizes
Winners in each category will receive a $100 UMD Stores gift card.
The Rules
- All entries must be less than 10 seconds long.
- Entries must be in GIF file format (.gif).
- File sizes must be 10MB or less.
- The images or videos in your GIF must be your original photography or obtained from the Library's digitized historical collections.
- Keep it clean. We reserve the right to reject and not share GIFs that do not represent UMD in a positive light.
- You must obtain permission to use images of individuals who appear in your GIF (excluding large crowds and historical public domain materials).
Note: You must use the entry form to enter the contest. To keep things simple, start a new form for each category you enter.
How Winners Are Selected
A distinguished panel of judges will choose the winning GIF in each category:
- Librarian Kim Pittman
- Librarian Ian Moore
- Assistant Professor David Short, School of Fine Arts
- Student Engagement Assistant, Library Communication & Events team
More about GIFable UMD
Based on a contest conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the GIFable UMD competition encourages students to create new, fun, and unique artworks from either original pictures or digitized historical material available through Kathryn A. Martin Library special collections. Animated GIFs are becoming very popular for sharing reactions, emotions, humor, art, and stories on digital platforms.
How-To Tips
Not sure how to make a GIF? Don’t worry about it! You have a few different options:
- Use the GIPHY Cam app for your iOS or Android device to shoot video or photos and adapt them into GIFs.
- Use existing photos or videos and adapt them using the GIPHY Cam app.
- Use existing photos or videos, your own or from the library archives, and edit them using Photoshop. Check out this tutorial for more help, or come to our GIF workshops in the Media Hub on February 7!
Any method is acceptable as long as the GIF is 10 seconds or shorter, and submitted in .gif format.
Key Dates
Wednesday, February 7 (3 & 7 p.m.): GIF-making Workshops in the Media Hub
Wednesday, April 4: Deadline for Entry
Thursday, April 12: Winners Announced
Note: Winners will be announced through the library’s website and news releases. You can view current entries on the Kathryn A. Martin Library GIPHY channel.
Questions?
For information about the contest, contact Ian Moore, [email protected] (218-726-6955), or Charlene Brown, [email protected] (218-726-8539).
For help finding Kathryn A. Martin Library special collections images in the public domain, contact Archivist Aimee Brown, [email protected] (218-726-8526).