As an editor I’m often handed a bunch of photos to use, and quite often these are the only visuals I have to work with. So it’s important to try and come up with new and interesting ways to incorporate still images in a moving video sequence. Here are some excellent examples for inspiration:
The Kid Stays In The Picture
Probably the most copied style, separating the elements of a photo and moving them on different planes (parallax). You’ve seen it everywhere, but this is the original and the best.
WWF Parallax Sequence – Make Productions
Taking the parallax effect a bit further, the elements of these photos have been separated in Photoshop and animated in After Effects, giving the impression of ultra slow motion.
La Jetée
French Science Fiction short, La Jetée, was the inspiration for 12 Monkeys. Made in 1962, it consists entirely of still images. They aren’t animated, but the editing brings them to life.
Terminal Bar – Tourist Pictures
Bartender Sheldon Nadelman shot over 1,500 photos during his stint at the Terminal Bar in Times Square. His son Stefan animated them in this prize-winning short.
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the rostrum camera, for years the method of capturing photos on film, mainly by the great Ken Morse.