I’ve used a number of different GIF creation tools, and many of them don’t really strike that balance of ease of use and functionality. Some I’ve seen don’t even actually create the GIF, you need to do some extra legwork for that. But Loop? It’s as easy as can be, and sports a few helpful tools to boot.
Naturally the first thing I wanted to make was a short video of a toy, so I grabbed Reaper from the videogame Overwatch and had at it. With a few stop-motion movements he was moving across my desk, facing the camera, and then falling down comically. I’m a regular Ray Harryhausen. It was all incredibly easy to do, and I had full control over each frame at all times with an easy to read interface that allows users to swap the active camera, enable borders, and of course, snap each shot.
After the creation is complete, it’s up to you to speed it up from 1-10 frames per second, which depending on your project can either make it more or less comical. There’s options for 12 filters (including a few artsy ones like a black and white trace or nonsensical choices like extreme pixelation—even the 4% slider, which thankfully exists, is a little too strong), and nine options to split the image up and duplicate it.
Then you’re done! You can export your creation in the usual default iOS manner (iMessage, email, notes, social channels, and direct-to-device). At first I was kind of upset at the notion that there weren’t any other avenues to share (as several proprietary apps require multiple taps), but then it dawned on me—Loop isn’t pushing its own software, and isn’t requiring the creation of yet another hackable username and password.
If it needs “add-on” packs in the form of IAP purchases later (several were just introduced, like importing and back-and-forth looping), so be it. Loop allows me to craft a simple GIF and share it in enough places that I’ll deal with the consequences, so long as I don’t have to sign up for the “Loop Monthly Club” or some other login-forced newsletter.
Loop is an iOS app that can be downloaded for free in the iTunes App Store.