How to Use FFmpeg to Create a GIF from Images That Last 5 Seconds

When it comes to creating a GIF from a series of images, understanding the basics of frame rates and video production is essential. A frame rate refers to the number of pictures displayed per second, which can be a lot, especially when working with high-quality videos. For instance, one minute of 1080p video can weigh only 15 MiB, while a single image can weigh up to 1 MiB.

In general, videos from the United States contain 30 frames per second, which is what you see when you pause a video and realize that faces don't look good. This is because images are extracted from videos at a rate of one frame per second, resulting in an optical illusion that makes it appear as if the image is moving.

In contrast, computers do not have this problem, and cinema and movie theaters use black pictures between each image to switch frames quickly due to slow mechanisms. To understand how videos work, it's essential to know that they are based on a series of images that change quickly.

FFmpeg is a software that uses filters for video and audio conversion and editing. It supports the greatest number of different codecs, making it an excellent tool for creating videos from images. If you're interested in building a video based on images, FFmpeg can help you with that task too.

To create a GIF using ffmpeg that lasts 5 seconds, follow these steps:

1. First, install ffmpeg if you haven't already.

2. Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where your images are located.

3. Use the following command to convert your images into a video: `ffmpeg -i %03d.png -vf scale=-1 output.mp4`

* `%03d` represents the numbering of your images (e.g., 001.png, 002.png, etc.)

* `scale=-1` scales the video to fit the resolution of your images

* `output.mp4` is the name and format of your output file

4. Once you've created your video, use the following command to convert it into a GIF: `ffmpeg -i output.mp4 -vf scale=-1 output.gif`

5. Adjust the duration of your GIF by adding the `-t` option followed by the desired length in seconds. For example: `ffmpeg -i output.mp4 -vf scale=-1 -t 5 output.gif`

By following these steps, you can create a GIF from your images that lasts for 5 seconds using FFmpeg.

Ffmpeg gif make picture last 5 seconds