Welcome! The posting rules here are fairly strict, but I hope you understand. The goal here is to curate high effort GIFs from the Fediverse. That being said, here are the rules:
- Posts much be at least 25 fps.
- Lewd content is not allowed. Go to redgifs for that.
- The GIF must be clear, with no artifacts.
- Watermarks can not be displayed in the GIF, but providing a link toward more of your OC is fine.
- No audio.
- Black bars around the GIF are allowed only if they are involved in some kind of transition.
- Potaton't: This one is kind of subjective, but remember the goal is to post high quality here.
- These are GIFs, not memes. Try to avoid meme-style "impact bold" topt text and bottom text. The content should be clearly visible at all times.
- Hosting is something you'll have to figure out for yourself. WEBM is allowed since you'd be cutting down file size by a lot. https://catbox.moe works decently well for files under 200mb.
Now that the rules are out of the way, some free tools that you can use to make your own HQ GIFs:
- OpenShot: Great for complete newbs. Easy editing and good export options.
https://www.openshot.org/
- KDEnlive: More advanced editor that can be used for more professional work, steeper learning curve, but still approachable
https://www.kdenlive.org
- Olive Video Editor: My personal recommendation. Solid middle ground tool. Non-linear nature may take getting used to for a beginner.
- Davinci Resolve: Actual professional level application. The learning curve is very high, but not insurmountable.
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com