The GIF format is one of the oldest in the world of computing, but in the 21st century it has found different methods to renew itself. Beyond its wide use on networks like Tumblr and Reddit, the GIF in its animated variant has given way to the Split Depth GIF, which generates a false sense of 3D with a couple of white bars, and the careful editing of its creator.
Honestly, I don't know what more can be added about the animated GIF. Absolute conqueror of Tumblr, communicator par excellence on portals like Reddit, a new form of art, a world record… the list goes on. CompuServe presented the GIF format in 1987, the same year Microsoft launched Windows 2.0 to the market. That helps us have a better idea of its age, although that detail matters little to the legion of fans of Sherlock and Supernatural who create animated GIFs from every frame in both series. As I have said on previous occasions, it is impossible to enter the Web without coming across some animated GIF, but in recent times we have found something more: animated GIFs that seem to escape their original frame, with two or more vertical white bars.
These are the Split Depth GIFs. Many call them 3D animated GIFs, but it's obvious that their effect comes from a visual trick enhanced by the presence of white bars, one more reminder of how easy it is to deceive our eyes. The most interesting thing is that in some works they have also played with horizontal bars, therefore, the effect is much more flexible than it seems. Nor should you expect very big changes in the size of the final GIF; however, it's advisable to take that last point with a pinch of salt. An innocent animated GIF with a couple of white bars can be hiding several megabytes of frames that make the file impossible to load on many portals.
Split Level is young, but it has enormous potential.
How to make a Split Depth GIF
Well, I suppose you want to know how to make a Split Depth GIF. The first option is the nuclear one: Adobe Photoshop or equivalent, frame-by-frame editing, a good dose of masks, precision, and a lot of patience. As an alternative, there is a new tool called Split Level, which is Java-based, but works quite well despite its early development. Finally, there is the site 3Depth, which has begun to take its first steps, in an attempt to become the definitive tool for creating Split Depth GIFs online.
Even so, the first technical stop for anyone interested is the subreddit dedicated to these GIFs, with almost 40,000 readers.
