GIF IT UP

GIF IT UP is an annual international gif-making campaign that encourages people to create new, fun, and unique gif artworks from digitized cultural heritage materials. Entrants are invited to search, discover, adapt, and reuse public domain and openly licensed video clips, images, art, documents, or other materials found in DPLA or international partner libraries Europeana, Trove, and DigitalNZ. GIF IT UP winning entries are determined by a panel of judges and prizes are awarded. However, the campaign is not just a contest; it is an opportunity to celebrate open collections, have fun, and create art.

The inaugural GIF IT UP was held in 2014 and the campaign has taken place annually since then. View a summary of each year’s contest below, including entries and winners, as well as tips, tools, and resources for gif-making year round.

GIF IT UP 2018 takes place October 1-31

Find contest rules, gif-ready materials, and submission information on the contest website.

GIF IT UP 2017 submission by Franck Grosbois, using this patent drawing from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Submission Rules

To enter GIF IT UP, you need to make a gif with material(s) which you have found in DPLA, Europeana, DigitalNZ, or Trove. Your source material must come from at least one of these four sources and be clearly marked as:

  • in the public domain;
  • have a ‘no known copyright restrictions’ statement;
  • or have a Creative Commons license which allows for reuse.

Detailed submission guidelines will be announced for each year’s contest.

GIF-making Resources

New to GIF-making? Watch our how-to webinars, “GIF Making 101” and “Advanced GIF Making,” which were recorded for GIF IT UP 2016 and try out GIPHY’s GIF Maker tool to get started.

Resources recommended by “Advanced GIF Making,” presenters Darren Cole and Richard Naples:

Past Competitions