PLEASE: Anybody here good with making GIFs?

...Because I'm not, but I've been thinking about a GIF-based project that would REALLY benefit the Classic forum.

Bear with me:

Most people don't have a very good understanding of boxing technique before about 1900. It's hard to visualize, there isn't much film, and most of the (overly complicated) manuals aren't available online.

...But Corbett is!

Contrary to popular belief, Corbett wasn't exactly a brilliant innovator who invented everything from the jab to the left hook. What he was, though, was an excellent, tight, technical fighter. The guy's as close to a "textbook" 19th century fighter as we have on film.

And we DO have him on film. Not only that, but the film is very, very clear.





So, my question is....


Are there any GIF-talented individuals here who'd be willing to chop the four remaining bits of Corbett on film (each about a minute long) into separate techniques, so we could build up a "moving library" of a couple dozen movements?

This would be AMAZINGLY helpful for 19th century boxing research. You'd be singlehandedly revolutionizing the way people learn late-19th century boxing techniques--in moving images rather than just relying on diagrams in a book.





The films are:



Tunney and Corbett "sparring"
http://orphanfilmsymposium.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

Corbett vs. Courtney (Edison Film)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7ZXB7Gjw1E

Corbett & McCoy "sparring"--essentially a technique demonstration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuAcbUV1hFo

Corbett fooling around with Sullivan (demonstrating blocks)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwSitRrhQFQ

 

Preferably slow-motion GIFs....

 

These look a lot better than what I'm capable of doing (i.e. nothing). Did you add the slow-motion in the third one?

More importantly, how much time would it take? I don't want to inconvenience you.

And if several people answer this thread, we could always split the workload up (with each person taking one video or something like that).

 

Your reputation for excellent highlights precedes you. :good

Actually, I more or less am the original uploader of two of the four videos (Corbett v. McCoy and Sullivan / Corbett), or at least have them in digital format. If you wanted those in their original formats, I could give them to whoever wants to GIF-ify them.

The other two, I would have to ask for.

 

Thanks, sitiyzal.

My home computer (which has the Corbett-McCoy footage) is hors de combat at the moment from a rather nasty virus that I'm going to have to figure out how to remove soon. (I'm on a library one at the moment). In the meantime, we'll have to use the Youtube stuff--that way, we'll at least see whether it'll work or not.

I'll go through some of the Youtube footage tomorrow and give you a few time-ranges to put into GIFs.

(I've contacted the owner of the Corbett/Courtney and Corbett/Tunney files. We'll see how that goes).

 

Okay...let's see:


Try the Sullivan film first to see how well this would work.

0:10-0:12, 0:13-0:14, 0:14-0:16, 0:20-0:21, 0:21-0:23, 0:25-0:26

I'm working from the Youtube version so I might have the timing a bit off, but I think that should cover all of Corbett's blocks and arm-cycles.

 

EXCELLENT! :happy

The third one is especially good--it shows the weird under-handed left hook that they used to use, and the forearm defense against it.

Is it possible to separate the two blocks (low and high) in the second sequence, and to slow all of the GIFs down somewhat?