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N.B.: The above are small, very abbreviated versions in animated .GIF to meet file size requirements of the off-blog hosting site for animated .GIF.
Image size, length in frames, and colors have been severely reduced while still trying to maintain as much of the original integrity of the files as possible.
Reducing animated .GIF size to meet file size requirements is a complex process, involving both color compression and other procedures. Though some software algorithms are fairly successful in reducing animated .GIF image size and sorting colors--to generate thumbnails, for example--many other algorithms often mutilate .GIF files under JPG/JPEG-MPEG or Flash compression beyond all reognition.
However good the automated algorithms, a manual process fit to the specific image and animation always has the advantage.
In the cases above, for example, one went through several discrete steps, reducing image size, eliminating marginal frames, using a custom visible palette of 256 colors, and then reducing the colors adaptively from 256 to 150.
A still image from the original file, intended eventually as a segment in video, follows. Click on the image to view at full size and resolution:
