Right, I'm trying to figure out the best way to edit gifs for a few friends, maybe more. I've edited a few videos, but have never edited gifs and have never done anything like spiral eyes or the like.

Does anyone have any advise, or programs they'd recommend or a good how-to guide? I also know there was a program called spiral_eyes.exe for live action videos that was posted to reddit about 2 years ago, but it appears to have been pulled since then. If anyone happens to know where I could get that program, that'd be great.

To me, it would be making it in Adobe After Effects.
Mask out the eyes, make or add the effect, and make the gif with an addon that i bought.
I believe this is the addon aescripts.com/gifgun/
It converts what ever you need just by the click of a button.

good luck!

I have a copy of the spiral eyes program, if you want it. Just give me somewhere to drop the zip file. Otherwise, I have little advice to offer, as I use GIMP; but my gifs aren't edits, just very clean slices of existing *ahem* home videos with my special someone.

If you've still got it, I'd really like to program as well. I usually download things off of MEGA or dropbox but whatever works for you I'm willing to work with as long as it's free

Sorry it took so long! Had to find the file, then get my account back in order, and upload it.

www.dropbox.com/s/mibfn716lzxud62/spiral_eyes.zip?dl=0