Yes, there’s a more efficient way to shift the starting point of a looping GIF directly using ffmpeg without manually extracting, renaming, and reassembling the frames. You can use filters to rearrange the frames in the GIF directly.

Tools for an even simpler approach:

If you prefer a graphical tool, EZGIF.com is an online tool that allows you to rearrange GIF frames visually and quickly. You can upload the GIF, reorder the frames, and export it directly from the browser.

Let me know if you'd like help with a different approach!