BP4_Animoto

Long gone are the days of photo albums and simplistic slide shows that just rotate through the pictures on our computer.  Animoto takes the concept of slide shows  and displaying pictures to a whole new level.  Animoto is a Web 2.0 tool that creates dynamic, high-quality videos using videos and/or pictures along with a music track.  Within just a few minutes time, the user can generate a unique video that features image transitions that are actually syncing to the beat of the music, including its rhythm and the vocal style.  Given what I recently learned, but didn’t execute well in my iMovie ’09 Essential Training, I found this feature compelling.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at all that Animoto has to offer.  To get started, I created a free Lite account with Animoto.  Under this choice, I can make unlimited, 30-second videos.  In addition, to the Lite account, there’s also the option to create a Plus or Pro account for an annual fee.   At $5/month or $30/year, the Plus account is an affordable option for creating longer videos with the downloading opportunities.  The Pro account is designed for commercial use, with a price point of $39/month or $249/year.  Businesses that want a unique tool to market the value of their service may find that Animoto is an effective promotional tool.  Of course, the number and types of features grows as you move along the pricing plans.

So how easy is it to create a video with Animoto?  Come along with me to take a look-

• First I was prompted to pick a video style (reminds me of selecting a blog template), which determines the look and feel of the video project.  SInce I’m using family pictures from a trip to Niagara Falls, I choose a style called  what else – Water.

• Now it’s time to add video or pictures, from my computer, Facebook account, the Animoto video library, or another website.  I choose to upload family photos from our trip to Niagara Falls.  Since I have a Lite account, Animoto suggests up to 12 photos for the 30-second video.  I chose eight of my favorite pics.

• Adding music is the next step – I decided to pick something from the Animoto Music Library in the Electronica collection.  My final choice was Butterfly.

• Once that’s done, Animoto finalizes the video and works its transition magic.  I received an email that my video was ready within just a few minutes.
• It’s very easy to share your Animoto videos on social media sites, or embed the video with a single line of code into a blog or website.
• One of the best features about Animoto is that you can use the same images to create an entirely new video – no two videos are the same.  I didn’t really like the first rendition so I deleted a couple of pictures, added some text, and spotlighted two of the pictures to make something altogether new.  New videos are rendered even without making a change if you just want to see a different version.  And don’t worry – if you decide you like one of the other copies, they are all saved in your account library.

Here’s a look at my 30-second video – just follow this link

 

Within the past few years, I used Animoto at work to create compilation videos for several outreach projects.  Our quarterly grant reports were added to a web site, which allowed us to provide electronic assets of our deliverables and community engagement projects.  Although this was created on a previous version of Animoto, here’s a look how I’ve used Animoto in the workplace.  This video is longer than my practice video because my department purchased the Plus Account option during this web-based reporting cycle.