Animoto is way better than slideshows, with a catch

Oh! Look at these! Animoto has far better transition quality than any other online "slideshow-maker" I've seen yet: you upload pictures and a song, and it reads the audio to sync elements. Then, out comes a wondrous creation where the "slides" are moving in 3D space. It all looks quite professional and I've upgraded to an All-Access Pass.

I thought it'd be a great, dynamic way to show off my Second Life explorations like this:

Isn't that lovely? Hay, as much as I like Flickr's own slideshow, the stock crossfades get boring after awhile, and this is pretty quick. These transitions sure beat grainy dissolves and 90s-PowerPoint wipes.

SO WHAT'S THE CATCH?

Lack of control. Each time you do one of these videos, you can't select which transitions you want where. You can "spotlight" certain images to be more prominent and add text — no font size, just title/subtitle, but it looks slick. But you don't know if your soundtrack will end too shortly if you don't add enough pictures. It gives you an estimate but I've found these to be off. Also, you can have visuals show at half- or double-speed; was broken when I tried to use it but it should be fixed soon.

So what I do: add more pictures than the length of the song, and render it once to get a feel for what's happening where. Then run it through the "edit remix" so I can fine-tune (meant roughly) elements. If you're unhappy with some of the transitions, since each time around randomizes them, then you can do a 1-click remix.

Allow your vid to render in the background and, minutes later, you've got a fresh baby Animoto-thing. Default resolution is kinda fuzzy (432×240) and for $5/pop, you can download a DVD-version which is a lot crisper. Or upgrade to the Commercial Account which is understandably more expensive. They've gotta monetize.

Still, I think Animoto is a shining example of "proud cheating", a tool which facilitates creativity by automating a lot of the work, freeing you up to get onto other things. You may've seen this next video on the Second Life Showcase, which I did for our Documentation Team @ Linden Lab:

I am just such a Minister of Propaganda, y'know? (RAWR.)

Also, I've noticed a few bugs; some of the site layout is weird (buttons on the bottom don't always reliably show for me) and I've had a few 504 timeout errors. I've reported them and Animoto Guys have been quite responsive and pleasant. Good customer service ALWAYS makes me happy.

All that being said…

if you think Animoto is teh awesome and you want an All-Access Pass too:

• Click here to join
• Use code "bfjmnegl" to let Animoto's makers know you learned about it from me

Benefits? You'll save $5 — so, total of $25/year — and I'll get 3 extra months. It also appears you get a DVD-quality Download Credit for each referral, but I've yet to substantiate that. (I emailed to ask.) And once you're onboard, you'll get your own code to share with friends. Clever marketing, I know. Animoto's even reaching out to edu. But it's a good tool, and a standout in a sea of inelegant dross… EXUDE YOUR PERSONALITY!

Used Animoto? Go on, tell me about it… or not only will the pigs fly, they'll ride dolphins! (But maybe you'd prefer dolphin-riding pigs?)

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