Several veterans of the entertainment/film/TV industry recently got together and developed a remarkable new product that makes creating multimedia presentations a breeze.
Animoto (animoto.com) goes where no one has gone before offering a simple, automated process for making professional-quality digital presentations.
Images, video clips, text and audio recordings (or a selected soundtrack from the site’s library) are uploaded to the web-based site. The platform combines the material to produce original shows no two are alike. The shows not only are visually stunning, but they also include impeccable timing transitioning with the pace and rhythm of the music. This type of production used to take hours to do by hand in a professional studio.
The final video, which is in widescreen format, can be emailed to everyone on your list or posted to YouTube, Facebook, blogs, Twitter or other social sites but not to company websites such as www.direct.tv and the like. The videos also can be burned on a DVD for showing on high definition computer monitors, televisions or projection screens.
A basic version of the program is available free to everyone. The professional version, which includes unlimited use and a white box to place a logo or business name, is available for a reasonable annual fee.
Animato has many real-world uses. It can be a teaching tool, a sales and promotional piece, a product used for real estate sales or photography studios. It also can be leveraged by nonprofit or advocacy groups to raise awareness about an issue or cause. And certainly, it’s a fun tool for personal use enabling you to create original movies and seasonal video cards to send to loved ones near and far.
The best videos are the result of planning and prep-work. Photo enhancement, like cropping, editing and retouching, helps the images to be more attractive and compelling. Adding a compelling message or narrative also contributes to the quality of the finished piece.










