Music video slideshow tool Animoto is venturing into new territory Tuesday night with an upgraded tool that supports video clips. Alongside photos, users can now upload videos up to 200MB in size, including segments that are in high definition. These exist seamlessly beside the photo content, and get the same Animoto treatment with transparency effects, reflections, and other eye candy.
Unlike the way Animoto handles importing photos from third party sites like Flickr, Facebook, and SmugMug, the same cannot be said for videos. If you want it to grab a video you've already uploaded somewhere else you need to track down the source file and re-upload it.
Another caveat--and it's a big one, is that you can only use 5 or 10 seconds of a video at a time, in clip form. This limitation is by design, and serves a few purposes. One is to keep a slideshow from getting muddled down in long clips, while keeping rendering times down on Animoto's side. It also acts as an incentive to upgrade to Animoto's paid service, which bumps the possible clip size from 5 to 10 seconds.
To help make the time limitations a little more feasible, Animoto has a built-in clip editor that lets users choose the 1 to 10 seconds they want to use from an uploaded video. Users just pick the start point, and how long they want it to run, and Animoto's servers do the rest. You can also choose to cut out the sound, as well as duplicate any clip. Doing this several times over lets users string together a series of segments from a larger clip to go beyond the time limitations.
Venturing into the realm of video editing is definitely an interesting move by Animoto. In a chat with me last week, CEO Brad Jefferson insisted that the tool was not headed in a direction that would let users control specific times on how long certain pictures were presented, or tweak things like total clip length--two things that are determined by how many photos (and now videos) users decide to use. "I don't like the idea of moving back to the timeline," Jefferson said. "The music is always going to determine how long (the video) is. We've always been about a really simple paradigm that doesn't get people thinking from a tool level."
That's not to say Jefferson isn't smitten with simpler ways for people to edit their videos before they're uploaded. Especially on the new iPhone, which lets users shoot a video, trim it, then send it in an e-mail, or places like YouTube. For now there isn't a way for users to send those clips to Animoto without first heading to their computers to download the file off the phone, but Jefferson envisions a future update that will take the computer out of the equation entirely.
Animoto, the DIY-music-video-meets-slideshow tool, has released a new version of its iPhone app that brings it a little closer to its desktop counterpart.
Users of its paid premium service can now create and watch full-length videos right on their phone. Previously, users (both free and paid) were limited to 30-second clips consisting of just 16 shots. The new version allows you to create versions of as many as you want--or at least whatever photos can fit inside the length of the song you've chosen.
Anything you create on the iPhone can now be shared through Animoto.com and vice versa. So, if you've created something neat on your computer that you want to share while out and about, you now can. The app denotes videos made on the site with little A's that get stuck in front of the filename. And back on Animoto's site, there's now a special section in your videos list that separates the videos you've made on your phone into their own section.
The app also lets you download any videos you've created directly to your phone for offline viewing, which means you can play them back even if you're in the depths of a concrete bunker. This is by far the most important feature in an app like this, and something that should have been included in the very first version.
Future versions of the app may allow non-pro-users of Animoto to create one-off, full-length slideshows on their phones with in-app micropayments--something that's arrived with iPhone OS 3.0. However, that could take an additional paid version, since apps that started out as free cannot include Apple's in-app payment system. In the meantime, this version makes Animoto's $30 annual paid premium service a little more enticing for users who already have an iPhone.
Paying pro users can now create full-length videos, while everyone can download their creations for viewing offline.
(Credit: Animoto / CNET)
Google announced its "Doodle 4 Google 2009" competition Tuesday. According to the company, all kindergarten through 12th grade U.S. students can design a Google logo based on the theme, "What I wish for the world." Applications will be accepted until March 31 and the winner's doodle will be displayed on Google's homepage on May 21. The winner will receive a $15,000 college scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for their school. Google will also award a school district $10,000 for the "greatest quality participation." Student drawings will be evaluated by a panel of independent judges and Google employees.
Video creation service, Animoto, announced Tuesday that in time for Valentine's Day, users can send video love letters framed in the company's heart-themed animated page. Users will also be able to combine images from the company's new themed collections into their videos, which include Valentine's Day, birthday, travel, nature, and scenes. Animoto's Valentine's greeting is free for a 30-second spot, but costs $3 for full-length videos.
Online video advertising service, Jivox, announced a video advertising platform affiliate program Tuesday. The new program will allow online publishers and marketing agencies to make a co-branded version of the company's video ad service available to their advertisers or clients and market those across their sites. According to the company, its affiliate partners will receive a customer access page and a publisher portal to allow them to administer and manage their advertising campaigns. Its new platform will help clients create, place, and track video ads.
Kabooza, an online backup service, raised $840,000 in a seed funding round that was led by Aggregate Media. According to the company, the funding will be used to increase its ability to maintain user's data. Kabooza offers unlimited storage and a 25GB limit per month. The service costs $49.95 per year.
Video advertising service, Mixpo, has raised $4 million in a round of funding that was led by Madrona Venture Group and Yaletown Venture Partners. According to the company's executives, they will use the cash to expand their business with other firms and cover expenses over the short term.
Online marketing firm, Hubspot, released a report Tuesday that details the "State of the Twittersphere" for the fourth quarter of 2008. According to the report, 70 percent of all Twitter users joined during 2008 and approximately 5,000 to 10,000 new accounts are opened each day. Thirty-five percent of Twitter users have ten or fewer followers and just 9 percent of all Twitter users don't follow anyone. The full report is available on Hubspot's research page.
Free eBook service Project Gutenberg, announced Tuesday that it has introduced a mobile version of its hosted content. Dubbed Project Gutenberg Mobile Edition, the company's software converts the service's files into a format that is easily read on mobile displays. The app is based on Java, so it won't work with the iPhone.
Custom slideshow service, Animoto, announced Tuesday that it has brought its offering to the iPhone. According to the company, users can now create their own Animoto videos directly on the iPhone by accessing the iPhone's images. Animoto for the iPhone currently allows users to upload eight to 16 photos and pick a song to create the video. Once complete, users can view the video on their iPhone or email it to friends. The free app is available now in the iTunes App Store.
Swedish video start-up, Bambuser, launched an updated site design Tuesday that now allows users to stream videos from mobile phones and syndicate those videos across the Internet. According to the company, the most important update to its service is the better interface, which it believes will keep more users on the site.
HP announced its first App Store application Monday, which helps users easily print photos from their iPhone's image library when within range of a wireless network and HP printer. Dubbed iPrint Photo, the app allows users to print 4 x 6 photos to HP Inkjet printers directly from an iPhone and is fully compatible with Apple's zero-configuration service, Bonjour. iPrint Photo is free and available now in the App store.
Animoto, a company that creates videos from a user's photos and music on-the-fly, announced Tuesday that it has added new features to its software that will turn its videos into online holiday greetings.
According to the company, the new holiday feature will use a snowscape to set the scene for the greeting and with the help of its new text feature, users can add captioning to detail events.
In order to create the holiday videos, users can upload photos using Animoto's service and click the "Santa" button, which turns the video into a holiday greeting. A new holiday genre will be added to Animoto's music library so users can pick the holiday song they wish to have played during the video.
Animoto's service is stellar. I've used the site to create videos on a number of occasions and each time, the videos are unique and attractive. The site allows you to upload images and choose music, but its Cinematic Artificial Intelligence technology, which acts as the director and editor, will do the rest. That said, creating videos on the service can be a little pricey and unfortunately, Animoto didn't share holiday generosity with its new offering.
Full-length videos cost $3 and annual subscriptions to create an unlimited number of full-length videos will cost $30. Any video that is 30 seconds or less will be free. Animoto claims all of the videos will be DVD-quality and can be viewed on HDTVs or projectors.
(Credit:
Animoto)
Animoto, a company that quickly creates high-quality video slideshows with images and music uploaded by users, announced today that it has launched a new service, called Animoto for Photography. The site will let professional photographers create videos from their photos that can be e-mailed, burned to DVD and resold, or distributed online through blogs, Web sites, social networks, and mobile devices.
"Animoto for Photography takes the heavy lifting out of video creation, allowing photographers to create stunning video in minutes and spend more time taking photos," said Brad Jefferson, CEO and co-founder of Animoto. "Until now, the process of editing photos into professional videos has been time-consuming and difficult, requiring expensive software. Animoto changes everything, giving photographers the fastest, easiest, and most affordable way to produce professional quality video from their photos."
Animoto for Photography will allow photographers to adjust the speed at which their images will be displayed in the videos and can add a "call to action" button, which will let users create a clickable button in the video that can redirect viewers to the photographer's home page or give them information on scheduling a session. If photographers want to create unique videos each time, they can allow Animoto's Cinematical Artificial Intelligence technology to decide tempo, motion design, and transitions.
Photographers will also have access to Animoto's royalty-free library of songs and produce the videos in widescreen format. Each video can be e-mailed, embedded on any Web site, or burned to a DVD.
Animoto for Photography is a subscription-based service. Three-month access costs $99 per user for three months, while full one-year access will cost $249 per user for the year.
You've got to love Web kitsch. The YouTube tube socks probably still take the cake in my mind, but slide show creation tool Animoto's latest offering isn't too shabby either.
Twenty dollars gets your rave-worthy slide shows burned onto DVDs and sent to friends and family members. To go hand in hand with that, the service has also bolstered resolutions two-fold, bumping up the respectable 432x240 videos to 864x480 while simultaneously increasing the frame rate from 15 to 24 fps--the same as a movie projector.
The larger sizes come at a price though. The extra resolutions cost an extra $5, but can be applied to previously created shows. That extra resolution is most noticeable on big-screen TVs and computer displays. The company is making these larger videos available in one of two formats--an ISO file that can be burned straight to DVDs to be playable in set-top boxes (using a program like Nero), as well as a QuickTime MOV file that can be squirreled away on your hard drive or sent to friends using large file transfer and hosting services.
The folks at Animoto have put together a really useful head-to-head demo here, where you can see the standard versus premium videos right next to one another. Below is a still capture from the same shot.
Related: YouTube sucks: 4 sites that do video better
Five bucks makes your videos about twice as sharp as before, which is useful for big-screen TVs and wide-screen computer monitors.
(Credit: Animoto Productions)MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--The Web has come a long way. The aesthetic of a site can oftentimes determine whether or not a wary user will dig deeper and explore your site. The four companies below offer some of the most beautiful products shown off Tuesday at the Under the Radar social media and entertainment conference, but are they really useful? For the most part, yes. Read more about them below.
Animoto, one of my colleague Elinor Mills' favorite slideshow tools and as CEO Brad Jefferson calls it "The end of the slideshow" (in the boring, stodgy sense, of course). Jefferson says he's seen a large amount of users taking advantage of its premium services, which offer the capability to create full-length videos as opposed to the 30-second clips that free members get. In the future, the company is moving toward offering artists and companies a branded player and tools for users to create videos that involve products, songs, TV shows, and feature-length films.
Previous coverage:
Animoto adds personal music videos to Facebook
Video-creation service Animoto has lit my fire
Can Animoto make you the next Spielberg?
Michael Galpert, the co-founder of Aviary, a Web-based photo editor we've covered several times here on Webware (see link dump below) showed off the service's latest layer tracking technology (video here).
Galpert only had six minutes to talk about the suite of Web-based graphics tools, but managed to throw in a mention about an upcoming vector-based editing tool akin to Adobe Illustrator. He also announced a 3D modeling tool that will take advantage of its sister-service that lets users create complex textures. Galpert didn't reveal the names of the two forthcoming apps, but said that a less confusing name convention was on the way.
Previous coverage:
Aviary's creative suite is more than a pretty Flash app
Flash apps are taking over--Phoenix is the latest proof
Web-based multimedia suite Aviary invites beta testers
BigStage is a 3D avatar service that puts together a rendered head based on three photographs it takes with your Webcam. It'll figure out your bone structure, how much your nose sticks out, and how large your ears are.
Co-founder Jonathan Strietzel's demo of the face maker reminded me a lot of Gizmoz, which does the same thing, except with Big Stage you can make live changes to your avatar in moving video clips and pictures and see the changes reflected right away.
The site is opening up with pictures in two months, and a version that integrates live videos about six months later. Strietzel thinks the future of the technology will be tie-ins with social networks to pull in faces from your buddy lists to make adjoining advertisements more targeted with rendered 3D heads of your friends. Creepy.
Previous coverage: CIA technology will map your face
Overlay.TV is a company that's doing something very similar to VideoClix.TV (see coverage). It'll link up the items, people, or subject matter that are found in videos to online stores so people can buy or get more information on what they're watching. Some of the demos I've seen of competing products are incredibly engaging, albeit a far cry from the virgin, ad-free purity of what's seen on most video sites.
What makes Overlay.TV interesting is that it's going for both media creators and consumers. It's got a Facebook app that lets you tag up your videos. It also works with over a dozen popular hosts like YouTube, MySpace.com, and Yahoo Video.
That's the end of the conference sessions for the day. Stay tuned for the fireside chat about how start-ups can get noticed among all the noise from competitors.
AUSTIN, Texas--The South by Southwest Interactive Festival's 11th Annual Web Awards, which honors online innovations that saw their official launches in the previous year, kind of flew under the radar. Sure, an awards ceremony was held on Sunday night, but it unfortunately had to compete with a number of parties, dinner get-togethers among old friends, and a Twitter-organized bowling outing. And when it came to press, the Web Awards were largely eclipsed by reports surrounding the Mark Zuckerberg interview earlier that day.
But the Web Awards did indeed happen. Accolades were given out in 21 categories, ranging from "games" to "film/TV" to a people's choice winner. Some of the notable sites awarded were "social browser" Flock, which won the "community" category; funky video mixer Animoto in the film/TV category; and the Wired News site in the "classic" category. Wired bloggers Michael Calore and Megan McCarthy (no relation, we think--23andMe, where are you?) were spotted posing for photos with their Web Award at a Gawker Media party later on Sunday night.
The growing popularity of casual gaming was evident with the selection of Launchball as "best of show" as well as winner of the "games" category, and Kongregate as the "people's choice" winner.
But not every Web Awards winner was a piece of technology, per se. The "blog" category, which two-time SXSWi phenomenon Twitter won last year, went this year to Passive-Aggressive Notes. Hey, maybe it'll be the next I Can Has Cheezburger--although one of the lessons I think we've all learned at SXSWi 2008 is that saying "is the next" is so 2007.
I feel pretty.
We've covered in the past, glowingly, Animoto, a service that takes your photos and makes cool music videos from them. Everyone like music videos, right?
At South by Southwest next week, the company will officially roll out its Facebook app, which makes it easy to create a personal video from your own profile photos, which you can then put on your profile page and into your feed. What's extra-clever about it is that it integrates with Facebook's photo tagging features, and when you include a photo of a Facebook friend in a video you make, they get an alert, leading, CEO Brad Jefferson hopes, to viral growth that will spread Animoto across the globe.
Animoto only has 100,000 or so users so far on its destination site. It's a safe bet that the Facebook app will quickly outstrip that number.
The company provides its own music soundtracks, or you can upload your own. It then automatically selects videos and transition effects, and cuts them all into the music. It takes a few minutes before your video is ready, but the results are entertaining. The only other UI snag is that when you're selecting photos to include in your video, you get tiny thumbnails you can't zoom in to to see if they're good or not.
Animoto limits Facebook personal videos to 30 seconds. If you want longer vids, you'll have to go to Animoto.com and buy access -- either $3 a video (up to about 10 minutes), or $30 a year for unlimited spots.
The company's standalone product is a Webware 100 finalist in the publishing & productivity category (go vote!).
Narcissism, thy name is Animoto
See also: Slide, Rockyou, Fliiptrack.
