How to Animoto

Omar and I have talked about Animoto. Heck Omar made a a video (it’ll be posted soon). Anyway, we decided a post explaining the how to Animoto may be of use to our loyal reader(s) out there. So without delay, read on past the break to get to the nitty gritty. There are a lot of pictures to help you out and oh yeah, there is even an iPhone app, for free!

Step 1 – Sign in or sign up
This step is so easy, I’m not going to explain it very much. To sign up click on the sign up button, select Try it for Free. Then this is what you have to give Animoto to get up and running.

Pretty simple huh? After this is all filled out we can start by making our first video.

Step 2 – Pick your video style

Once you have signed up, it will prompt you that you don’t have any videos. Click on Create One and get started. The first step will be to pick your video style.

This is another straight forward step. Here you need to pick what theme you would like. Animoto has provided you with twenty different themes, though eight of them require you to have a paid Pro subscription.

Regardless, the twelve that the free account has access to are quite nice. To preview one, just click on it and it will let you view a sample video. Here I have chosen the video style Air.

Once here, you can purchase the video for $3 US dollars or make a free 30 second video. I went the free route.

Step 3 – Upload your images

Now, this is probably the most difficult part. That being said, it is still very easy. Animoto will ask you to select the images/videos you would like to upload. I have a bunch of images of the latest iPods. They’re pretty cool by the way, especially the Nano.

Animoto gives you three options, you can upload from your personal computer, select from their own images (they’re pretty good by the way), or retrieve from another site. Now, this doesn’t let you go and surf the web for images. They limit your choices to sites like Flickr, Facebook, etc. Basically you need to sign in and use photos that you or your friends have taken.

For this example, I am choosing images from my computer. I am clearly using a Mac, so if you’re using a Windows machine it will look a little different but the premise is the same. You will have a window that you can select your files. I like to put my files in their own folder on my desktop. That way it is very easy for me to find them.

To select all the files, click on the first one, then hold down the SHIFT key and select the last one. It will select all the files in between. This little trick works on both Mac and PC and works for selecting just about anything.
Once done you must wait for all your files to upload. Depending on the size of the files and your Internet speed, this could take a few minutes.

Step 4 – The details
Now that all of your files have uploaded it is time for you to get into the details. Here you can rearrange the files, add text, simply shuffle, delete any, and many more. Take a look at the menu bar (located at the bottom of the window).

I’ve added a little text at the beginning and the end of the slideshow. Pretty easy so far huh? Well, it only gets easier from here on out.

Step 5 – The music
Something that makes Animoto stand out, is the music. Music really adds a nice touch and Animoto has made it dead simple to add it to your presentation. You have the choice of adding your own music from your own library, but if you are unsure about the legal ramifications or just unsure where your music is stored on your computer, worry not. Animoto has easily over a hundred songs to chose from and they have been nicely organized by genre to help you pick. You can even preview the different selections to find that perfect fit for your presentation.

Step 6 – Customize your video
This part is once again quite simple. Animoto wants you to make a few choices. For example, the pacing, and to confirm the video style again. Also, if your video may be over thirty seconds (if you have more than twelve images it may be), it will give you one more try to upgrade your account. Once everything looks good click continue.

This step is almost done. A new window will open up and Animoto will want you to add a title, description and who created it. Then click create video and you’re made your first video! The actual producing of the vide will take some time, so kick back and relax for a little while.

Step 7 – Video toolbox (optional)
Your video is done, it looks great, but if you want to go a little further then read on. Animoto doesn’t just say enough. Oh no, you have more options that you can play around with.

On the page with your Animoto video, you should notice a button in the bottom right hand corner.

This tool bar offers you many options. You can send it to Facebook, YouTube, e-mail it to your friends, remix it, and some more. It is a nice way to change up and share what you’ve created. Heck you can even had Animoto burn it onto a DVD for you!