Are you making a slide show?

[wfclair]

I see that a few ambitious souls are making slide shows of their work and/or photos. Let us all remember those times we had friends over and we showed them a slide show of our vacation. After 30 pictures they were bored…if not before. With today’s slide shows music and/or commentary is added. Commentary with music in the background is also a nice dramatic effect. This type of show makes it far more appealing. In this post I am going to show you how to give your visual that “wow” look. I have never made a slide show with a slide show program, but the concept should apply. If the program you are using allows you to choose a transition between each picture…great! If not, then set the program to cross-fade only. If the program only does random transitions, you’re out of luck. There are three main transitions in film: Fadeout-Fadeup, cut, and cross-fade. We will use cross-fade. First, let’s keep it simple. You have a photo (Layout…same thing) saved in jpg and you put it in the show. Make your next photo the SAME one and set it to a cross-fade. Now when you run the show, what do you see…NOTHING!! The photo that fades down is the same photo that fades up. You never see the transition. Now let’s try the same thing. This time the first photo is a layout with no picture on it. The second photo is the same layout with a picture on it. What do you see now…only the photo fading up onto your layout!! You can apply this concept in many ways. The third photo in the show might show a second picture fading onto the layout and so on. In your layout program you can build sequences for the slide show. If you decide to do this I advise you to build the entire layout first. Save it as a jpg…give it a name and the #1. Now work backwards and be careful not to move anything. Eliminate one photo or item and “save as” again using the #2 and so on… In your slide show the last number becomes the first photo in the slide show sequence. Note: if you use a cut transition the picture will “pop” onto the layout instead of fading up. Another nice effect. Let me know how it works if you try this.

[andyapc]

I know that I am going to sound like a complete idiot, but what software can do this? Can I do this in PSCS, or do I need totally separate software made specfically for slideshows?

[wfclair]

I know that I am going to sound like a complete idiot, but what software can do this? Can I do this in PSCS, or do I need totally separate software made specfically for slideshows?
Most computers come with a slide show program. Also, many photo organizers have a slide show program. Or you can buy one. You should have one that allows sound onto the slide show and the ability to burn onto a DVD for TV showing. Is there anyone out there that knows more about these programs and can give better advice? I use a film program.

[RutgersAlum]

Hey, Andyapc, our beloved DIP 9 (suite) comes with a simple slideshow program!!!! :D

GL!
RutgersAlum

[andyapc]

See? I knew I was going to feel dumb. Is that the same thing I used to create my DIP blinkie in DIP9? I think it's called flipbook?

[RutgersAlum]

Andya, I don't think it's flipbook...

I found mine by going into Digital Image Library (which I never go into, lol), and on the top menu bar there is a "Create a photo story" option. It's called Photo Story Lite (I'm sure MS has a fancy-schmancy version for purchase, but this was a good start for me:-))

Have fun!

Now I have to remember to check out flipbook! :p
RutgersAlum!

[andyapc]

Hi Rutgers - I just have DIP9 - not the suite, so I don't think I have that library feature.

I'll have to see if flipbook does the same thing - it worked great for my blinkie!

[stuffedpretzel]

If you have XP you should have Movie Maker, if not I have purchased a program called My Slide Show, it was only $25 and worth it for basic slide shows. You can't burn to DVD with it though only VCD/SVCD. But if you have NeroVision you can create a slide show with it as well. I would suggest looking in the different programs you already have, you might be surprised as to what you can do.

[pinayus27]

I got XP and it has a windows movie maker on it with transition! I also have photo story 3. But I didn't make slideshow from either one of them. I used Pocket Photo Slideshow and it works fine on TV.

[premier]

I really like the DVD slideshows and there are lots of apps out there to easily make them. I do think you have to be aware of audience boredom as pointed out. Photo slideshows are great especially if they are fast paced. You can use LOs however if your LO has journaling on it, it may be difficult to be seen and most people prefer to view the photos as opposed to reading.

[pinayus27]

I guess 3 seconds interval should work. It's not too fast nor too slow...that's how I made my slideshows and have a random transition effects with background music.

[shazzt]

Thanks for the ideas William. I have never tried to make a slideshow (mainly because I can't think of anyone who would be interested enough to watch!) but if I have a go one day, you have some great ideas to try. It would be the kind of thing that would be fun to have on in the background at one of those birthdays with a zero on the end of it - so that people could kind of drift in and out of. Easier than flipping through a photo album!

[obsessedfae]

If you have Comcast High-Speed Cable Internet, like me, you get a free program called Photoshow Deluxe and you can make amazing slideshows with background music, clipart, wordart, and soo much more! :)

[MomLid]

I just downloaded PhotoStory 3 for Windows for FREE from the Microsoft site. It is pretty simple to use & add music. We had just been to a parade for Chinese New Year & it's a great way to see the pictures.

[wfclair]

The pace of the slide show should follow the pace of the music. Also, if you can, use a program that can pan into and/or across a photo. This is what has come to be known as the Ken Burn's effect.

[wfclair]

Note: In the summer of 2004 I showed a film I did to 101 people at a family reunion. The first song was three min. The total number of photos used...6. At the end of this first song everyone was holding back, as best they could, their emotions. Six pictures is all I had to work with. With the "Ken Burn's" effect and several other methods of presenting the photos no one realized that they saw only six photos. Always keep in mind the pace of the music and the words. Nothing gives a greater impact than bringing up a photo at the right pace on the right words. In my films every picture is presented that way.

[Stacey42]

If you recently purchased a new CD or DVD drive it probably came with Nero Burning Rom. It has a video creation option that you can do slide shows, with the different transitions options & lets you add voice & music. You can also pay to upgrade it to do more, but the basic that comes with the new drive seems to have a lot going for it

[shazzt]

Great ideas - I never would have thought of panning across a photo!

[Timmysmum]

I have been using video editting software to burn video and my photos/layoutss onto slide shows nd dvd for the past 12 months.
My parents loved the one I did at Christmas , complete with all the Spain photos and layouts, the music and transitions really add to the effect, I spend a lot of time trying to match the music.

My 5 year old loves playing with the transitions and choosing the music he picks all the photos so he can make a cool slide show' for Grandma too

[pinayus27]

Hi Timmy,
I was wondering what program to you use? I've been using Windows Movie Maker and Photo Story 3 and they both works!

[Timmysmum]

Can you believe I have had my new laptop for a few months and didn't even know it had Windows Movie Maker until I looked today lol..... I use Pinnacle Hollywood fx, but looking quickly at Windows movie Maker this morning it looks like it would be fine.....

[pinayus27]

Yeah, Windows Movie Maker came with the bundle. I also have Presto Videoworks, Mr. Photo, Microsoft Picture It Perfect that came with it. But never use them.......too many features.....but I got little time! LOL...

[vanillalatte]

Windows Movie Maker and Photo Story are both available for download on microsoft.com. I don't believe there is a charge for either...at least, I know I didn't pay for them when I downloaded. Both have easy import of pictures, the ability to edit pictures, create transitions, camera zoom, basic music editing features, the works.

Photo Story is the simpler of the two, it has less flexibility but more intuitive controls and you can make a slide show in a matter of minutes.

Movie Maker allows for a much more "WOW" looking show but can take alot longer. I put about 40 hours into a 25 minute slide show for a friends wedding about 2 years ago. Over 100 pictures, all with transitions and perfectly timed to a variety of music. I was really proud of the end result, but it took a very long time.

I have since found out that some people charge over $1000 for what I did for free for my friend :D <G!>

[Funtolearn]

The microsoft programs burn to DVD.s I looked and it looked to me like you had to purchas a plugin for 20.00 to make the programs to that.

[pinayus27]

Oh boy, $1000 is way way too much!

[wfclair]

Are we talking about the same thing here? I sold my services to a father who wanted to put a film together for his children from his wife's point of view. His wife died four years earlier. And his children never got to say goodbye to her. The film was $2800 and took three months to put together. It included 500+ photos and old film. I used Avid Pro and 11 other highend programs. They loved it and his children still refer to the film as "The greatest gift." I even wrote and recorded a song just for that film. There is a difference in quality and substance.
But if you are talking about a slideshow with music in the background then $1000 is way too much.
Interesting note: I have never met the father or his children in person, but we are planning to. The film was made three years ago.

[vanillalatte]

Are we talking about the same thing here? I sold my services to a father who wanted to put a film together for his children from his wife's point of view. His wife died four years earlier. And his children never got to say goodbye to her. The film was $2800 and took three months to put together. It included 500+ photos and old film. I used Avid Pro and 11 other highend programs. They loved it and his children still refer to the film as "The greatest gift." I even wrote and recorded a song just for that film. There is a difference in quality and substance.
But if you are talking about a slideshow with music in the background then $1000 is way too much.
Interesting note: I have never met the father or his children in person, but we are planning to. The film was made three years ago.

Well, yes, we are talking about something similar. The idea was a video of the bride and groom growing up, dating, important points in their life, etc. There were between 120 and 150 pictures of the two of them. All of them were hard copy pictures and had to be scanned, restored, color/saturation/contrast fixed, cropped and that sort of thing. Scanning and preparing the photos took me over two weeks because many of them were very old, faded, torn, and basically in pretty bad shape.

I divided the photos up in to a story board...her as a baby/small child, him as a baby/small child, sports pictures, pictures with friends, graduations, them dating each other....there was also a special set of pictures of those family and friends who were no longer with us as a special memorial to include those people in the wedding.

Each part of the story board had its own music, all of the songs had to be edited and remixed to get the desired timing and emotional effect. No, none of it was original music but I did do all of the editing and mixing myself on my PC.

I put all of the pictures and music into Microsoft Movie Maker. I spent hours adding transitions and titles and timing photos down to the tenths of a second to go with the music.

When I was done, I had a 25 minute video that I burned onto a DVD, and yes, it can be played on a television DVD player. The whole process took me several months to complete but I figure that I had about 40 hours over those months into making the movie itself. That doesn't include my time with the photo or music preparation.

The video was played at the wedding reception during dessert. By the end, there was not a dry eye in the house. The bride is a dear friend of mine and yes, she has told me as well that this was the "greatest gift" she received at her wedding.

I have since spoken to several people I know who do multi-media presentations like this. One of them told me he does similar projects as mine as a side business. For all the steps I went through, he charges around $1200 and people pay it willingly. My aunt actually paid a guy $2500 to do the same thing for her daughter's wedding.

[wfclair]

Your work is priceless!!! But we must put a price on our efforts. The film you did is worh $2000...$50 x 40. And that is the lowest price you should be charging. Do you know about using copyright music? If you don't, PM me...my answer will floor you!!!!