Creating a Video Slideshow As a Unique Gift
If you’re looking for a unique gift idea for someone special, you may want to consider creating a video slideshow for them. Slideshows are fairly simple to create using only some basic technology, and they provide a lasting memory of a special occasion.
First, you’ll need to gather some pictures to use in your slideshow. Digital cameras are a great source, and simply require you to download your pictures from the camera to your computer. Often, though, some of the pictures you may want to use in your slideshow were taken long before digital cameras came on the scene. Don’t worry. Photo shops and large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target often have photo centers where you can transfer your old pictures onto a CD that can then be transferred to your computer.
Once you have pictures you’d like to use you’ll need a computer with a program that can create a slideshow for you. Microsoft Office’s Power Point program is an option as well as Animoto, but perhaps the simplest all-purpose program is Windows Movie Maker. Movie Maker is fairly simple to learn and provides the ability to add any music you choose directly to the slideshow.
The default time that each picture runs on Movie Maker is five seconds. You can, however, lengthen or shorten the time for all pictures or just certain ones. Movie Maker allows you to view your pictures in either timeline or storyboard formats. You’ll need to be in the timeline view to adjust picture length. You also have the option of adding transitions from one picture to the next and adding special effects. These options and others are easily accessible from the menu on the left of the screen. Text slides are another option available on the left hand menu.
To add music, you can either import the songs you’d like directly into your slideshow so that it plays along with your pictures through Movie Maker, or you could record your soundtrack on a separate CD and play it through another sound system. While it is convenient to play it directly through Movie Maker, you sometimes have better options if you play your soundtrack separately through a higher quality sound system than many computer systems afford.
When you have your slideshow and soundtrack just right, you’ll need to publish it. This is also a menu choice in Movie Maker that simply reformats into the final movie version for viewing. With these simple steps using some basic technology, you can create a special and unique gift that family and friends will cherish for years to come.
