Slide Show Software « Videomaker Community Forums

Steph
Member

Hi,

I am new to this forum and am looking for some advice.

I create slide shows via still shots/video.. The still shots can be digital or scanned by me. In the past I have used software such a Nero (which was too limiting), and ProShow by Photodex, which I like a lot. However, ProShow is still somewhat limiting... I have a trial version of MuVee 5.0 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0.. So far, I'm not finding what I'm looking for...

Can someone please view the following URL and tell me what software they think this was created in? Thank you in advance..

http://www.retrospectvideoalbums.com/albumsamplesotheroccasions.htm

Posted 5 years ago #
On a Roll
Member

Hi Steph.

Honestly, they could have used 1000 other programs out there to do this. I'm a video guy, so I don't use slideshow software much.

Personally, my advice to you would be to buy video editing software. You can insert still images in just abut every video editing program out there. What's more, you can manipulate them, and see how they would look on a timeline without having to start the slideshow every time.

Sony has a cheaper consumer version of their "Vegas" editing software you can buy that would let you do video slideshows. It would probably be a good place to start. You'll have a hefty learning curve if you've never worked with a video editing program before, but's it's easy enough to catch on.

Posted 5 years ago #
Steph
Member

Hi there,

Thank you very much for your reply... Actually, I've been thinking just what you've suggested...

I looked into Adobe's Macromedia Flash 8... I tried their demo version and found it complicated....

The reason I didn't think Retrospect was done via editing software was because all their work is still images...

Thank you for your input and I will look into Sony's...
Have a great night.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Yes, Flash is complicated. I've developed several web apps in Flash and Actionscript. Powerful, but you pay the price (via a learning curve) for that power. If video is your main interest, you'd be better off putting the learning into a video app, even After Effects, than Flash - but if you want to put your stuff out on the Web and have it be totally interactive, Flash is where its at!

Posted 5 years ago #
On a Roll
Member

Hi again Staph.

As compusolver said, Flash is an incredibly powerful program. Something like a slideshow would be the very tip of the iceberg as far as it's power. I've seen sites where flash was used to link to a live webcam, and even allow users to trigger events happening on the camera. Pretty cool.

As far as what that company used, they could very well be using video editing software, even though they use still images. If you create a slideshow and you want to add music to it, you will still need to output to a video format, whether it's on DVD, VHS, or whatever, if you want others to enjoy it. that means at some point, your still image slide show turns into a 29.97 frame per second video. So why not take care of everything in one program?

If you buy, for example, Powerpoint, you're going to have to buy another program to turn that into a video which you can put onto DVD. With video software, it's all in one hit.

In Sony's Vegas (which I reccomend to you because it's fairly easy to learn), you simply take your .jpg files and drop them onto the timeline, and boom. Your still image is there. You can also add multiple layers of video, which means you can do text overlays, or transitions that you couldn't get elsewhere. Plus, and here's the thing to really remember: you can add video clips to your presentations by using a video editor! Let's say that one of your clients wants you to add a clip of her daughter's first steps into her wedding slideshow. With virtually every slide show software out there, inserting video is painful (one big exception is MediaShout, which does quite well at this). But with a video editing program, you can not only add it easily, but you can also add transitions and effects to it if need be.

Yes, you could buy slide show software to get your job done, but ultimately, you're going to need the extra power that you get with video editing software.

Posted 5 years ago #