Slide Show/Movie 101

[Tamas]

Oh gurus of digital photography help a fellow addict

I would like to make a little photo slide show and incorporate short 30-40s movie clips into it but don't know where to start -- as in I have the photos and the short vids, in order edited to size, got the tunes picked out but I need a totally dummy proof, drag and drop solution and software.

Do you have any suggestions to what software to use? Something that will be super easy to use, doesn't require days and days of editing and manipulation -- but rather the opposite, the lazy man's slide show? Something that will add nice transitions, can play/pause the images/vids, can add titles and music, can be burned to a DVD to be enjoyed on a TV?

I have tried the Nero suite, some freeware off the net, Pinnacle....but they are either to lame or to much maintenance.

So care to share your secrets to that always so perfect slide show? Give me a 101 on these things?

 

[Warren_L]

Hi Tamas, I use Proshow Gold for my presentations (Proshow Gold). It's easy to use, many transitions, add music, timing, etc. You can check out some of my presentations on my website (go to the tropical diving page). I'm not sure how to incorporate video clips, though.

 

[cdiver2]

Hi Tamas, I use Proshow Gold for my presentations (Proshow Gold). It's easy to use, many transitions, add music, timing, etc. You can check out some of my presentations on my website (go to the tropical diving page). I'm not sure how to incorporate video clips, though.

Proshow gold. Click the photodex link below when it asks for member name...cdiver2. This is my first attempt

 

[Tamas]

Thanks guys....how easy is it? how idiot proof?.....as much as I like diving and taking pics (as a learning amateur) I hate editing vids and whatnot....so I need to make this as painless as possible.

 

[Warren_L]

You can put something together in a matter of minutes, if you have your pictures ready and music, etc. It takes me a while since I tend to get more involved with layering images and such, but you can get something fairly simple done quite quickly.

 

[Tamas]

Layering?! Ok now you are scaring me.....

.....so waht exactly is that?

 

[Warren_L]

It's when I put multiple images on a slide, but that is done through photoshop and not proshow.

 

[Tamas]

oh ok! i was going to say that looks very nice....I also like when you change the image from b/w to colour or back....what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?

Care to sell your time if I give you all the pics, movies, songs....etc?

 

[cdiver2]

Thanks guys....how easy is it? how idiot proof?.....as much as I like diving and taking pics (as a learning amateur) I hate editing vids and whatnot....so I need to make this as painless as possible.

1/ drag photos in, in the order that you want them
2/ Leave the timing at 4 sec
3/ put in the transitions, timing 1 sec
4/ bring in first sound track, at this point you may wish to change the timing for slide duration/transition time until the audio fits the slides you have for that audio track.
5/ repeat for the rest of the sound tracks.
You can start the music as far into the sound track as you want, it is not necessary to start at the beginning.
If you don't finish right away do a save as then you can pick up where you left off.
You can fade in/out on the sound tracks also.
Adjust the volume for each sound track.
Save to CD, DVD...US format or PAL format, make a screen saver, or upload to there web site...free.

 

[Tamas]

What is the best image size to use? What res? What time transitions? Is there a way to eliminate a few transitions from the random list (ie heart?!)? Best options/method for TV/DVD viewing