Animoto

I recommend trying this application just to see what it does (or watch my video below), but expect some issues because the service isn't too polished just yet. I think using the facebook app could be more appropriate if you have a lot of photos on your facebook. This will allow your friends to see the video you create easier too.

Quick Summary
Animoto is a website that allows you to upload a series of pictures, video, and music, from which animoto's service makes a video from them, automatically. It makes a music video that is completely customized to the soundtrack using a technology that fits the images to the music.  It also allows you to make greeting cards.

To use their free version you can only create videos up to 30 seconds long. To create full-length videos you can buy a all-access pass for 36$yr or 3$ a video. To get videos that are commercially licensed you can pay 249$yr. So as long as you are only making small videos you can use their free service happily, but anything longer than that and you will be left wanting.

Things I Like

• Making a video is very easy and works well. I couldn't make a greeting card without having to pay. You can see the one I made here: 
• Cool idea. Makes videos fast that also look cool. 
• Sign-up process is unique. 
• Facebook app allows an easy way to share with your friends. 

Things I Don't Like

• The website, FB app, and iPhone app are connected very well and almost exist separate of one another. 
• The websites app doesn't allow an easy way to find friends or network with the community. 
• The site needs some serious tweaking to be better in way of workflow, but the actual service that is used to create a video works great.
• Kind of nit-picky, but the color scheme of the website is somewhat hard to read because it is so dark. 

Sign-up Process

• Their sign up screen uses a really cool system that highlights blocks. The different blocks are Email, Password, and About You. The highlighting really helps to read parts of the screen because the color scheme is so dark. It is also fairly original, even if the sign-up information that is being provided is fairly standard.
• What I really like about their sign-up screen is that they provide an explanation for the information they are collecting. 
• After signing up you are taken to a Dashboard type interface.

Overview of the Service and its Features

• You can narrate your videos with text. 
• The service can be used on the iPhone and on Facebook.
• The facebook application uses the animoto's website tool, but pulls in your FB videos and pictures. However, trying to use animoto's website does not pull information from your FB. At least, after spending a few minutes trying to figure out a way to link my two accounts I gave up (I mean if I can't do it quickly, why should I keep trying?)
• The Dashboard allows you to see My Videos (the videos you have made), Friends (I talk more about this below), and iPhone (more below).
• Friends: The only way you can see friends is by having a video shared with you. So there isn't really an easy way to find friends videos unless you are using the FB app (which does let you find friends).
• iPhone: You are able to view your videos from the website and create videos on your iPhone, but you cannot view videos from created on your iPhone on their website. 
• There is also a Music Lounge that lets you browse the built in music the site has, but I don't see myself really using that. 

Creating a Video Process

• You create a video or greeting card by doing a series of things in this order: choose your images/videos, choose your music, and then finalize options for the video. 
• Choosing your images/videos: you can upload images from your computer, select from photos that animoto has on their website, or retrieve photos from another site. Those sites are flickr, facebook, smugmug, picasa, and photobucket. 
• Choosing your music: select from animoto's collection or upload your own music. 
• Finalize: allows you to adjust video length (upgrade your acct to make it longer), the image pacing (1/2 speed, normal speed, or double speed), and the video cover screen.