ANIMOTO as web tool

By: Bernadette Babar

Animoto produces TV-quality music videos using your photos and video clips in just minutes.

It's so simple to do too. Choose a song as the soundtrack to your video and Animoto will analyze every nuance of it.

Producing a totally unique video each time, no two videos are ever the same.

Sharing them is a cinch as well. Add them to your MySpace & Facebook profiles, on your blog, e-mail them to friends, put them up on YouTube or download them onto your computer.

Some of Animoto's founders used to produce shows for MTV, Comedy Central & ABC, study classical music in London, play in rock bands in Seattle and develop software in Japan. They developed a patent-pending, Cinematic Artificial Intelligence that thinks like an actual editor and director.

What do I need to use this site?

Briefly, you need a few software components: a web browser (which you have already if you're reading this), JavaScript turned on in your browser and Flash 9. You can check your version here.

Other than that, you'll need pictures or video clips, of course, to make a video.

Which browser is best to use?

For the best experience on animoto.com, on both Macs and PCs, we recommend you use Safari. In addition to Safari,

Firefox will work well too, though possibly not quite as well.

Animoto.com should work in Microsoft's IE6 and IE7 as well (and please let us know if they don't!). However, if you are having difficulties, we suggest upgrading to Safari or Firefox.

While other browsers (Opera, Camino, etc.) should work fine, please note that the only browsers we formally support are Safari, Firefox, IE6 and IE7.

How long will it take me to make a video?

It takes 3 minutes to render 30 seconds of video. If you are making a 10-minute video, this can take a while - even a couple of hours. We suggest that if you need this for a school assignment or presentation for work, you make your video the day before, to ensure that you have it in time.

Try downsizing large image files before you upload them to make the image upload stage fast, especially if you have a lot of images.

What exactly is Animoto doing when it is creating my video?

Animoto uses patent-pending technology to analyze your images and everything about the selected music - its structure, genre, energy, build, rhythm - before developing a blueprint for the motion design of your video. The remaining time is spent rendering your video, using a giant farm of computer processors to custom-generate 15 new images per second for your final video.

CREATING A VIDEO: Images

How many images should I use?

24-40 items (text, images, video clips) get displayed per minute of video depending on the song's tempo.

Animoto videos stop either when the music runs out or when there is no more imagery left to display... whichever comes first. So, depending on the length and tempo of the song chosen, make sure that there are enough images to see the song until its end, and conversely, that your song is long enough to show all the images that you'd like included in your video.

If the video doesn't come out right in terms of timing, you can always do an Editing Remix to the video. Add/delete images or switch-out the soundtrack, until your video is just right.

Do images have to be in a particular format or size?

Images must be in jpeg or gif formats and no larger than 5MB in size.

What's the difference between uploading and retrieving images?

Animoto gives you two ways to get your images. You can either UPLOAD them from your computer or have Animoto

RETRIEVE them from an online photo management site. We currently support direct image retrieval from Flickr,

Facebook, Smugmug, Picasa, and Photobucket.

If you have the choice, we recommend retrieving your images from your online photo manager since they are already downsized for a faster upload. If the photos stored on your computer have a very high resolution (more than 1 MB in size), you may want to downsize them first to reduce upload time if you plan to make videos to share online. We recommend downsizing to no less than 640x426 (or about 50kb per image), and no more than 1024x768 (or about 100kb per image).

If you plan to make videos for DVD or to download onto your computer, it's best to upload images that are at least 1024x768--but still, no need for pics more than 1 or 2 megapixels.

How do I upload images?

To upload images when you are creating a new video or editing an existing video, click the 'UPLOAD' button in the 'IMAGES' section. Navigate through your computer files to where your digital images are stored. To select multiple files, hold down the 'CTRL' or 'SHIFT' keys while clicking on the files. Upload time will depend on your Internet connection and the file size of each image.

If your pictures are already uploaded to an online photo management site, we recommend RETRIEVING your images since they will already be downsized and will save you significant time. We currently support direct image retrieval from

Flickr, Facebook, Smugmug, Picasa, and Photobucket.

How do I downsize images for faster uploading?

Images straight off your digital camera can be 100 times what you actually need for an online video. Although you can upload very high resolution images, smaller downsized images work just as well and save you significant upload time.

You can use simple image-resizing programs to downsize your images to a smaller size. If you have a Mac, we recommend using DroPic! (free). If you have a PC, we recommend using VSO Image Resizer (free). These are easy-to-use tools to help you resize your images to something appropriate for the web. We recommend a size of no less than 640x426 (about 50kb per image), and no more than 1024x768 (about 100kb per image).

If you plan to make videos for DVD or to download onto your computer, it's best to upload images that are at least 1024x768--but still, no need for pics more than 1 or 2 megapixels.

What is the image spotlight feature?

The spotlight feature allows you to tell Animoto to place special emphasis on certain images when producing the video.

You can spotlight as many images as you want. Simply click the thumbnail of the image you want featured to select it (holding CTRL if you want to select more than one), and then click "spotlight".

Can I add text to my video?

Yes, you definitely can!

After UPLOADING or RETRIEVING your images, you'll see a row of buttons beneath them. One of them has a "T" on them. That's the text feature. Click it to add text to your video.

Do you have an image enlargement feature for when I'm prepping my video?

Yes, definitely. Double click on the image while in the IMAGE stage of prepping your video and you'll see that an enlarged version of your image will appear toward the right. This makes it a lot easier to decipher which image is which.

What are the keyboard shortcuts to delete rotate and spotlight images?

Beneath the images are buttons that do all these functions. But to save time, you can also highlight the image(s) you'd like to delete and press "D" on your keyboard. To rotate press "R" and to spotlight your images press press "S."

CREATING A VIDEO: Video

What video formats does Animoto support?

We support quite a few video formats and codecs. However, there are many different video file types that use proprietary encoding formats, so you won't know if we support them or not until you try uploading.

Here are the file extensions we currently support: mp4, avi, mov, qt, 3gp, m4v, mpg, mpeg, mp4v, h264, wmv, mpg4, movie, m4u, flv, dv, mkv, mjpeg and ogv.

What's the maximum size of video file which I can upload?

200Mb.

How long can a video file be?

Depends on the resolution. Our cap is 200MB, which means that we'll be able to accept

longer videos of smaller resolution or shorter videos of higher resolution.

Can I decide what part of my footage gets included in my Animoto video? If so, how?

You can click on any uploaded video clip to preview it. Move the "DRAG TO SET CLIP START" icon to choose the beginning of your video clip. If you click the "EDIT" button beneath the preview window, you can modify both the start point and length of your video clip.

It says my video can't be uploaded/I get an error. What's causing this?

Many devices create videos using proprietary video formats that we can't support. We're actively working on supporting as many formats as we can. Anytime a video fails during the upload process, we keep information about the file to better help us understand how to support similar file types in the future.

If it's not your own music or Creative Commons music, then you'll need to make sure you have permission to use the music you want.

Make sure to take a good look at Animoto's Terms of Service (the binding contract that must be accepted upon registering). We've made the distinction between music that's acceptable for upload and music that's not acceptable for upload as clear as possible.

If upgrading to DVD-Quality, what resolution should my video be?

At least 720x480 pixels at 24fps (DVD quality).

Can I upload only video or must I include images as well?

Yes, you can definitely upload only video!

Can my video have audio in it?

You video's audio is on by default. The music chosen for your video's soundtrack will be a lower volume so that your footage's audio makes it into your Animoto video.

How do I get music?

To choose a music soundtrack when you are CREATING a new video or REMIXING an existing video, click 'UPLOAD' or

'SELECT' in the MUSIC section.

To UPLOAD, navigate through your computer files where your digital music is stored. Upload time will depend on your

Internet connection and the file size of your song. Typically it will take about 1-2 minutes to upload a 3MB MP3 file with a high-speed internet connection.

Does my music have to be in any particular format?

Animoto currently accepts any MP3 format. Unfortunately, if you've purchased any music from iTunes and it's in .M4A

format, you won't be able to use it with Animoto.

Is there a time-limit on how long a song can be in a video?

Yes, currently we don't allow songs that are longer than 10 minutes & bigger than 10 MB in size.

Can I use more than one song in a video?

Only one song can be selected per video.

What kind of music can I upload?

One of the most popular uses of Animoto is when bands, artists, or music labels make their own instant music videos to share with their own music. Some bands even share videos after every gig they play.

You can also use most Creative Commons music which is offered restriction free and at no cost. There are millions of

tracks being offered for free from sites that support Creative Commons music like Jamendo, Dmusic, Opsound, and

Soundclick. If it's not your own music or Creative Commons music, then you'll need to make sure you have permission to use the music you want.

Make sure to take a good look at Animoto's Terms of Service (the binding contract that must be accepted upon registering). We've made the distinction between music that's acceptable for upload and music that's not acceptable for upload as clear as possible.

What's the point of changing the start point of the music?

Many songs start with some dead time or with a build-up that you might not want to include in your ANIMOTO video.

With the song Start Point Slider, you can tell us where to start your song. Press 'PLAY' and wait until just the right moment; then press 'PAUSE'. If you are making an Animoto Short and have selected a song from our collection, the Start

Point Slider will be disabled since a customized 30-second version of the song has already been edited for you. Nice,

I'VE FINISHED MY VIDEO--NOW WHAT?

How do I know when my video is complete?

It takes about 3 minutes to render 30 seconds of a video. This can sometimes take longer (or shorter) depending on how much traffic our site has. The render status page will automatically update to let you know the status of your video's production. When your video is complete, it will automatically replace the status page and be waiting for you to view.

Your final video will also be in your 'MY VIDEOS' collection. You will also be notified by email the very second your video is ready and a direct link to the video will be included. So, feel free to minimize your web browser and go have a pizza pocket during the rendering process if you don't want to wait around. Better yet, produce some more videos.

Where can I find my new video?

When your new video is complete, you can find it in your 'MY VIDEOS' inbox along with all the other videos you've created. You will also be notified by email the very second your video is ready and a direct link to the video will be included.

How do I remix a video?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Clicking this button will give you the option to ONECLICK REMIX or EDITING REMIX your video.

What is a One-click Remix?

Animoto produces completely unique videos. No two videos are ever the same. ONE-CLICK REMIXING lets you see what else Animoto can come up with using the same images, music, and details a video already has. It sends your project through one more time and produces a whole new video. Whether it's an Animoto Short or full-length video, you can remix as many times as you want and choose your favorite result. Don't worry about losing past versions because each time you remix, Animoto makes a copy of your project and creates a whole new video.

What is an Editing Remix?

'EDITING REMIX' opens the video project and allows you to add and/or delete images in an existing video, rearrange images, or change the soundtrack. Don't worry about losing past version because each time you REMIX a video, Animoto makes a copy of your project and creates a whole new video.

How do I remix a video?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Clicking this button will give you the option to ONECLICK REMIX or EDITING REMIX your video.

WATCHING A VIDEO

How do I watch videos that I've created?

All videos that you have created will be in your 'MY VIDEOS' inbox where you can choose to 'PLAY', 'EDIT', or 'DELETE'.

How do I watch videos that my friends have sent me?

All videos that have been sent to you by friends will be in your 'VIDEOS FROM FRIENDS' inbox where you can choose to

'PLAY' or 'DELETE'.

Can anyone else watch my videos?

All videos are totally private unless you active share your video's link with others/post it elsewhere. No one can stumble across, search for or access your video without you allowing them to.

How do I watch my video fullscreen on my monitor?

To watch your video fullscreen, simply click on the fullscreen video button on the Video Player. It's the button to the of the volume control. If nothing happens (or if the video just appears to stop), you probably have a pop-up blocker on.

Make sure to allow pop-ups from Animoto.com.

SHARING A VIDEO

How do I share a video?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Clicking this button will give you the option to email the video out to friends or post it to a site like Facebook or your blog.

If you e-mail the video to a friend who is registered already, your video will then show up in their VIDEOS FROM FRIENDS collection.

How do I email a video?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Click on the "SHARE" option to e-mail your video to your friends & family.

You'll also notice that there is a small button with an envelope on it on top of your video & toward the right. E-mail the video out easily that way too.

How do I post a video to my MySpace or Facebook page?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Click on the "SHARE" feature to post to popular sites like MySpace or Facebook.

Don't see the site or blog provider you want to post to there? Then click on "More Options" to see the other sites you can post to.

I have a Facebook Fan/Business page. How do I post to that?

You can't post your online video to a Fan/Business page on Facebook. However, you can download the mp4 of your video and then manually upload to your Fan/Business page.

How do I post a video to YouTube?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Click on the "EXPORT" feature to post to YouTube.

How do I embed a video onto my website?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Click on the "EMBED" feature to nab your code.

We provide three different sizes so that your video can easily fit into your site.

I've posted my video to Facebook--now where is it?

At the moment, videos posted to Facebook will show up in the "Wall" portion of your profile as a "Posted Item."

While we do have a popular Facebook app that lets you make videos on Facebook, tag friends in the video, and share your videos via the app, we can't currently link up videos made at animoto.com to the app.

How do I embed a video into my WordPress Blog?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. Click on the "SHARE" feature and then on "More Options" (beneath the Facebook, Twitter icons) to post your video to other sites like WordPress.

How do I load a video onto my iPod or iPhone?

Animoto has an iPhone/iPod Touch app that allows you to easily make videos on your iPhone. You can also link-up your animoto.com account with your iPhone vids as well!

How do I download a video to my computer?

You can find the blue "VIDEO TOOLBOX" button beneath your video. To the right you can see where you can download the standard-quality mp4 download (if it's a full-length video) or upgrade your video to a hi-res download.

ANIMOTO SHORTS & FULL-LENGTH VIDEOS

What's the difference between an Animoto Short and a full-length video?

Animoto Shorts are 30-seconds in length and free for everyone. You can produce, remix, and share as many as you'd like.

Full-length videos can be as long as a whole song and are downloadable.

How do I make a full-length video?

The process for making a full-length video is the same as an Animoto Short except that a full-length video requires a video credit. You can see how many full-length videos you have in the upper-right Session Box. Making a full-length video will deduct one credit.

What are the limits of a full-length video?

Animoto will accept images up to 5MB in size for each file, and music up to 10MB in size. Videos also can't be longer than 10 minutes, so as not to clog up our system with insanely huge projects.

What is an All-Access Pass?

An All-Access Pass allows you to produce an unlimited number of full-length videos for one year. You can also download any of your videos, whether they're Video Shorts or full-length videos.

How much is an All-Access Pass?

You can get an All-Access Pass for $30. That allows you to produce an unlimited number of full-length videos for one year. You can also download any of your videos, whether they're Video Shorts or full-Length videos. To get an All-Access

Pass, click here.

Why do we charge?

The main reason we charge has to do with the intensity of our video production process. In order to be able to offer something different from what's out there on the web, namely the type of "high-end" motion design and effects used in

TV & film, we actually have to produce from scratch EACH new frame of your Animoto video... and there are 24 frames in each second of video! As you can imagine, this takes massive amounts of processor power, so we unfortunately can't afford to give everything away for free, particularly full-length videos, which really have intense demands on our render system. Fun fact: did you know it takes Pixar Studios 408 hours to render each second of their films using 3000 computers? Makes what we're doing here at Animoto seem pretty wimpy.

What are Animoto Downloads?

Animoto Downloads are full-length videos in a file-format that can be saved to your hard drive and played on your computer. You will need QuickTime to play an Animoto Download. (Hint: If you have iTunes, you already have

Quicktime). The file size will be roughly 5 to 6 MBs per minute of video. Animoto Downloads are available only for fulllength videos, that is, unless you have an All-Access Pass. With an All-Access Pass you can download not only your fulllength videos but Video Shorts as well.

How can I use Animoto Downloads?

You can upload these videos to YouTube, post them to your blog, load them on you iPod or iPhone, or do whatever you want with them. Most users want to download videos in order to play them when an internet connection is not available. They can come in handy for video projections, class presentations, concerts, weddings, conferences, meetings, and other events.

How do I download an Animoto video to my computer?

Click the 'VIDEO TOOLBOX' button beneath the video. On the right, there will be options for downloads.

How long does it take to prepare a video file to be downloaded?

No time at all. We've done all the work while your video was originally being rendered. Thus, all full-length videos are available for immediate download and will not require any additional time to render. However, older videos made prior to 12/18/07 require a few minutes to convert and re-render into a downloadable format.

How do I view an Animoto Download in full screen mode?

Make sure you are using QuickTime to play your video. If you have a PC:

Choose View > Full Screen or use the keyboard equivalent, Control-F. Press the 'Esc' key to exit fullscreen mode. If you have a Mac:

Choose View > Enter Full Screen or use the keyboard equivalent, Command-F. Press the 'Esc' key to exit fullscreen mode.

Where did my video download to?

Your computer will have you specify where exactly you'd like your downloaded video to be saved after clicking

'DOWNLOAD'. Typically, videos get downloaded to your Desktop or your 'Download's directory. If you can't find your video file, try downloading it again and make sure to note the specified download location.

What if I have a Video Short I want to download?

If you have an All-Access Pass, you can download any of your videos. Otherwise, only full-length videos are available for download. If you wish to download a video that's currently a Video Short, you'll first have to convert it to a full-length video and re-render it. To do this, click 'EDITING REMIX' and on the Finalize tab, click the 'FULL-LENGTH' option. Click

'CREATE VIDEO' and upon being re-rendered, your video will be available for download.

DVD-QUALITY OPTIONS

Can I burn the download to DVD?

Check out the DVD-quality download section below, to learn about downloads that are specifically designed to be burned to DVDs. The downloads that are included in the price of full-length videos aren't really suitable for burning.

If you have a PC: Choose View > Full Screen or use the keyboard equivalent, Control-F. Press the 'Esc' key to exit full screen mode.

If you have a Mac: Choose View > Enter Full Screen or use the keyboard equivalent, Command-F. Press the 'Esc' key to exit fullscreen mode.

What can I do with DVD-quality Animoto videos?

We want you to be able to use your Animoto videos whenever, wherever, and however you want.

With these DVD-quality options, you'll be able to play your Animoto video with a DVD player on a big screen, or project it even larger at a wedding, concert, birthday party or anywhere else.

Do DVD-quality videos have the Animoto logo?

If you get an Animoto for Business or Animoto for Photography package, the option to remove the Animoto logo is available to you. If, however, you upgrade your video made with a consumer All-Access Pass/full-length credits, the logo will still be there.

When creating a video I intend to later upgrade to DVD-quality, what resolution images should I use?

To ensure that your video in rendered at its highest possible quality with this option, you should use images that are at least 1000 on a side, or 1000 x 1000, when making your video.

What resolution quality are these videos?

DVD-quality downloads are 864 x 480 and rendered at 24 frames-per-second. (Standard Animoto videos are 432 x 240 and rendered at 15 frames-per-second.) DVD-quality videos look great when played on a large screen TV or projected onto a wall or projection screen.

To see a side-by-side comparison of a standard Animoto video vs. DVD-quality Animoto video, click here:

http://biz.animoto.com/dvd/comp.html

What format do the downloaded DVD-quality videos come in?

We offer two file types for DVD-quality videos to be downloaded: .ISO & .MP4. The $5 USD upgrade charge includes the preparation of both files types for you.

DVD-quality downloads come in both an mp4 formatted file (to be played on your computer using QuickTime) & an ISO formatted file (which can be burned to a DVD for TV-viewing).

How long does it take to render a DVD-quality download?

It takes about 20-30 minutes to render each minute of your video. Since we are re-rendering these videos frame-byframe at a higher resolution, they take longer than the rendering of standard Animoto videos.

Note: You don't have keep your computer on or stay on the animoto.com website while you video is rendering. We'll email you once your video is ready to download.

How do I burn a DVD-quality download on a Mac?

1. Insert a blank disc.

2. Start Disk Utility from your Application Folder

3. From the File menu, choose Open Disk Image and select your downloaded ISO file to be burned.

4. In the list of volumes, you will now see an item representing the ISO file. Select it.

5. Click the Burn button and follow the instructions.

How do I burn a DVD-quality download on a PC?

If you don't already have a DVD-burner incorporated in your computer, or if you are having trouble burning Animoto videos to DVD on a Windows platform, we have identified free burners that are Animoto-compatible.

We recommend Active Burner or IMGBurn for XP Machines & ISO Recorder for Vista Machines.

ANIMOTO FOR BUSINESS

What is Animoto for Business?

Animoto for Business is a platform that allows businesses to use Animoto's cutting-edge, high-end & cost-effective video production technology to create stunning video in just minutes.

With quick turn-around times & a whole slew of features that make Animoto for Business especially useful for businesses, our platform lets you keep your company's messaging, marketing, and website relevant in an easy-to-do way.

What features are included in Animoto for Business?

The White Label feature allows your video to be devoid of any Animoto logo/branding. The 300+ free-to-use songs in our

Commercial Music Library saves you both time & money in finding commercially licensed music.

Free DVD-Quality download upgrades are included as well, as is the Call-to-Action button. This button allows you to add a link to your website at the end of the video. Drive traffic to your site this way. able to check out the commercial library before buying. To do this, sign-out of our site, then click on the Music Lounge option. You'll then be given the option to peruse the commercial music library.

All information on this handout directly from: http://animoto.com/help/faq