Comments on: Domo Arigato, Animoto

By: Frustrated Animoto User

Frustrated Animoto User — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:55:21 +0000

Beware for Animoto Facebook Users
I added the application to watch a friends video in which I was tagged.
Animoto is quite impressive and puts together a cool video.
However, the app went through my photos and made a video and sent it out to friends WITHOUT my consent or knowledge. Cool product but where are the privacy controls! I ended up removing the application! This is more of a trojan application the way it is currently set up on Facebook!

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:38:07 +0000

Agreed, Ed, software is no match for the creative mind. But at the crossroad of a creative mind and unskilled hands is where this tool comes in most handy!

By: Ed Roach

Ed Roach — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:14:47 +0000

Nice tool. Mac’s Keynote could give you much the same thing if you are a good designer. The problem with Power Point or even this tool is in the hands of the untalented there is still going to be some gawd awful productions making the rounds. software is no match for the creative mind.

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:52:20 +0000

Enjoy, Elaine! Let us know how it works out for you.

By: Elaine Fogel

Elaine Fogel — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:37:50 +0000

Loved it, Mark. Great tool for my speaking engagements. I’m going to make one. Thanks!

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:26:33 +0000

Thanks for the feedback, Dusan.
Don’t you just love that? There are all these free tools out there and rather than experiment just a little, the inclination is to run and spend money. Or more money than necessary.

By: Dusan Vrban

Dusan Vrban — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:55:55 +0000

Animoto certainly feels fantastic on first usage. I think it has some potential in small-business, where it could even become a tool to make some small ads or other ways of presenting things.
I’m just thinking of using it to present a small village in croatian coast.
Yet it can even be helpful for bigger companies to make a quick presentation with extremly low budget and fun way of doing it. I just don’t belive many of them will try it, since they will rather spend some more money on professional video.
Mark, thanks for this tip, it’s great!

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:27:50 +0000

Thanks, CK. I like your thinking about Animoto promotion uses.
And I love Slideshare. Not just for posting presentations, but for learning from others. I really think Slideshare is one of the most underrated of the social networks. There is so much you can pick up from that site, it’s insane.

By: CK

CK — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:12:02 +0000

I love this tool and you certainly did us proud with the blogger social video (thank you!). In opening a presentation (that might be based in PPT), I could see using this to generate excitement with the audience--and also as a promo for various items...be they services, blogs, special webinars. It's amazing what a little motion + music can do. psst: some other great online tools? http://www.slide.com for all sorts of self-running slideshows and to jazz up static pictures (it has 2 functions) and http://slideshare.net to post presentations online (and I understand you can add audio). PS: Congrats on being a contributor; looking forward to all sorts of great content, tips and ideas!

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:10:42 +0000

Ben, just want to revisit that more reply to your comments. I’ve just read a post on the Animoto blog titled, “How did Animoto originate?” In it, they’re pretty clear about their intentions for the service. Here’s a quote:
“Another big motivation for developing Animoto is to find a way for people to stop sending us 18 minute long 462-photo slideshows of their trip to Maine. Nothing else really makes you just wanna shoot yourself than when you get those things. Besides, slideshows are so 1970’s, aren’t they?”
This whole post pretty much explains where “the end of slideshows” is coming from.
Here’s the link to the post:
http://tinyurl.com/3cs7ju
So, in fairness to the guys who run Animoto, I don’t think it was ever their intention to be a business tool. All I’m saying here is that there are some business applications for the service. Unfortunately, ending PPT slideshows isn’t one of them!

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:40:11 +0000

Point well taken, Ben.
I think their tagline, “the end of slideshows” comes about because of iPhoto and similar services that allow you to take your pictures and turn them into slideshows, with music and simple effects.
I’m not sure that Animoto ever thought of this from the business/PowerPoint perspective.
But I share your pain, man.

By: Ben Peterson

Ben Peterson — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:16:22 +0000

I was surprised to see so many positive comments. When I read the tag, “the end of slideshows,” i was very excited. The abuse of powerpoint has left a stale taste in my mouth for anything slideshow.
But upon further examination, it looks more like a series of pictures with music. This is great for introductions… but what about the slideshows used during a presentation? The part with the content?
Is this really the end of slideshows, or is it more a tool for making slick video intros and widgets?

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:25:40 +0000

Thanks for having me here, Ann!

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:19:48 +0000

Point taken, Mark.
And btw — welcome to the Daily Fix!

By: Mark Goren

Mark Goren — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:56:54 +0000

Thanks, Cathy. Happy we now have thing all worked out.
Ann, I’m a little hesitant to call Animoto “video production in a box” just because it’s not really using video as a source. You can’t upload videos from your hard drive or create a live one on the site that will be included in your final video.
That’s why I think “Animoto” is the perfect term, as they animate your photos …. and nothing more.
Who knows, maybe this will change down the road.
Plus I promise not to tell anyone if you don’t.

By: Ann Handley

Ann Handley — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:39:18 +0000

Cathy — My fault. Fixed the pesky link.
Mark — Animoto is truly video production in a box. Or desktop. Or whatever. I spent some time playing around with it last week , as you know, and I’m a huge fan of both the tool and the company. (Read their blog; you’ll get a sense of the personalities behind the technology.)
I’m a little worried that success will ruin it, though. So we might want to keep Animoto as a secret just between us… ‘k?
; )

By: Cathy

Cathy — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:26:29 +0000

Mark -
Your link goes to Animito.com, which is just pages of sponsored links.
Thanks for the tip about Animoto. Looks like a cool tool.