How to Create a Video in 5 Easy Steps Using Animoto

This is a guest blog by Kelly Bortner, an elementary art teacher at Conewago School District. We would love to hear how you use animoto in your classroom. Please leave your comments below or visit facebook.com/myreadingsecrets to post on my wall.

As my anniversary rapidly approached (Lucky #13?!) I had to do some quick thinking…what to give the Love of my Life for our special day without breaking the piggy bank. You see, my Sweetie had missed a LOT of work due to the nature of his job & the weather…(apparently he decided THIS should be the year to test out the “for richer or for poorer” vow with the emphasis being on the “for poorer” part! Thanks, Honey!) And then it was as though the anniversary gods smiled down upon me …I was introduced to the wonderful world of ANIMOTO- a site that claims it is “Making Awesome Easier” where I could make a FREE (can’t do any better than FREE when attempting to save the piggy bank!) video of our first 13 years together. And almost as great as the fact that the piggy bank would be spared was the fact that it was EASY! (And for me to say anything that even remotely resembles technology is EASY- well you can bank on it!) If making a video for your special someone’s birthday, anniversary, or just because sounds like something that might interest you (did I mention FREE & EASY?) just read on… and have fun!

5 Easy Steps:
1. Log on to www.animoto.com
You will need to take about 2 minutes to open an account to enable you to use animoto. (But hey, I’m guessing those 2 minutes are WAY less time than it would take you to drive to the mall to actually BUY a gift!)

2. Choose Your Video Style
There are approximately 30+ styles from which you can choose. Just find a video style that looks interesting and “CLICK”…you get to preview it so no worries if you don’t love it- just hit the “X” and try again!

3. Choose Your Music
Each video comes with music pre-programmed, but if you feel like dancing to your own beat, then GO AHEAD, and name that tune! There are other songs on animoto that you can choose or you can download your own.

4. Add Your Photos (or video clips) & Text
You can download your photos or videos or even add clip art instead to suit your needs. Each photo and text box is its own slide so go ahead & just start adding- you can just click & drag your way to the perfect arrangement once everything in loaded on there.

5. Click “Produce Video”
Click “Produce Video” and in the 10 seconds it takes you to ponder what a GENIUS you are for making this video, you will receive an e-mail telling you your video is ready to view & share. You can post it to You Tube, Facebook, etc…or just save it in “Your Videos” to view/share at a later time.

6. What is this Step 6 Nonsense?!
(Okay, okay- I KNOW I said “In 5 Easy Steps,” but Step 6 is so BEYOND easy I didn’t even think it should count!)…Now all you have to do is sit back and listen to how wonderfully CREATIVE, TALENTED, & THOUGHTFUL you are for all the “hard work” (wink, wink ;) you did to make your Honey’s anniversary (or birthday, etc.) so special! So that’s it! Anyone can do It- including you…so what are you waiting for?! I would LOVE to hear all about how your visit to animoto went so keep me posted! Happy Creating!