Using Animoto Slideshows in Your Workflow

I do exclusively in-person proofing & ordering sessions now for all of my boudoir & glamour clients, which is a huge help for them in selecting the photographs they want to use in their products. We kick off every ordering session with an Animoto slideshow that I make for them, and they are a HUGE hit!

I’ve found that starting with the Animoto slideshow sets the mood for the meeting. They are nervous coming in – that excited sort of nervous, because they are anxious to see the photos. Playing them in a slideshow with some fun & sassy music gives them a chance to see the images before we settle in to make their selections.

The Animoto Pro account has a wide variety of slideshow templates that you can use which are available only to Pro members. Earlier this month, Animoto also announced their partnership with Triple Scoop Music, which means you have thousands of hand-picked, curated, high-quality music options to use in your videos! They have also added the feature of using multiple songs in one video. This isn’t something I’ll need for my Boudoir clients, but it is great for wedding photographers!

One of my favorite parts of using Animoto is that they have handled the music licensing for you! Yes, yes, you can use great music AND be “legal” at the same time. After all, we as photographers want our copyrights to be honored, so we should honor the copyrights of the music artists as well!

Making an Animoto slideshow is SUPER easy! You select the template you want to use, select the music you would like from their extensive licensed music library, upload your images and videos, add any text slides, and BAM! You are done. After previewing the video, I download it in the highest resolution HD that they offer (currently 720p, but 1080p is coming soon) and save it to my hard drive to show my client at the viewing session. For clients that purchase their digital files, I include the slideshow as well on the USB flash drive.

My clients love them, and if you’re not using them you should definitely check them out!

This link to Animoto is my refer-a-friend link, and for a limited time when I refer a friend, you’ll receive 20% off your new Pro subscription purchase – and I’ll get 2 free months added on to my current Plus or Pro subscription. I’ve not been paid for this post, and all opinions are entirely my own – I love using Animoto!

WPPI Show Special for Animoto Pro

At WPPI I had a chance to talk to the Animoto team, and they graciously said I could share the show specials with you here on the blog! If you are a new or upgrading Animoto client, you can use the promo code WPPI13 for $50 off + 2 months free with a new Animoto Pro annual subscription. If you’re a renewing Animoto client, you can use the promo code animotorules for 3 months free with an Animoto Pro annual subscription renewal. Both offers expire on March 24, 2013!