Dreaming of becoming the next big superstar? Well, you already have an improvised costume, your lyrics and song… yet the recording didn’t come out as you expected. Sure, the music was fine (at least to you) but something seemed… off. There was something in your video that seemed to lack the pizzazz that the videos on TV always seemed to have.

A hard and expensive way of making your videos look fantastic is by hiring a professional and paying him to add special effects to your video. An easier, more practical way out is by using Animoto.

What is Animoto, you ask? Animoto is a video-creating program that only requires you to give a small amount of input (pictures and text), and then goes off to making your video look like a million bucks while you wait. It requires very little know-how about the internet, and virtually none about video making, because Animoto’s specialized algorithms take care of that for you. They function by using the video background music that you’ve selected, and analyzing its BPM (beats per minute); after that, see which video animations and motions are fit for the video, and use it on the pictures. That’s the very basic explanation of what Animoto does.

In reality, every step it takes requires complicated algorithms of Animoto to enable it to think not just like a human being, but somewhat as an award-winning director, always thinking of better ways to present his or her movie. True, Animoto can’t make you Spielberg, but it can definitely make you one of the top-rated hits on YouTube given since you can provide a quality string of fitting complimentary images and music showing deep thought. After all, as long as you’re inspired, it’s not that hard, is it?

For those who are a bit uncertain about Animoto's prowess, go ahead, give it a try. You have to log in or sign up first, though. Upon logging in or signing up, you can click the “create video” tab. Then, you can choose what pictures to use and from where: the pictures stored on your computer, the pictures to be found at photo-hosting services like photo bucket, and even some pictures that Animoto has, can be used.

Next to that is the selection of music. Again, you can choose from Animoto’s library of sounds, or then again you can also select something from your computer. If you have uploaded a song, it also gives you and option of where the song would start in the video.  After that, you are sent to the final step of creating a video, which is to pick the video speed (available only on paid versions) and give the title and name of your video. Easy, right? 

What you get may not be the type of music video that Rihanna or other hit stars may produce, but it is professional, creative, and definitely stands out from the rest.
Other “music video” ideas could be…you compiling a bunch of heartwarming pictures, plus a favorite tune or music to send to your parents or friends. Gone are the days of simple flash e-cards; say hello to video greetings that anyone can create. Or if you have an upcoming program to attend, and you’re tasked with providing entertainment for the guests during dinner time, skip the torture of acting like a stand-up comedian (unless you actually enjoy it), and simply prepare a bunch of pictures with suitable music, plug it in Animoto, and voila! These types of videos work well with personal affairs, like birthdays, anniversaries, office parties, debuts, etc.

Aside from slideshows, Animoto may possibly even have redefined the term “music videos”, because of the quality-driven, hassle-free and inexpensive service they provide.