Slideshows with Audio?

Slideshows with Audio?

I want to create slide shows with audio support (basically, sequenced still photos with narration). My focus will, of course, be on food, which is why I feel this is an appropriate forum to seek advice, and I'm shopping for software, web support, or whatever I need to start making mini-documentaries about food, and that's why I'm posting on this sub-board.

I've googled and found several software packages and web services for creating and storing slide shows with audio. Any recommendations?

I'd tell you to use iPhoto, but I seem to recall you're a Windows guy. Then again, we did get you to buy an iPod.

I guess if you want to do the narration yourself, you'd want to use something more like video production software even if you used still limages. We took a family trip to Costa Rica a few years ago and made a commemorative DVD for everyone using iMovie and iDVD. It really was about as simple as they pitch it to be.

Some of my colleagues make these things they call "viewlets" at work to train people to use the websites we build. I'll ask tomorrow what the technology is. It might be this ViewletBuilder which costs a few hundred bucks, but which you could at least try for free. Until you pay for it, the software leaves a "watermark" in your production.

Photostory 3 from Microsoft is pretty good, and I think they distribute it as freeware......I use it occasionally for the stuff I do on Hungry (see photo slideshow on Intelligentisia for an example)

germuska wrote:I'd tell you to use iPhoto, but I seem to recall you're a Windows guy. Then again, we did get you to buy an iPod.

Joe, that iPod was one of the best personal accessories I've purchased in a long time, so your opinion matters a lot. I talked to a video producer I've known for years and he suggested an Mac-type system, but...I don't know, seems like a big commitment.

I'll check out Viewbuilder. My ultimate goal may be to produce little videos, but I'm thinking for a novice a slideshow might be easier to control.

MJN wrote:Photostory 3 from Microsoft is pretty good, and I think they distribute it as freeware......I use it occasionally for the stuff I do on Hungry (see photo slideshow on Intelligentisia for an example)

Michael, Photostory 3 fits two critical criteria: it's Microsoft and it's free. This has definite possibilities.

Sincerely appreciate the suggestions.

Admonish me harshly for introducing any Mac/PC debate to this hallowed forum, but I've found Apple's Gargeband is really easy, cheap and does a great job creating 'enhanced Podcasts', or audio with images, save-able in several formats.

Of course the machine it runs on is the real commitment.

I'm starting to look at similar software, something for capturing what we're doing on screen and allowing us to add narration. I want to use it both for tutorials both for work (tech support FAQs) as well as play (blog entries about planning my January vacation to Australia).

Members of one of the other forums I occasionally frequent use this type of software to build poker tutorials. Camtasia appears to be the most popular commercial product. This link is to a decent (and amusing for those of us who play poker recreationally) video which appears to be created by Camtasia Studio 3, but a Version 4 appears to be out for $299, or $170 for educators via campustech. This is what I plan on using as I can get work to pay for it.

There appear to be a number of open-source choices as well - search for "screen video" at surgeforge.net for some examples.

Hi -

I recently played around with this new service, VisionThread.com. It allows other folks to post their own text or audio comments about your audio/photo slideshow. Very cool and you can imbed it in your own website too. Free.

Jenn
ChefsLine, the culinary hotline.

threadkiller wrote:I'm starting to look at similar software, something for capturing what we're doing on screen and allowing us to add narration. I want to use it both for tutorials both for work (tech support FAQs) as well as play (blog entries about planning my January vacation to Australia).

Members of one of the other forums I occasionally frequent use this type of software to build poker tutorials. Camtasia appears to be the most popular commercial product. This link is to a decent (and amusing for those of us who play poker recreationally) video which appears to be created by Camtasia Studio 3, but a Version 4 appears to be out for $299, or $170 for educators via campustech.

I do quite a bit of this work professionally. Camtasia is my tool of choice.