Sunday 28 April 2013

Creating Social Media Content - Using Windows Moviemaker

If you are small attraction (or even a large one) and looking to develop your presence on the web, a YouTube account in your attraction's name, gives you the opportunity to raise your profile. However you are then faced with what to post. You may well have hidden talents as an amateur moviemaker but we have all seen those dreadful films on YouTube with unsteady handheld cameras that do nothing to enhance anyone's reputation, let alone promote the virtues of a visit.

However, Windows Movie Maker, bundled with most Windows releases or available to download  provides even still photographers with the opportunity to animate some of all those photographs taken of the marvels of visiting your museum, heritage site, theme park, attraction or wildlife reserve. All you need is a bit of time, as Windows Movie Maker has the ability to automatically create a movie and match the music to the pictures. As it 'says on the box' on the Windows website:

Import and edit slide shows and videos
Quickly add photos and footage from your PC or camera into Movie Maker. Then fine tune your movie just the way you want it. You can move things around, speed it up or slow it down—it’s up to you.

Edit the soundtrack and add a theme
Enhance your movie with audio and a theme. Movie Maker adds transitions and effects automatically so your movie looks polished and professional.

Share your movie online
Once your movie is ready, share it online on Facebook, YouTube or other social networking and video sharing sites. Send a link to your movie in an email to family and friends so they won’t miss it.
 
You just need to be careful of copyrights for both photographs (and other media of course) and music and YouTube has guidance on this issue. YouTube has some copyright free music you can use. For an example of what can be done with old photographs and music by the Hollywood composer Erich Korngold see the short animation for the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust's 'Fleets to Flying Boats' heritage attraction here   
 
Get shooting and animating! And don't forget - post it on Facebook as well
 
Copyright Picture from the cover of  'The Making of Feature Films - A Guide' Ivan Butler - Pelican - 1971

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