Visualization tools – update 2

Animoto is to me a prettier and more dynamic slideshow. However, buy unlike a regular slideshow, Animoto offers plenty of integration choices when it comes to obtaining content, musical background or sharing it with other people. As such photos and videos can be uploaded from a computer or imported them other online platforms like Flickr, Picasa or Facebook. Similarly, music can be chosen from Animoto’s list or from your own tunes. The rest is more than easy since once uploaded the photos and chosen the track, Animoto does all the hard work and sends an email once the video is ready. The transitions are dynamic and have a modern vibe.

Here’s what I have created with just a few clicks. At present Animoto doesn’t offer wordpress customized embed links.

For a research/academic environment Animoto could be a good choice for art/media oriented schools as an alternative creative platform. It’s a good visualization tool and provides a pretty results without too much effort. However there are two limitations that I see with Animoto:

1. the basic free account limitation of videos to 30 seconds might make it a bit harder for students to use it for lengthier projects
2. the limitation put on content choice – Animoto’s pool or the user’s own. While this is a laudable move in the direction of supporting copyright, it limits on the other hand the possibility of creating mix or re-mix products.

If you are interested in the other visualization tools I have reviewed check these previous posts.