Animoto

=Animoto - [|http://www.animoto.com] =  **Sponsoring Organization: Animoto Productions **
 * Date of Last Update: 2009 **


 * Authority: Animoto Productions is a group of individuals who are veterans of the entertainment industry - directors producers, writers, etc. They are people who would know a thing or two about video production. **


 * Content: Animoto contains everything you need to create a video. A free account entitles you to make a "short" film - less than 30 seconds, and allows you little creative control. Educators can apply for a free "full access" account which allows you to make full-length videos and gives you more creative control. Sample videos and case studies of successful uses in the classroom are provided on the website. **


 * Currency: The site is regularly updated and has a current copyright. **


 * Purpose: The makers of Animoto wanted to give people a way to make professional looking videos by providing the software and the storage space. It is obviously a money making proposition for them. Subscriptions are available for individuals and for businesses. However, educators can apply for and receive full access for free. It takes one to two weeks to hear back from Animoto. **


 * Organization: The website is easy to navigate. They recently did some redesigning and now things like the help are a little more difficult to find, but once you know how to get there, it's not too bad. It couldn't be easier to create a video. Just upload some pictures and go to work. **


 * Strengths: First, it's free for education. Right now, K-12 schools are **  **struggling to find affordable software and ways to save video files. Animoto takes some of the problems related to this away. Students have access to the software both at home and at school, so they can work in either location. If students do not have an e-mail address or the school has a policy of not allowing students to sign up for online resources, Animoto provides a way for the teacher to create student accounts without having an e-mail for each student and perhaps this is better because the teacher then has access to the student accounts, which could be a plus in some instances. Since the videos are stored on Animotos servers, you don't have to worry about storage space.**
 * Weaknesses:** **You have to be prepared in order to use it with your students. It took about two weeks for me to hear back from Animoto. Colleagues have told me it took a little less time for them to hear. Creative control isn't what you have when you work with iMovie. the video is actually mixed using the technology that the guys at Animoto have developed. Videos are created using still pictures and music - actual video footage can not be included.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">


 * Instructional Uses:** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Students can use Animoto to create videos to do just about anything. For example, in a reading class, kids could put together an video book trailer. In a science class, students could document the steps in a lab or project and put together an "instructional" type video. Students in a social studies class could put together a video on a topic related to American History to show what they learned during the course of a unit. A teacher could put together videos to ehance learning.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">


 * Benefits to Students:** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Students now have a way to create video from any place they have Internet access. Their videos most often will require to synthesize what they've learned and create a product that they will be excited about and be proud of. It is a definite alternative to Power Point slideshows - which are getting very old...**

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