Zift Advisory
Animoto is a creative, cloud-based app that lets users make videos, slideshows, or short presentations from the personal photos and videos on their phone. Animoto is available for both iOS and Android devices and is rated for everyone. This app does offer in-app purchases. The Animoto app can be safe for older children.
What is Slideshow Creator?
Animoto is a creative, cloud-based app that lets users make videos, slideshows, or short presentations from the personal photos and videos on their phone. Animoto's simple interface and easy-to-follow instructional content puts video creation tools into the hands of children too young to use more complicated, feature-rich tools.
Animoto is available for both iOS and Android devices and is rated for everyone. This app does offer in-app purchases.
The free version of the Animoto app is limited to creating short videos from a smaller selection of background music tracks and design templates. The paid version, Animoto Plus, allows users to make unlimited, full-length videos using hundreds more production design and music options. Additionally, completed videos can be downloaded to your PC or a DVD for replaying in the living room.
The Animoto app uses content collected from the photo gallery of the user's mobile device, as well as from their connected social media accounts. Following Animoto's step-by-step instructions, they make decisions about the style, layout, music, and timing of their video compilation, with the app handling all the complex transitions and final export to playable video.
Users can also upload Creative Commons-licensed images from sites like Flickr, or add their own music and spoken narration.
Completed videos will be uploaded to the user's Animoto account, where they can be easily shared to popular social sharing networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube, or emailed to friends through the Animoto app itself. Additionally, videos also can be emailed and shared through the Animoto iPhone app.
Is Slideshow Creator safe for my kids?
Animoto is safe for older children, but parents are encouraged to share their privacy concerns with their children before use. As users can share their projects instantly, either through social media or email, there are concerns about inappropriate sharing with this app.
While Animoto is safe, it can make it easy to share private photos and material without thinking about the possible consequences of sharing personal material.
As always, before your child is allowed to use social sharing apps unsupervised, make sure they clearly understand your expectations about social media use, online conduct, and what to do if they encounter inappropriate or unsafe interactions online. In general, Animoto is appropriate for older children and teens, especially if they are already trusted with their own social media accounts.
New designs, themes, and music for Animoto presentations are available regularly, keeping their projects fresh. Since its launch, Animoto has won a number of technology and design awards, including:
- SXSW's Interactive Award ("Best Film/Website")
- Webby People's Voice Award ("Best Services & Design"
- Hot One Award (“Presentation/Slideshow")
App Screens
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