Animoto Users Unite!

SamirD · October 10, 2009

So I've been looking seriously at Animoto, but I can't see where I can profit from the great videos. SM doesn't have a way to sell DVDs of videos, and Animoto charges $20 for a five minute DVD, which wouldn't work for my customer base. I could make great promo videos and post them all over the web, but it's still expensive to do that with a commercial account.

My question is how do you use Animoto in your business? How have you been able to justify the cost?

action-pics · October 25, 2009

I'm going to reply as a bump because I'm also interesting in this area. I wish smug mug allowed a video download for sale. In a tough market with all of the moms and dads having decent DSLR I'm looking for something new to keep them coming to my site and the video would fit the bill nicely. To be able to sell a minute or two video (not at all full HD) for $5-$10 would be nice.

duds · October 26, 2009

I've been floating around some of the other forums with this same question... Hoping for some clarification as well.

There seems to be some confusion about the partnership announced this weekend, and whether they've enabled SmugMug Pros to sell Animoto videos... either on DVD, or just as electronic downloads. One announcement posted in another forum clearly lists "reselling" as a component of the partnership, but I'm not sure how reliable the source is.. and I don't see any confirmation of that anywhere. So, who knows.

In the meantime, I'm excited to play with Animoto.... and I hope we can share videos with one another. Looking forward to it.

AnimotoBecky · October 26, 2009

Hi Samir,

I answered you on another thread with info on monetizing with Animoto:

http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?p=1246176#post1246176

But in regards to the $20 charge, few photographers have the video shipped to them. The pro-package includes unlimited DVD-Quality downloads, which you can in turn burn to DVD. Here's a tutorial on doing that:

http://biz.animoto.com/iso.<wbr>html

You can burn them yourself, brand the DVD the way you'd like, etc.

I think a great idea is to start and end each vid with your studio's logo, so that when your clients inevitably show the video to friends & family, you'll reap the benefits of the best kind of marketing... word of mouth.

Anyway, let me know if you have any other questions!

SamirD wrote:

So I've been looking seriously at Animoto, but I can't see where I can profit from the great videos. SM doesn't have a way to sell DVDs of videos, and Animoto charges $20 for a five minute DVD, which wouldn't work for my customer base. I could make great promo videos and post them all over the web, but it's still expensive to do that with a commercial account.

My question is how do you use Animoto in your business? How have you been able to justify the cost?

SamirD · October 27, 2009

Thank you for all the feedback. I believe the other format that can be downloaded is mp4, correct? How can multiple files of these be put on one DVD, like a compilation. I think this is a product that my customers might want.

AnimotoBecky · October 27, 2009

Hi Samir,

Yes, they come in an mp4 and an ISO format. We'll be working on a feature that combines videos together so you can get multiple ones on one disc, but in the meantime, DVD Flick is a program that lets you burn multiple mp4s to a disc. It's free to download.

SamirD wrote:

Thank you for all the feedback. I believe the other format that can be downloaded is mp4, correct? How can multiple files of these be put on one DVD, like a compilation. I think this is a product that my customers might want.

SamirD · October 27, 2009

AnimotoBecky wrote:

Hi Samir,

Yes, they come in an mp4 and an ISO format. We'll be working on a feature that combines videos together so you can get multiple ones on one disc, but in the meantime, DVD Flick is a program that lets you burn multiple mp4s to a disc. It's free to download.

Thank you for the reply. How will quality be affected by the downloading of the mp4 and then recoding for the DVD? Would the quality be less than of your DVD product? My source camera produces video at 480p. My concern is that after multiple decoding and coding, that quality will suffer when it is displayed on the big screen.

AnimotoBecky · October 28, 2009

Hi Samir,

DM the e-mail addy with which you're registered at Animoto, and I'll credit you a DVD-Quality download to get a feel for the higher-res version on us.

SamirD wrote:

Thank you for the reply. How will quality be affected by the downloading of the mp4 and then recoding for the DVD? Would the quality be less than of your DVD product? My source camera produces video at 480p. My concern is that after multiple decoding and coding, that quality will suffer when it is displayed on the big screen.

SamirD · October 30, 2009

AnimotoBecky wrote:

Hi Samir,

DM the e-mail addy with which you're registered at Animoto, and I'll credit you a DVD-Quality download to get a feel for the higher-res version on us.

Wow, that sounds great. PM sent.

chaswes5 · October 31, 2009

Animoto
I just tried a one time video creation. I created it from an existing file on my Pro SM site. As long as it is view in a small version, the resolution is OK, but at full screen it is blurred. The original photos are at a high enough resolution so that the pictures should be clear as a bell at full screen. Did I do something wrong or is this what I can expect from Animoto?

Shima · November 1, 2009

chaswes5 wrote:

I just tried a one time video creation. I created it from an existing file on my Pro SM site. As long as it is view in a small version, the resolution is OK, but at full screen it is blurred. The original photos are at a high enough resolution so that the pictures should be clear as a bell at full screen. Did I do something wrong or is this what I can expect from Animoto?

High res is 864 x 480 pixels. I forget what low res is but it's much smaller.

High res is tolerable at full screen, but I'd really love an HD version where I can full screen it and see beauty at it's finest.

tijoseph · November 1, 2009

I have the photographer level subscription.

I asked them about HD, since we really need this to showcase our work, and they said they are working on it and should be ready next year. I hope this means early next year.

I love the service but I feel like they are working themselves out of the serious buyers such as those that have paid the 249.00

You can make videos on your iphone, share them with anyone, make them for free, etc. I feel like they will be saturating the marketplace with cheap/free videos that all look the same very soon. There is no way I will be able to charge for these, when my customers can make one for next to nothing that has the same look. At that point, I will no longer have any use for the service and will have to try the next best thing.

I compare this to millers lab which I use for many of my albums. They are professionals only and do not disclose pricing etc. to others. This protects us as photographers to charge whatever we want to.

Good for animoto for marketing very strongly and getting their name out. I couldn't imagine paying for another year, once everyone has this free app on their phone etc.

Shima · November 1, 2009

tijoseph wrote:

I have the photographer level subscription.

I asked them about HD, since we really need this to showcase our work, and they said they are working on it and should be ready next year. I hope this means early next year.

I love the service but I feel like they are working themselves out of the serious buyers such as those that have paid the 249.00

You can make videos on your iphone, share them with anyone, make them for free, etc. I feel like they will be saturating the marketplace with cheap/free videos that all look the same very soon. There is no way I will be able to charge for these, when my customers can make one for next to nothing that has the same look. At that point, I will no longer have any use for the service and will have to try the next best thing.

I compare this to millers lab which I use for many of my albums. They are professionals only and do not disclose pricing etc. to others. This protects us as photographers to charge whatever we want to.

Good for animoto for marketing very strongly and getting their name out. I couldn't imagine paying for another year, once everyone has this free app on their phone etc.

But if you only use the free version you'll have animoto branding all over it. Just some food for thought. "next year" really is rather vague for HD, I hope that means sooner than later!

AnimotoBecky · November 2, 2009

Hi Shima,

I'll try and get an ETA for HD! It's beyond important we get this, since so many photographers are shooting HD.

Shima wrote:

But if you only use the free version you'll have animoto branding all over it. Just some food for thought. "next year" really is rather vague for HD, I hope that means sooner than later!

tijoseph · November 2, 2009

AnimotoBecky......Nice to have you here in the forum.

Nice to have you hear. What other plans are in store for Animoto? I love it now, but with all of the marketing out there (on the web, iphones etc.), and the free videos along with the 30 dollar a year subscription, it seems that anyone and everyone will be able to make these. This will mean the service has no use for my business once this happens. I can't charge someone for a video that they can make for free.

Are there any future plans to offer special services to professionals? What will keep us wanting to come back and keep paying the subscription fees of 249 year after year?

AnimotoBecky · November 3, 2009

Thanks! I responded in another post to you about the ability to allow users to play their high-res videos in a larger player (same as YouTube's "HQ" settings) for those who have create the high-res version.

We are working on an "elegant" option that will make videos look more sophisticated for wedding/slower paced portrait sessions.

We'll be re-visiting HD this January.

Hopefully too we'll be able to post hi-res vids to SM, and have SM users be able to sell their vids via SM. Of course this might not happen until next year, but still things we have on our product road map.

Also, not sure if you saw this today, but we previewed our new Holiday Greeting:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/03/animoto-gets-groovy-for-the-holidays/

tijoseph wrote:

AnimotoBecky......Nice to have you here in the forum.

Nice to have you hear. What other plans are in store for Animoto? I love it now, but with all of the marketing out there (on the web, iphones etc.), and the free videos along with the 30 dollar a year subscription, it seems that anyone and everyone will be able to make these. This will mean the service has no use for my business once this happens. I can't charge someone for a video that they can make for free.

Are there any future plans to offer special services to professionals? What will keep us wanting to come back and keep paying the subscription fees of 249 year after year?

SamirD · November 3, 2009

AnimotoBecky wrote:

Hopefully too we'll be able to post hi-res vids to SM, and have SM users be able to sell their vids via SM.

YES! This is what I want!

I have 200k+ photos and video clips that I can transform into thousands of music videos that users could select and buy and put on a DVD. This would be the ultimate solution.

AnimotoBecky · November 4, 2009

Totally agree, Samir :-) Great minds truly do think a like :ivar

SamirD wrote:

YES! This is what I want! I have 200k+ photos and video clips that I can transform into thousands of music videos that users could select and buy and put on a DVD. This would be the ultimate solution.

Shima · November 6, 2009

AnimotoBecky wrote:

Totally agree, Samir :-) Great minds truly do think a like :ivar

One of my photography buddies who uses animoto already and recently joined smugmug was really bummed when he found out he couldn't sell his videos yet... so I know he (and myself too, but more so him) will be jumping up and down in joy when we are finally able to sell the videos from smugmug

AnimotoBecky · November 9, 2009

Yes, I agree it's something we must have in the future. I'll let you know as the progress of this develops!

Shima wrote:

One of my photography buddies who uses animoto already and recently joined smugmug was really bummed when he found out he couldn't sell his videos yet... so I know he (and myself too, but more so him) will be jumping up and down in joy when we are finally able to sell the videos from smugmug

BeemerChef · November 13, 2009

chaswes5 wrote:

I just tried a one time video creation. I created it from an existing file on my Pro SM site. As long as it is view in a small version, the resolution is OK, but at full screen it is blurred. The original photos are at a high enough resolution so that the pictures should be clear as a bell at full screen. Did I do something wrong or is this what I can expect from Animoto?

No!!! This is what I have been dealing with and Animoto has replied that they are working on a larger screen with sharper images. I am not interested in making DVD's but would like the video to match the quality and size (maybe a bit smaller!) of my photos on my Blog which is just not happening. I just transfered an MP4 to Smugmug to find out if I can transfer from SM to my Blog in a larger sharper size. Right now I think it is down as the videos (2) are not playing even on SM.

If anyone has a better idea (besides VIMEO) let us know...

Thanks and be well...

Ara & Spirit

SamirD · November 13, 2009

BeemerChef wrote:

I just transfered an MP4 to Smugmug to find out if I can transfer from SM to my Blog in a larger sharper size.

Is this the 'dvd quality' Animoto file?

BeemerChef · November 13, 2009

SamirD wrote:

Is this the 'dvd quality' Animoto file?

It is NOT. Not on the Blog, you cannot embed DVD quality video from Animoto to the Blog. Not possible... yet.
Reason why I downloaded DVD quality to Smugmug and right now trying to embed from SM to the Blog.
Having trouble with my flash!
Will get back here if it works better.
Be well... Ara & Spirit

BeemerChef · November 13, 2009

SamirD wrote:

Is this the 'dvd quality' Animoto file?

OK. There is progress and I am pretty happy as far as having a decent video size and sharpness of image on my Blog now.
Smugmug is doing what Animoto cannot do.
I downloaded the video in HR MP4 (not web quality but high resolution). Uploaded to Smugmug and embedded in my Blog while on "source page HTML" (windows live writer~word press) in DVD/I-Pod quality.
Check it out, I think it is nice...
Be well... Ara & Spirit

SamirD · November 16, 2009

BeemerChef wrote:

I downloaded the video in HR MP4 (not web quality but high resolution). Uploaded to Smugmug and embedded in my Blog while on "source page HTML" (windows live writer~word press) in DVD/I-Pod quality.

This should look better than the lower resolution Animoto file scaled up via their player. It's interesting that they don't allow embedding of their high-res movies.

BeemerChef · November 16, 2009

SamirD wrote:

This should look better than the lower resolution Animoto file scaled up via their player. It's interesting that they don't allow embedding of their high-res movies.

It does. It has been an ongoing conversation with them. I am surprised that as I have found the solution they quite did not have it. It is a bit time consuming but for now, that is alright.

Be well... Ara & Spirit

AnimotoBecky · November 16, 2009

Yes, this was a concern before the SmugMug/Animoto integration. We couldn't get the feature rolled out in time for the launch, but rest assured, it's a high priority feature for the integration.

SamirD wrote:

This should look better than the lower resolution Animoto file scaled up via their player. It's interesting that they don't allow embedding of their high-res movies.

r9jackson · November 25, 2009

Not familiar with the terms

BeemerChef wrote:

OK. There is progress and I am pretty happy as far as having a decent video size and sharpness of image on my Blog now.
Smugmug is doing what Animoto cannot do.
I downloaded the video in HR MP4 (not web quality but high resolution). Uploaded to Smugmug and embedded in my Blog while on "source page HTML" (windows live writer~word press) in DVD/I-Pod quality.
Check it out, I think it is nice...
Be well... Ara & Spirit

Yes, the blog video looks great. I'm not familiar with the technique you used. I followed from download the MP4 high resolution and then upload to Smugmug. But then how do you feed it from Smugmug to your blog. I'm using Blogger, so I hope it works there.

AnimotoBecky · December 3, 2009

Hey Animoto-ers,

This cool usage of an Animoto in a SM player came to my attention and I thought I'd share:

http://www.zumaphoto.com/

SamirD · December 19, 2009

AnimotoBecky wrote:

Hi Samir,

DM the e-mail addy with which you're registered at Animoto, and I'll credit you a DVD-Quality download to get a feel for the higher-res version on us.

I've created a DVD quality video. I just need to get it on a DVD and try it in a player.

Animoto Users Unite!

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