A New Capability Perhaps?

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dave93
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:30 pm
Location: McLean, VA

A New Capability Perhaps?

Post by dave93 »

Martin,

I'd like to suggest a "product/capability" that I haven't found elsewhere despite extensive searching. And, it may build very smoothly upon the existing AP framework: an audio-based "slideshow".

As you know, every current "slideshow" product (iPhoto/iMovie/iDVD included) begins with photo or video and then attaches sound (music/narration) to each visual element. The reverse of this procedure is not to be found. (I suspect a lot of people would be interested.)

I have a personal interest in it and here's why.

I've tape recorded my elderly father as he talks about his life. He also has a collection of family photos. I'd like to be able to scan/digitize a bunch of them and to insert them where relevant into his narrative. In short, I want to produce a narrative-based "slideshow".

It seems strange to me that software makers have ignored this need which must be fairly common. Bunches of people out there may have voice recordings (made on trips, family occasions, memoirs, etc.) which they would like to "illustrate" with still photos.

Martin, do you have any interest in looking into this thing?

Dave

normloomer
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:45 am

A New Capability Perhaps?

Post by normloomer »

On Nov 19, 2007, at 11:17 AM, dave93 wrote:
I've tape recorded my elderly father as he talks about his life. He
also has a collection of family photos. I'd like to be able to scan/
digitize a bunch of them and to insert them where relevant into his
narrative. In short, I want to produce a narrative-based "slideshow".
This can be done quite easily in iMovie.

-Norm Loomer
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dave93
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Location: McLean, VA

Post by dave93 »

Hello Norm,

Unfortunately, it seems that iMovie oughta fill the bill but appearances can be deceiving. Have you actually done it? iMovie works, as far as I know, only when a visual component first is laid down. You can then attach voice/music to it.

If, somehow, I've missed a trick I'd very much appreciate it if you'd lay out the steps for accomplishing the project I described.

Dave

mitchellm
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:24 pm

Post by mitchellm »

Dave,

I'll certainly second your request. I realize this is probably way beyond what Martin wants to program. But an audio/narrative based program such as you describe would be a more intuitive way to build things for a lot of projects!

dave93
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:30 pm
Location: McLean, VA

Post by dave93 »

mitchellm,

I'm intrigued. I hadn't thought of any other applications of the concept. How might it be useful for other purposes?

Dave

Gerard Bik
Posts: 353
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:04 pm

iMovie slide show in steps

Post by Gerard Bik »

dave93 wrote:Hello Norm,

Unfortunately, it seems that iMovie oughta fill the bill but appearances can be deceiving. Have you actually done it? iMovie works, as far as I know, only when a visual component first is laid down. You can then attach voice/music to it.

If, somehow, I've missed a trick I'd very much appreciate it if you'd lay out the steps for accomplishing the project I described.

Dave
In iMovie 6 it is quite easy
1: open a new document
2: go to the Media tab
3: choose Audio
4: Pick a song from the list and drag it into the timeline
Now you have a movie with just sound, no pictures
5: choose Photo's
6: select a photo from the list; a pop up appears where you can set time and KenBurns effects.
7: If you are happy, drag the photo into the timeline.

This procedure is somewhat of a one way street. I haven't found a way to afterwards alter the timing of the placed photo's, though it is easy to move the photo's forward and backward and apply transitions. And of course you have to play by Apple's rules: use iTunes for the sound and iPhoto for the pictures. But that is not too awkward a way of working ;).

Is this what you were meaning to do?

gerards regards

dave93
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:30 pm
Location: McLean, VA

Post by dave93 »

Girard,

I'd attempted the straightforward approach you suggest (and did it again just now). Technically, you're correct. You can import sound and photos to the timeline; actually, it doesn't matter whether you first import sound or photos.

But, here's where iMovie's capability seems to end. After your steps you're left with audio in its timeline and all photos neatly stacked at the start of the photo timeline. That's it! I'd not found a way to adjust a photo's duration nor to insert a particular photo at a particular spot in the waveform.

That's, of course, not going to do the trick.

Dave

Gerard Bik
Posts: 353
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:04 pm

Post by Gerard Bik »

The are a few things you can do afterwards: move the photo in the timeline. This creates a clip of black before the photo. And adjusting the duration by speeding up or slowing down the clip.

What you are looking for would be something like Hyperengine AV. It is discontinued and won't run on IntelMacs. But basically it was a blank timeline canvas ready to recieve sound and image. If you wanted you could stack 4 video clips and 6 audioclips on top of eachother and play them together.
Just checked: it is open source now. http://sourceforge.net/projects/hyperengine/
If you have a G4 Mac it should stil work.
regards

normloomer
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:45 am

A New Capability Perhaps?

Post by normloomer »

On Nov 19, 2007, at 11:17 AM, dave93 wrote:
I've tape recorded my elderly father as he talks about his life. He
also has a collection of family photos. I'd like to be able to scan/
digitize a bunch of them and to insert them where relevant into his
narrative. In short, I want to produce a narrative-based "slideshow".
I indicated in a previous message that this is quite easy to do in
iMovie. The key is iMovie's Bookmarks feature.

Start with the first four steps suggested by Gerard:
1: open a new document
2: go to the Media tab
3: choose Audio
4: Pick a song from the list and drag it into the timeline
Now you have a movie with just sound, no pictures
Here's how to do the remaining steps in iMovie 4. I haven't tried
this in iMovie 6.

5: While the audio is playing back, use cmd-B to create a bookmark at
each place where you want to insert a photo (or film clip, for that
matter). The Bookmark appears as a green diamond.

6: Go to iMovie Preferences and enable Timeline Snapping. Disable the
Ken Burns effect for now.

7: Drag a photo (or film clip) from the shelf into the Timeline. It
will snap into place at the first bookmark.

8: Use Direct Trimming to adjust the length of the clip: Drag the
right end of the clip toward the next bookmark and let it snap into
place.

Lather, rinse, repeat. :)

After all of the clips are in place, you can add transitions, Ken
Burns effects, or titles.

I've done this, and it works very nicely. I hope it works for you.

Regards,
Norm Loomer

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griffokk
Posts: 9
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Location: Oklahoma City

A New Capability Perhaps?

Post by griffokk »

It's too easy.

Just grab the edge of the photo's little box in the timeline to the
duration you want that photo to last.

Then, once you get everything dragged out to match the song, you can
add all the effects and transitions you want without disturbing the
timeline.


On Nov 20, 2007, at 1:28 PM, dave93 wrote:


Girard,

I'd attempted the straightforward approach you suggest (and did it
again just now). Technically, you're correct. You can import sound
and photos to the timeline; actually, it doesn't matter whether you
first import sound or photos.

But, here's where iMovie's capability seems to end. After your
steps you're left with audio in its timeline and all photos neatly
stacked at the start of the photo timeline. That's it! I'd not
found a way to adjust a photo's duration nor to insert a particular
photo at a particular spot in the waveform.

That's, of course, not going to do the trick.

Dave




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dave93
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Location: McLean, VA

Post by dave93 »

Gerard and Norm thanks a lot,

Gerard, I've opened Hyperengine AV (in my intel Core Duo, Tiger) and it opens ':lol:'. What else it can do beyond showing my audio in its timeline, I don't know. I haven't found any documentation yet.

And, LAB ("low and behold"), Norm, you've done it! Thanks again.

Dave

barstep
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Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:00 pm
Location: York
Contact:

Post by barstep »

Hi Norm,

What you are describing is similar to Digital Storytelling. My workshop participants record their story first and then turn it into a digital story in iMovie 6, adding first the soundtrack (recorded in Amadeus) and then assembling still images along the video track in the timeline.
Over the years Digital Storytellers have discovered a lot of the tricks needed to create short films in iMovie using this technique.
One of the best manuals is written by Daniel Meadows and can be downloaded here: http://www.photobus.co.uk/print/iMovieH ... torial.pdf
Barrie, York, UK

dave93
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:30 pm
Location: McLean, VA

Post by dave93 »

Hello Barrie,

The manual is marvelous! Many thanks. Among its other virtues, it does that rare thing of organizing iMovie instructions as a logical workflow. Being shown what issues to take up after the one you're on, is the mother of all instructions.

Dave

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