How To Create An About Video In Animoto

Video. Blech.

I can hear you groaning now. Creating video is scary and time consuming, right?

You’ve got to write out the script, you’ve got to prepare slides or get your makeup on and at least be presentable from the waist up (because #yogapants), and then let’s not even get started with the editing.

Video was scary for me in the beginning, too. With my first video, I felt nervous that I’d be lost and that I wouldn’t have a clue how to get the video completed. You know, start to finish?

[clickToTweet tweet=”With the right software, video can be easy!” quote=”With the right software, video can be easy!”]

But I had this amazing software that I was already using that made it so super simple. I just hadn’t used it to create a video for my website yet. Then one day I got the wild idea to try it! And it worked great.

So, today I’m going to share with you why it’s my top choice for video editing software and even how to create an About Video for your own website.

Why Animoto will save your life when it comes to video creation:

Originally I used the Animoto software* to create short photo slideshows for my wedding photography clients (back when I was a wedding photographer). Then when I needed to make a video really quickly for school, it occurred to me that Animoto might work. And it did!

#1 – Animoto Allows You to Use Video Clips

When I discovered that Animoto allowed video, I was super excited. The software was no longer limited to photos, and the wheels were turning in my head. So many possibilities!

Here are some of the details & features of using video in Animoto:

• Must be under 400 Mb, so shorter videos work best.
• You’re not limited to 10-second clips. The length of each clip can be changed easily.
• You can upload multiple clips and edit.
• You can mute the audio on the clip if you’d like to just hear the music.
• You can preview the video before producing it!

For my About Video, I had my husband use my DSLR to shoot 5 to 10-second clips of me doing various things. And, for the record, it was the first time my hubby ever used my camera to record video!

If you don’t have a fancy pro camera, then you can use your smartphone instead. Good lighting is key!

[clickToTweet tweet=”For videos I want to edit quickly, Animoto is my go-to software choice!” quote=”For videos I want to edit quickly, Animoto is my go-to software choice!”]

#2 – Animoto Has Built-In Transitions and Slideshows to Choose From

This is a major time saver! Add the video clips to your new video project, and Animoto does the rest.

There are a variety of slideshows to choose from, as well, which will slightly alter how the video will look. These different styles can give you some flexibility, although I prefer the ones that are simple and clean, without filters.

Additionally, you also add text slides in between clips. Think of these slides as a way to introduce the next topic or for use if you decide not to speak in your video.

But that’s it, nothing to it! Easy peasy.

#3 – Animoto Has Music Tracks That You Can Add To Your Video

Depending on which plan you decide to get with Animoto,  you will have a variety of songs available to you for use in your videos. Having a large library of music at your disposal is one of my favorite things about this software.

Check out the short video below that walks you through how to quickly create a video for your About Page.

*If you use the Animoto links in this post to sign up for the service, we both get a month for free. Win-win!

Looking for a more robust solution for editing your videos? Check out this tutorial on how to use Screenflow to edit the videos for your creative business.