Animoto

   Animoto.com is an online slideshow website. I'm not a fan of the site for a couple of reasons.
                  The first is that users are only allowed to make 30 second videos with a free account. Anything longer requires a premium account, which means it's paid for. I think for a site like this it's not even worth the money, because you are very restricted in what can be done on the site.
                   The second thing I don't like is the customization. I think for a video editing program, the user should be able to create and customize their own personal video. With Animoto, you are given a choice of slideshow layouts, asked to submit pictures and videos. These pictures can have captions and text overlays, but that is all. I couldn't even adjust the time of the pictures brought in. The program gives the user very little freedom.
                Another thing I don't like about the site is that it organizes and orders your photos and videos for you, when its produced. So any order arrangements have the potential to change. This is because the site analyzes your pictures and videos. Then it arranges them into what it thinks is the best order. However, if you want a specific order that makes it difficult.
                I am, however, only speaking using a free version of the program, and I may have misunderstood the differences between Premium and Free accounts. This site is meant for people who don't want to deal with a lot of editing or complex adjustments in a video. I would only recommend this site, for a quick slideshow/ video, rather than anything looking amazingly professional. I think there are a lot of way better programs out there, and I've even used other slideshow creators that allow for more choices at no cost.
                 Here is an example of what can be done on Animoto for a Free account:
Bugatti Veyron

I acknowledge that the product looks nice, most of my concerns are from an editing standpoint. I don't like the feel and using of this website.

Storybird

So today I used a website that I first used a while ago, but it has been awhile.
          Storybird.com  is a website that provides you with a large collection of images and works of art. When you've selected your image theme, either by artist or idea, you begin your story. The idea of storybird is to switch how we commonly think about a story. Instead of illustrations reflected the story, the illustrations bring out the story inside them.
           A picture is worth a thousand words. This is a link to a Storybird I made last year, called The Soul of My Dreams. While I'm not completely excited about how amazing this story is, it does convey what can be done with it. Check it out for yourself. It's great for Creative Writing classes and English classes for all ages. There are stories for preschoolers and adults. Everyone can enjoy Storybird and I find it quite a fun and unique site.