Want a fun, exciting way to enjoy all your special pictures? I have been exceedingly happy with Windows Movie Maker. It's really easy to navigate, and, though simple, can produce very satisfactory videos for the whole family to enjoy! I've found it to be a fun way to look at pictures. So here's the process I use when making a movie using this software. I hope you find it helpful too!

CHOOSING PICTURES

Choose the pictures you want to use for the movie. It is fun to do a group of pictures all from one event, such as your day in Disneyland or the first time your child rode a horse.

CHOOSING MUSIC

Besides the pictures you choose, the biggest factor in the movie's quality is the music you use. Try to find a song that fits the pictures. For instance, if your movie is about your adventure at the beach, "Surfing Safari" by the Beach Boy would be a fun one. But you can always play instrumental songs too. The choice is yours!

MAKING A TITLE

Put the song on the timeline, and before beginning to position the pictures on the timeline, make a title for the beginning of the movie. I always like to put "A.J. Productions Presents" and then whatever the movie title is. This makes it seem more like a real film. It's also nice to choose a cute font instead of the standard Ariel or Times New Roman.

DRAGGING PICTURES TO TIMELINE

Now you are ready to begin placing pictures. Decide how high-quality you want your production to be, and if you really want to put a lot of time into it, you can time the transition of the pictures with the beat of the music. This takes a lot of extra fiddling, though, and is definately not necessary.

CHOOSING VIDEO TRANSITIONS

After you have all your pictures in the timeline, put a variety of video transitions in between each picture. These come ready-made and can be previewed. There are lots of cool ways to switch from picture to picture, and this definately enhances your slideshow. Decide if you want credits at the end of the show.

CHECKING MOVIE TIMING

See how your timing is, whether you have too many pictures for the song or the song extends the length of time that the pictures play. If the song is too long, you can easily crop the song and make it fade out with the last picture/credits, or if the opposite is the case, you can add another song to the timeline.

ADDING ZOOM FEATURES

At this point, your slideshow could be passed as complete. But something I always do that very much enhances the enjoyment of the movie is to add video effects to each picture. I like to make it so that each picture is moving, making it seem a lot more like a movie. Do this by right-clicking on each individual picture, clicking "video effects," and selecting which feature you want to use. You will see a number of options for zooming in or out on the photo. You can zoom to or from one of the corners, or from the center. Choose one of these features for each picture, and you will have a "moving picture," i.e., a real video! You might be surprised how much this simple addition improves your movie!

HAVING FUN

   Follow these simple guidelines but be creative and don't limit yourself! There are many other fun features you can use to give your slideshow some flare! Let your personality come out in the slideshow, and have fun enjoying your pictures for years to come!