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I have dim memories of my parents inflicting slideshows on me and their friends back in the, well, back when slide projectors were the rage. Technology may have leaped forward in terms of presentation medium, but content hasn't necessarily improved. As Ken Burns demonstrated, it's neither the quality of the photos, nor the special effects used that make a slideshow interesting, it's the story your slideshow tells that makes it interesting.
To that end today's Mac software gem is [FotoMagico][2] from Boinx Software which is designed to help you transform a slideshow from boring monotony to something people actually want to see.
FotoMagico is a slideshow app that goes far beyond the limited offerings of something like iPhoto to help you create slideshows your friends might actually sit through.
Here's a quick rundown of the main features:
* Integrates with iLife - use photos from iPhoto and music from iTunes. As of version 1.8 FotoMagico also offers Aperture integration.
* Supports most file formats, everything that QuickTime can read.
* 12 transition methods
* Synchronize slides with music (including your own compositions via GarageBand.
* "Randomize Pan & Zoom" -- for those that want to get things done quickly.
* Add titles to each photo
* Export your slideshow to QuickTime.
* Burn your slideshow to DVD or CD.
* Post your slideshow to your webpage.
The process itself is simple, a main editing panel is flanked by two side panels, the right hand panel has three tabs, one for your iPhoto or Aperture libraries (or plain folders if you use another organizational tool), one for your music via iTunes and one for editing and adding features to each slide. The bottom panel is for organizing your photos (it looks like a more refined version of the top-panel slideshow editor in iPhoto)
To get started all you need to do is call up your photos, drag them to bottom pane, arrange them in the order you want and start adding your titles, effects, transitions, music and more. If you're feeling lazy, just select a photo and head to Options >> Randomize Motion.
I was able to successfully make a passable slide showing using ten images in just a few minutes. A little more time and I could have made something worth posting.
Adding audio is a snap, just click the audio tab and browse through your iTunes library to find the perfect background music and drag it onto your slideshow. You can then edit the audio transitions, fade from one song to another and add markers or fade music based on photo transitions, time and more.
Once you've previewed your slideshow and are happy with the results, you can export it as a Quicktime movie, burn it to DVD or even stash it on your iPod.
FotoMagico is a universal binary and was quite snappy on my Macbook.
At $79 FotoMagico isn't cheap, but if you're serious about showing off your photos to friends, the results are worth the price tag. There's also a [five day demo][2] available if you'd like to try before you buy.
[1]: http://www.fotomagico.com/ "FotoMagico"
[2]: http://www.fotomagico.com/demo/ "FotoMagico Demo"
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