Description:
With its uncomplicated design and straightforward, step-by-step tutorials, MovieWorks allows anyone familiar with point-click-drag technology to create and edit videos, slide shows, animations, and Web movies. With five separate and simple applications bundled together, this package offers a "lite" version of the more complex video, graphics, and animation tools currently available. Installation is quick and smooth, and the program is small--only requiring 10 MB of disk space. The five applications--MovieWorks, Animator, Paint, Sound, and Video--are all well integrated, with MovieWorks operating as the main application. The package contains a six-tutorial manual, while the CD contains the file elements used in the tutorials. As the box claims, it's easy to complete the tutorials in well under two hours, during which we were able to build a simple 25-second video, a brief animation, a slide show with transitions, and a short Web movie with titles. One of the most impressive components of the bundle is the Animation program. Anyone who has used or attempted to use professional applications, such as Flash or AfterEffects, is aware of the steep learning curve associated with these applications. While MovieWorks doesn't attempt to be a poor man's AfterEffects, it does streamline and simplify the user interface so that practically anyone can build their own simple 2-D (cutout) animations. For example, the path tool lets you specify an object's motion around the scene and then scales the object so perspective can be altered as the object gets closer or farther away. You can use standard paint, line, sizing, and color tools to enhance (or degrade) an object. These tools are available in the other MovieWorks applications as well. One of the reasons for MovieWork's success is its use of QuickTime, Apple's digital video and streaming media application now embraced by Mac and PC users alike. Because QuickTime supports so many media file formats, including .mov, .avi, .jpeg, .mp3, and .pct, it allows for great flexibility and functionality in the creation and delivery of content media. And, because QuickTime offers a variety of codecs-compression/decompression algorithms for a wide choice in Web streaming options, you have the ability to optimize your content delivery based upon the capabilities of your target audience. Simply render your creation, choose Export, then To Streaming, save as QuickTime Movie, and click on Options to choose between popular codecs, such as Sorensen Video, Cinepak, and more. Whether you're looking to create basic multimedia content or using the bundle as a steppingstone to higher-end professional products, MovieWorks should prove to be a wise and affordable purchase. --John Bosch
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