Slide show with sound for web site

[PeterSilverman]

I want to add some short 1 or 2 minutes audio visual presentations to my web site. I favour using still shots rather than video with my voice in the back ground plus some music I have a number of questions:

1. I am worried that the files will be too big and slow to down load. Is that a problem?
2. If so how can I minimise it?
3. What kit / software would I need to record the voice overs?
Any other advice would be welcome.
Thanks
Peter Silverman London UK

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Peter,
1. One to two minute videos should not be a size problem if you use MOV, WMV, MP4 (H.264) or FLV format for posting on your web site.
2. You can export various formats, sizes, and quality from Premiere Elements, Windows Movie Maker, Quicktime Pro and other software. Premiere Elements can do it all but for best quality it is sometimes best to use other tools.
3. For recording the voice you can use Premiere Elements, that is what I would recommend for the whole project except maybe for the final video to be uploaded to the web.

WMV is by far the easiest to work with on the web, that is a good place to start. Premiere Elements does a pretty good job converting to WMV and you can export 320 x 240 or 640 x 480 and it will look good. 1 - 2 minutes should only be about 8mb or less. That should not be a problem.

[ATR]

Peter,

First, let me tell you that this is not a web site development site, and I do not have hands on experience with this specific project. Typically, we try to help Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements users troubleshoot issues related to operating these programs. HOWEVER, we try to help when possible with all the issues presented and have been successful in many instances.

All that being said, I will develop some ideas for you and get back to you with them. Question: how are you going to get this to your web site:
Streaming Video Server
HTML

What version of Premiere Elements do you have?
Take a look at Camtasia Studio 6 for making audio clips... the best audio enhancements I have come across...software expensive...but makes a $20 (US dollar) non USB microphone sound like a $1000 (US dollar) one. We can talk about that later.

To be continued.....

ATR

[ATR]

CE,

I guess we were typing almost in sync.

I did not address video, since Peter said that he is interested in uploading "stills" with voice over.

ATR

[Chuck Engels]

It would be by far the easiest process to create the whole thing in a video application like Premiere Elements, Windows Movie Maker or Proshow Gold and then show it as a video on the web site. I don't think anything else would work very well or be very easy to put together and still look good. Lots you can do with a video application :)

[ATR]

CE

I am in the process of checking out the project as requested by Peter.

I have come across an html plan that sounds do-able and acceptable for the task that he described. Html with pictures and audio appears to be easier than html with video. We will see.

I will let you know if it was a dud or success.

ATR

[Chuck Engels]

Still photos with audio is just boring IMO. The photos at least need to have some motion, even if just slight. With the technology available today and the low cost of very nice video software (like Premiere Elements) we can do so much more today than ever thought possible.

Just my thoughts :)

[ATR]

CE

I will work on making the photos creatively interesting. Maybe we will find the receipt again (as per Richard Harris).

We want the visual and audio to compliment one another, not compete.

Nonetheless, we will not be discouraged yet....thinking positively....

ATR

[ATR]

Peter,

Sorry for the details, I have gotten detoured several times since you first posted. Even now, I have not yet road tested my ideas. However, I did want to update you on my activities with regard to your question:

If you decide to go photos, file size would direct you to using .jpg format for the photos for the web.
http://www.scantips.com/basics09.html

I have been trying to work my way through the following link related to the audio part of your questions. You would definitely get top of the line audio clips with Camtasia Studio 6, but it is expensive.
http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp

I have been looking at the following link(s):

http://personalweb.about.com/od/addaudiotoyourwebsite/a/00addaudio.htm

http://social.expression.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/web/thread/cf18bc0f-3b62-47fe-8d88-480ba76e60fd
This last link may nudge you in the direction of a video approach.

Hope this gets you started for now.

ATR

[PeterSilverman]

Thank you both for your excellent advice. I will be studying it all later today and let let you know how I get on.
Peter

[ATR]

Peter,

Your report sounds good.

If you get a chance, check out what Henry1 went through to get some video on his web site. (See recent Premiere Elements Forum Henry1 threads here.) It is quite a story with many, many forums involved in the hunt for the resolution.

ATR