Okay, making a Powerpoint slideshow is only free if you already own Microsoft Powerpoint. But if you own a PC with the MS Office Suite installed, then you have Powerpoint. Professional slideshow software can be expensive, especially if you only need to make one slideshow.

If you really need to make a completely free slideshow, Powerpoint is one of your best options. However, there is not currently a good, free method for making a DVD slideshow from a Powerpoint presentation unless you convert it to Flash first, and then burn it to DVD. You can find free Powerpoint to Flash converters by visiting a reputable site like Cnet and search the downloads section for a free application with good user and editor reviews.

You can burn your Powerpoint slideshows to CDs, but these will only play on a PC, and not on a DVD. Still, it is conceivable that if you want to start a slideshow business with no financial investment in DVD slideshow software, you could do so with Powerpoint by creating affordable CD slideshows that your customers would then play on PCs. You could also make personal or commercial slideshows and convert them to Flash for websites.

A few quick tips for making a slideshow with music in Powerpoint:

1. Make sure all of the files for your slideshow are in the same folder, including sound and music files. This is important.

2. Keep your image and sound files as small as possible while making sure they look and sound clear. Don’t use a 10mb photo when a 1mb photo has a high enough resolution to look sharp on a full-screen. Beware of editing and saving .jpg files repeatedly, because they will deteriorate with each iteration.

3. Use .png images for any transparent graphic elements. For example, a frame with a transparent center to place over another image should be a transparent .png file. The .gif file format also supports transparency, but .png files generally look much better.

4. Learn to use transitions between slides to your advantage, and as with any slideshow, don’t go overboard with motion and special effects. You want to strike a balance for an esthetically pleasing slideshow that does not tire the eyes.

5. Take some time to study Powerpoint before creating your first slideshow. It can be tricky to learn its advanced features, but the payoff is a professional looking slideshow with visually-pleasing pan and zoom effects, a well-timed soundtrack, and special effects that no one will believe were achieved in Powerpoint.

Powerpoint slideshows are a good alternative to buying slideshow software. If you have a wedding or other special event coming up, find a friend or relative who is an advanced Powerpoint user and has a good eye for design, and ask them to make your slideshow for the event. Or call FauxFlix DVD Slideshows for the best custom slideshow available. We are happy to answer your questions and help you in any way we can. Call or email us today!

To make better slideshows, work on improving transitions between slides. One way to make a more professional looking photo DVD slideshow is to make the end of a slide last longer by duplicating the end of the slide. Have you ever had a slide with great special effects, but that seemed to fade before the photos could be viewed in their final positions?

To fix this, just add another slide immediately after the first, and copy the layers from the end of the first slide to the entire second slide. So the second slide might be 2 or 3 seconds of just the photos in a still position that matches exactly the layout of the end of the first slide. With zero seconds between the two slides (no transition, or “cut” instead of  “fade”), they will seem to be one smooth slide.

You can achieve the same effect and improve slide transitions with one slide by adjusting keyframes, but this can be a simpler way to make a more professional looking photo slideshow.

To upload photos for us to use in your DVD slideshow with music, we usually recommend zipping them with a program like WinZip and uploading them to Drop.io, a free file sharing service. Drop.io is easy to use, and you can upload as many photos as you want to. The only limitation on free uploads is that they must be less than 100 mb each.

Drop.io allows you to customize your download link name, or URL, and you can also password-protect your photo files. Just be sure to include a valid email address so that you can recover your password or URL if you forget them.

Another option for those with Picasa or Flickr accounts is to upload your files to one of those sites and email us with the file locations.

When making your own DVD slideshows with music, go easy on the pan-and-zoom effects. “Pan and zoom” is a term attributed to the world-renowned documentary filmaker, Ken Burns, and is frequently referred to as the “Ken Burns effect.”

Panning means to move your photo(s) from one point on a slide to another. This can be done either in a single slide, or across multiple slides.

Zooming means to increase or decrease the size of your photo for an animated zoom-like effect, thus the term, “pan and zoom.”

When used artfully, pan-and-zoom effects animate and add life to your slideshow, giving the effect of watching an actual video. But when overdone, panning and zooming can distract from your photos and overwhelm your viewers’ eyes, making them turn away from watching your slideshow.

A good rule of thumb is to tone down your pan-and-zoom effects if you have any doubt–similar to the advice that a woman should always remove a piece of jewelry after dressing for an evening out to enhance her beauty.

A few months ago, I talked to a group at our local senior center about an upcoming class for learning to make DVD slideshows with music from Angela Martin using free software. What a surprise–I was the one who learned! Most of my audience started mumbling things about being “nowhere near able to do that…” I realized that I needed to simplify the process at first, then add details as I go along.

Making basic, beautiful slideshows is not as difficult as it first seems. Especially when you learn a few tricks like pan-and-zoom (the Ken Burns Effect).

So in the spirit of making things easy, here is a simple overview of what it takes to build a nice, cohesive slideshow that people will want to watch again and again:

1. Gather your photos, and have photos scanned that are not already on disk or on your computer. Whether scanning yourself or using a service, be the resolution is at least 300 dpi.

2. Organize your photos into sections by sorting them into 3 – 5 folders (beginning, middle, end). Name the files with letter prefixes, such as “a-baby1″ etc. Letter prefixes will help ensure proper sorting better than numeric prefixes. Don’t get too stuck on the exact order of photos, because you may decide to move some around for artistic reasons later.

3. Edit your photos for color fading and red-eye in your favorite free photo editor. If you don’t have one on your computer, try www.pixlr.com. I just discovered this site, and it’s my favorite free online editor so far. Be sure to save each photo as you edit it.

4. Think about your music before you add it. I usually have 2 or 3 more songs in mind than I end up using, then make final decisions after trying the tracks with my photos. It can be difficult to know ahead of time which music will match the flow of your slides best until you see them in motion.

4. Open your favorite slideshow design software or website and read the help file or user’s manual. If you don’t know where to begin, check your PC for Photo Story 3, or go to cnet.com to download it free.

5. Insert your photos slideshow frames, select motion effects and transitions. Add your music tracks and try them out before making your final draft. Remember that the timing of your music will affect your show length, and you may have to work on adjusting slide timing quite a bit to get it just right.

This should get you started on your show. Remember to buy high-quality DVDs for burning your show if you want to have hard copies. Also, buy labels made just for DVDs. I prefer Memorex labels because their template software seems to work best for my printer. Mis-aligned labels can drive you crazy and waste ink and paper!

Feel free to ask me any questions, and I’ll start posting resources ASAP.

By now you’ve had some time to think about your slideshow theme and scan your photos. Did you come up with a great idea, or are you stuck? Here are some ideas, just in case you need help:

– Ask all your relatives for their vintage family photos for a “family heritage slideshow” or
- Gather the best photos of all your children and create one family video for every family member. It’s a great way to make one gift for everyone at no cost (besides DVDs and cases, if you want more than a virtual gift.
- Need a creative anniversary gift? Use wedding photos for a first anniversary slideshow, or highlights of a couple’s lifetime together for a 25th or 50th wedding anniversary gift.

The best part, besides being free? When you create a gift by hand, you can be sure it will be unique. The recipient will know you cared enough to invest yourself in their gift, and creative slideshows are often the most talked-about gift after the event is long over. It’s a great way to show you care.

Faux Flix offers DVD Slideshow Services in the East Bay Area of San Francisco, with an additional location in Sacramento, and nationwide. We can often pick up and deliver your photos and slideshows in the Bay Area or Sacramento, schedule permitting.

We are so confident that our DVD slideshows with music will meet or exceed your expectations, that our services are 100% guaranteed.

Please call us today. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to serving you.

If you have a specific idea or need for your custom DVD slideshow with music, chances are we can provide it your way, in time for your event.

We offer exactly exactly the look and feel you want. Compare our DVD slideshows with others.

You need Quality, Speed and Competitive prices; you want an amazing, original video slide show that captures the real emotion behind your photos. FauxFlix offers the most unique DVD slideshows available, customized to meet your vision.

We make it easy for you to get the high-quality, custom DVD slideshow you want, while offering you the greatest range of options available:

Rush Orders – Available when our schedule allows. Just ask!
Rush on memorial tribute videos available at no extra charge (additional customization, retouching increases production time).

“You are my hero. Everyone could feel the emotion you put into the video, and we can never thank you enough.”
- J. Wilson, Concord, CA

We are easy to work with

• Choose a standard or custom slideshow package.
• We buy slideshow music tracks on your behalf (included in all packages) or you can provide them if you prefer.
• We scan or you scan, or we’ll help you find professional photo scanning in your local area if you don’t want to mail your photos.
• Pay with a credit card through PayPal or Google Checkout – 50% deposit, remainder upon acceptance of final video.
• Phone consultation included. We customize your DVD slideshow and slideshow music with your vision in mind, and we will gladly work with your event planner if you prefer.
• Multiple options for sending or uploading your photos and documents to us.
• Damaged or faded photos? No problem! We can improve or fully restore your photos with our skilled photo editing services.
• Yes, we can include video clips in your DVD slideshow.
• VHS to DVD transfer available.
• Best music suggestion list of any slideshow service, including current hits – listen to tracks online! Coming Soon
• Photo books with your favorite slides available! Coming Soon

Some Additional Services- see our Services page for more:

• Extensive photo restoration / photo editing
• Large library of royalty free sound effects and slideshow music.
• Large library of royalty free stock photos for slideshow backgrounds.
• Narration (yours or ours)
• Convert photos to sketches, watercolors, etc.
• Turn snapshots into studio-quality portraits
• Search for out-of-publication slideshow music recordings
• Comprehensive services include photo sorting, slideshow music ideas…we can relieve you of design decisions and organizing if you wish
• Custom animation of photos
• Graphic slideshow background design to match your invitations, create a special theme, etc.

Call or email us today — all questions welcomed!

info@fauxflix.com

925-386-6003