Here is an example of a quick slideshow/movie created using the movie maker tool in Google Photos:
This movie was created on an Android phone. Here is a tutorial video showing exactly how it was made. Up until just recently, you could only make these movies using a mobile device – an Android phone/tablet or an iPhone or iPad. Recently I’ve noticed the feature is now available on the Web version of Google Photos and this article will tell you exactly how to use it. I haven’t seen an official announcement, and I still find it a little buggy, but it does work and I expect it will get better.
To make a new movie using the web version of Google Photos
Don’t worry about getting all the photos and videos you want at first, you can always add/delete later. Once you gotten your movie started, you will be in the editor. Notice the numbered items and the descriptions below.
- Movie preview, click the play button to watch and hear the music
- Click here to change the music selection
- Click here to change the orientation from portrait (vertical) to Landscape (horizontal)
- Each photo/video in the selection list has a 3-dot menu with the choices shown
- Here is where you can go back out to your library of photos and videos to select more
The first thing I do is change the orientation. Google seems to think that everyone is going to use a phone to view this movie so it starts out in the portrait format. I want to view mine on a computer or TV, so I change it to Landscape. Now I’ll click the play button to preview my movie and hear the music. If I like what I see and hear, I’m done! Just click Save.
Editing your movie
If you want to make some changes, here are your choices:
- You can change the order of the clips just by dragging them in the list
- Change the music, click the music button, choose theme music and try them out. Click play to hear.
- Add or delete photos/videos
- Trim photos/videos by just dragging the start/stop markers
- Here’s a tutorial video showing how to use these options: 533.GP-Google Photos Movie editing
That’s it – there are no titles or transitions or narration tracks. You’re not going to get a fancy movie with this tool, BUT since it is SO easy, you will make these simple movies.
When your movie looks and sounds how you want, you can now click SAVE. When you now look at your photo library, you will see the movie located at the date of the most recent photo/video in the movie. At first it will be just a gray box because it takes a while to render. Sometimes it’s just a few minutes, it could be up to an hour. You may need to refresh your screen to see the finished product. Or, just click the gray box, if it’s ready it will then play.
Share your movie!
I think that’s the main point with putting together these little movies. Share them. Instead of asking your friends to look thru hundreds of photos of your vacation, they will enjoy this 1 – 2 minute movie along with the music. Just open the movie, click the share button and choose Create Link, then Copy Link. Now you can paste that link into and email, or a Facebook post. You can paste it anywhere you want, like on this web page: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ych7TtPokSTstG1p8. That is the link to the completed movie I made while writing this article.
Make some movies! and share links in the comments below.