I want to use the Mac more, I really do, but-

Question

Admittedly, I’m a new Mac user (purchased Macbook Pro last October), and I’m really trying to get acclimated to it. I WANT to use it more, but I hit a roadblock at every turn. I’ll keep my issues limited to iMovie in this thread of course, but it seems like every step I take with a Mac is a struggle and more expensive than to do these same, relatively simple things on a PC. It never seems to do exactly what I want. Very simple features seem to be left out in order to entice you to purchase add-ons, plug-ins, or a different package more suited to the task (i.e. Final Cut).
I’m simply creating fancy slideshows using still photographs with iMovie, and find it grossly lacking in features. It nice for a basic introduction into slide show presentation software, but if you really would like to do something fancy, this software doesn’t cut it. I’m having “Ken Burns” limitations, like exactly what is posted here http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5222444&. There are only 12 transitions to choose from…12, which I can’t believe (even the utterly simplistic Windows Vista Movie Make has 63). Many times the playback seems “choppy” when played on the Mac, etc etc. I won’t bore you with more issues.
Now I understand any packaged photo presentation program (with iLife) is not going to have all the features as one that you would purchase exclusively for that function, so what are my alternatives?
1) Purchase Final Cut Express for $200, which has gotten very lukewarm reviews to put it mildly. Seems to be overly complicated and you cannot add sound tracks ?!? (I didn’t read all the details on this one).
2) Purchase Final Cut Studio for $1300. Not going to happen, way too pricey.
3) Purchase over $500 in GeeThree Volumes 1 through 10 (http://www.geethree.com/slick/), which I heard is about the best alternative to spicing up the iMovie software to make it satisfactorily functional (am I wrong in this assessment?)
4) Stick with my PC and run ProShow Producer for $250 (http://www.photodex.com/products/producer). This is a super program which has almost all of the features you could possibly want, and is very simple to use. The only thing it doesn’t have is a nice DVD menu system, which I can live with.
So someone, please give me some suggestions. Am I not seeing the forest through the trees? Are there any better alternatives? I’d even entertain purchasing another Mac software package if there is one out there that someone knows does a better job.

Answer 1

Hi Lobster1071,
It is a shame when you can create a slideshow with Spotlight or the Finder yet an app intended for such can't get the job done. Once upon a time iMovie had about 15± transitions and 50± effects so it is not that you can't see the forest through the trees but that the forest has been clear cut and it's a big pile of brush and wood chips that is blocking your view. I don't believe anyone at the moment has any plug-ins for transitions or effects for iMovie 08 so if that was something you were looking for you would have to download the iMovie HD 6 available to those who thought the were buying a motion picture app.
Apple's blurb about iMovie 08.
Quick ways to add polish.
iMovie is designed to make everything simple — including the professional touches that help your movie stand out even more.
Photos and music.
Use the iLife Media Browser to bring photos into your movie from iPhoto. Summon the real-time, redesigned Ken Burns effect to add motion and zooms to still photos like a pro
So much for simplicity, maybe they mean we are supposed to have a seance to summon KB from eternal rest to be able to get this to work. Who knows? It's not too friendly in iM 6 either.
Graphic Converter is another powerful app that has many uses and you can create a slideshow with a KB effect that is a has a decent pan and zoom. Zoom is what they call it in GC. $20± US it is truly a bargain as it is a great tool to have even if iMovie was worth the disk space it consumes. In addition to pan and zoom you can combine video and still images and it provides you access to many other QuickTime transitions and effects you can then export it to a QT movie and to iDVD if you want.
The learning curve is a bit steep but support for registered users has always been very good and once you have the hang of it it is easy to include images of any size and shape with the ability to easily automate the tasks that you find yourself repeating quite often. If you need to rotate, crop or edit for any reason you can do that right within the same app. You can try with full functionality to check it out @ http://www.lemkesoft.com/ I do find that I use it most efficiently/productively in conjunction w/ QT Pro but don't think that is really required unless you want to have more than a two channel stereo track as GC allows the inclusion of an audio track but no editing of it. If you want multiple tracks or sound FX etc. that would still have to be done in GarageBand or elsewhere and saved to a single audio file.
iWork is also very capable of producing halfway decent slideshows with more features than iMovie as well. but I don't think I'd recommend going out and buying it unless you're looking for something to replace MS Office or something similar but there should be a 30 day trial already on you Mac or Install disc so you can try it out and see if it will work for your needs. If nothing else you will find out how much frustration you can really tolerate.
Sweet Polly