Not happy with slideshows / Ken Burns effects / lesser quality in iDVD

I am a new iPhoto user, having created my first slideshow of old photos to play at my mother's 80th birthday party this week. The whole process of arranging photos, testing visual effects and adding music went swimmingly! BUT (!!!!) I am hugely disappointed now that I've rendered the show through iDVD.
-- The Ken Burns effects keep changing! Once a slideshow was created and the Burns effects seemed perfect, I sent that show to iDVD. But viewing the project once burned to DVD, I see that the cropping, zooming, etc. are all different. Is there a way to "save" a show and maintain the effects?
-- Moreover, the crystal clear image sharpness and clean edges seen when viewing a slideshow in iPhoto are "dumbed down" once the show is sent to and rendered in iDVD. Even at the "quality" setting, moving effects look raggedy-edged. This really makes me unhappy.
Any thoughts or ideas to share on this? Thanks.....

SixPack:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. As TD pointed out, making a QT movie file of a slideshow involves rendering which is then encoded once again in iDVD. IMO, the best image quality for a slideshow is obtained when you create the slideshow entirely within iDVD. Of course there's no KB effect.
If you create the show in iMovie you can get around the double encoding by closing iMovie once the slideshow is finished. Then open the iMovie project file/package (Option-click on the project file and select Show Package Contents option), find the iDVD folder and drag the .mov file in it into the open iDVD window. This will let iDVD do the rendering of the various transitions and special effects and provide a better final product.
You must remember that iDVD's final resolution is only 640 x 480.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Similar Messages

Slideshow -- Ken Burns effect

IPhoto slideshows not only has the ability to dissolve between photos, but includes the Ken Burns effect. While the ability to use transitions like dissolve in a slideshow is supported in Aperture, I have not found a way to float the photo to the left, right, down, up, etc. while being displayed. This effect really adds polish to a slide presentation, however, it is not supported in iDVD, DVD Studio Pro (at least version 2 which I have), and it appears it isn't supported in Aperture. Is it hidden somewhere in Aperture that I haven't found yet, and if not, why is iPhoto the only app that seems to have this feature? It seems weird that iPhoto would eclipse two professional-level apps (DVD Studio Pro and Aperture) with regards to a feature.
If anyone knows for sure, let me know!
Brad

Paul,
Thanks for you reply. The reason for my reply above is that the discussion pages ask to add some remark to mark the thread as answered, so I just added that "no known answer". This was discussed with others in another topic, and yes you are correct, the discussion was on the very pro vs. amateur point you brought up.
Brad

Is it possible to change the orientation with the Ken Burns effect?

Friends,
I would like to change the orientation of the Ken Burns effect for a particular photo that I've insterted into a movie. In other words, the KBE crops the image in landscape mode -- I'd like to crop it in portrait mode (which is how the photo was taken). How do I do this?
Thanks!
Steve

Tom,
You broke my heart, but I figured out a way around it using cropping and keyframes.
Thanks!
Steve

Selecting photo then clicking "Fit" does NOT turn off the Ken Burns effect.

Trying to wean from iMovieHD. I'm having trouble mastering what seems to be more limited Ken Burns effect functionality in iMovie11. I don't seem to have the range, say, left-to-right, as I did in either iPhoto or in iMovie HD.
So, I figured for now I'd turn off the Ken Burns effect on all the stills in this project. I've tried selecting one photo, getting into the Fit/Crop/KB effect viewer, then clicking Fit, then Done. But the photo keeps the KB effect that had been applied to it.
I tried changing all photos in Preferences and that didn't change anything either.
Hopefully I'm just missing something? Thanks for any help, everybody...

Nevermind. Got it. As I'd hoped, user error.

Toggling the slideshow "Ken Burns" effect

Numerous sources say it's impossible, but I did it somehow. I very vaguely remember coming accross something in some menu that let me switch the effect off, but I don't remember where it is. Has anyone else found this? I would like to know how to turn it back on if someday feel the need.

Paul,
Thanks for you reply. The reason for my reply above is that the discussion pages ask to add some remark to mark the thread as answered, so I just added that "no known answer". This was discussed with others in another topic, and yes you are correct, the discussion was on the very pro vs. amateur point you brought up.
Brad

When i create a slideshow in iphoto using the ken burns effect it will not work in idvd. any tips please.

when i create a slideshow in iphoto with the ken burns effect it works fine. when i then transfer it to idvd it will not work. any tips please.

With the amount of information you've provided it's impossible to offer a solution. We can't see your computer so we need to know the details of your problem and setup, i.e.:
what version of iPhoto are you using?
what system version are you running?
how are you getting the slideshow into iDVD?
what size slideshow did you send to iDVD?
can you export the slideshow to the Desktop and play it with Quicktime Player there?
what fixes have you tried?
how much free space on your boot drive?
Here's how you should create and sent a slideshow to iDVD from iPhoto:
Export the slideshow out of iPhoto as a QT movie file via the Export button in the lower toolbar. For iPhoto 9.4.3 and earlier select Size = Medium or Large. For iPhoto 9.5 and later selct 480p.
Open iDVD, select a theme and drag the exported QT movie file into the open iDVD window being careful to avoid any drop zones.
Follow this workflow to help assure the best quality video DVD:
Once you have the project as you want it save it as a disk image via the File ➙ Save as Disk Image menu option. This will separate the encoding process from the burn process.
To check the encoding mount the disk image, launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is good.
Then burn to disk with Disk Utility or Toast at the slowest speed available (2x-4x) to assure the best burn quality. Always use top quality media: Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.

Problems with Ken Burns effect

Having a very frustrating time trying to get a decent slideshow. Like the KB effect but when I play it back the images jerk and jump. Smoothness totally
gone. Strange thing is sometimes it is worse than others. Have tried closing all
other unnecessary programs to save RAM , etc...does not help. Sometimes it
looks ok played in iphoto but when I send to idvd the jerking is back. HELP.
When going through process have about 250MB free and 10 GB on disk.
Also when I export a slideshow (size-large 720X480)to Quicktime image
quality degrades considerably. All I want is a decent dvd copy of my honeymoon
pictures but can't seem to accomplish this. Am very disappointed at all the
grief involved in this...any help would be greatly appreciated.

Greetings Old Toad.
It seems that a fair number of users have run into this same problem over recent months: namely, producing a slideshow with audio from iPhoto with the Ken Burns effect creates a "jerky" movie as a result. The advice I have seen is to either clean up your hard drive or get more memory. I consistently run into this problem even though I have a 1Ghz G4 iMac with 768MB main memory. I have tried this on my root drive with about 7GB available and on a firewire drive I have with ~30GB available space. I have also tried using Cache Out X to clean up caches and other various files, and still iPhoto produces jerky results.
The one workaround that has worked was to turn off audio. That seems to fix the problem, but I do want audio in these slideshows to put onto DVD. Others have suggested using iMovie to add the audio track, but reading in the output of iPhoto into iMovie seriously degrades the quality of the video -- not to mention that it is a very slow and tedious process to do this.
I would like to point out that this was not always the case. Unfortunately I cannot pinpoint the exact time when this started happening, but I could swear that I had been able to create slideshows in this manner before one of the many iPhoto upgrades I automatically received over the last year. I now have version 5.0.4.
Have you heard of anyone successfully fixing or working around this problem? I love my Mac...and this is one of the fundamental reasons I switched from Windows a few years ago was for the great photo tools. But now, without the ability to make DVDs the way I want, I am considering switching back .
1 Ghz G4 iMac Mac OS X (10.4.3) 768 MB DDR

Ken Burns Effect not working as expected.

Hi,
I have created a slideshow in iPhoto 08 and want to have all of the slides use the ken burns effect except the first one (i want this to be a 20 second title photo). To get this to work, i have disabled the Automatic Ken Burns effect in the settings menu and then clicked the Ken Burns checkbox in all of the photos from the second one onwards. Even with these checkboxes selected, the photos just stay still and the ken burns effect does not work. Am i going about this the wrong way?
Any ideas appreciated.
Joe.

I believe that if you do not use the automatic ken burns effect you need to set the effect for each photo - pick one or two and with the KB slider to the left set the view for the beginning photos and then slide the slider to the right and set the end view - then it will transition between those two (I'm thinking that you can turn auto automatic and override it for just the first slide by making the start and end the same so the transition does not really do anything
Try that first (it is easier )
LN

Here's how to make an iDVD with no flicker using Ken Burns Effect

iPhoto renders the Ken Burns effect as smoothy as can be - no flicker
iMovie does a poor job of rendering the Ken Burns Effect - much flicker
so
1. Make a slide show in iPhoto. Single out only those slides that have the Ken Burns Effect. Each of these slides is turned into a Slide Show of just one slide at a time.
2. Each single slide with the Ken Burns effect is adjusted for time, etc. and then exported into a QuickTime Movie - a movie consisting of only one slide.
3. Save all the individual movies into one folder (for convenience).
4. In iMovie (I use 06) , assemble the slide show - but only include all the slides that have no Ken Burns Effect.
5. Drag each of the single-slide movies into the iMovie clip pane, and then place them where you want between the other slides.
6. Play the iMovie and see how smoothly ALL the slides play.
7. Send the entire iMovie over to iDVD and burn it. Make sure the "Interlace" feature (File Menu -Interlace) is NOT checked.
8. All the Ken Burns slides will be rendered with hardly any flicker.

Like most iLife 08 owners I use iMovie 06.
Do you believe that your procedure will work the same way using iMovie 06 with iDVD 08?

Ken Burns effect same in all iMovie 3.slideshow photos

I am working on a slideshow using iMovie 3.0.3. I am using iMovie because I have more than 99 photos, and would like the slideshow divided into chapters for iDVD viewing and navigation, and because I would like to add specific music to each individual chapter or slideshow, but have them play contiguously.
I have created separate albums in iPhoto for each chapter of my slideshow in iMovie. When I import all photos in an album from iPhoto with the Ken Burns effect box turned on and click Apply, each photo is imported, but the panning and zooming is the same on each photo, unlike when playing an iPhoto slideshow where the panning and zooming is automatically randomly applied to the photos in the slideshow. Am I doing something wrong and is there any way to correct this problem without manually setting the pan and zoom of each photo individually? Would a newer version of iMovie correct the problem?
Thanks,
Jennifer
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Hello Jennifer,
the behaviour of iMovie is quite normal as you will have to create a different setting for each picture in order to have a different effect upon import. up to version 5 (iMovie HD) this remains the same - and i'm quite sure also for iM 6, but haven't upgraded yet.
you have another possibility though: export your slideshow with random KB effects from iPhoto as QT movie and then import to iMovie
hope this helps
viva la mela

IMovie HD6 Ken Burns Effect Not working

Hi. I've been using iMovie HD6 with my old iMacG4. We used Ken Burns Effect a lot with no problems.
I just got a 1 year old G5 iMAC with Intel Dual Processor and it has the latest versions of Tiger and iMovie 06. Everything works but the Ken Burns Effect. When I use the Ken Burns effect, it shows up when I set it up but when I push the button to make iMovie render the effect, the clinic does not render. It looks like the computer is about to render the effect but nothing happens and I need to force quit iMovie to do anything else. On the set-up of the Ken Burns effect, the preview shows the Ken Burns effect working.
I had a previous version of iLife O6 so I tried deleting the iMovie from the application and reloading the iLife 06 but this did not help. Because I don't have iLife 08, I cannot download a version of iMovie O6 to give this a try.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help, Andy

Since you just got a one year old computer, I would do the following:
1. Close iMovie and trash the file com.apple.iMovie.plist located in User/Library/Preferences. iMovie will create a new .plist file on relaunch.
2. Before you relaunch iMovie, do a permissions repair using the Disk Utility app on your Mac.
3. Make sure that you have sufficient free disk space for iMovie to operate efficiently -- 25GB is recommended.
4. Update iMovie and Quicktime to current versions, and do a permissions repair afterwards.
5. If you have any 3rd party plug-ins, or Quicktime plug-ins, move them to another folder to temporarily disable them.
With the Ken Burns effect, do not empty the trash until your project is finished. Emptying the trash will cause you to be unable to edit a photo to which the Ken Burns effect has been applied.
Hope the above helps.

Ken burn effect in key note

Hallo
one of my customers ask me if key note has the ken burn effect included.
he likes this effect and has many pictures to insert in his new presentation.
Thank you
Maurizio Celant

Not in plain sight, but you can assign an image an action called "scale" which would increase or decrease the size of an image, or "move" which would allow you to move the image in the slide. If the person is looking for it as a slide transition, then apply the "scale" or "move" action to the image and have the slide dissolve into the next automatically after the action.
It would take a little getting use to how to work with the builds, actions, and transitions (though not difficult), but the Ken Burns effect can be manipulated to the user's liking.

Photo Settings not showing up; cannot remove Ken Burns effect

Hello,
Earlier today, I selected the photo setting button and a little box showed up with the Ken Burns effect options in it, however now when I select photo settings, the only thing that shows up is the preview of the of photo zooming/panning. Please help... how do I get back to that little box so I can remove the Ken Burns effect from my photos! Thanking you!

Also having the same problem. When going to show photo settings, it shows black screen. Un checking Ken Burns and updating does nothing. All photos in slide show have same super zoom of Ken Burns with no way to remove it or alter it.
iMovie HD broken, iMovie 08 ***... The only reason I purchased Mac was for handling media and I end up doing projects on my old pc using photoshop elements.

Ken Burns effects in iWeb

Sorry if this is a dumb question. Im new to iWeb and am trying to to build a home page with photos as the background that rotate from one to another and have the Ken Burns effect on them while they are on screen. Any way to do this?

Lew ~ Welcome to the discussions. If you're referring to the background in iWeb's Inspector > Page pane > Layout tab, it's not possible to use anything but a static image — although perhaps someone could figure out how to use a moving image as a background outside of iWeb's Inspector.
An alternative is a large movie slideshow with the Ken Burns effect — but it may take some time to begin playing in a browser and, if it was a Flash slideshow, would tax the viewer's processor considerably. (A QuickTime movie would be less taxing on the processor.)
A compromise is to avoid the Ken Burns effect and simply create a QT movie slideshow having a basic fading transition. Here's an example (not mine) — note how fast it loads in your browser:
http://www.heese-cadieux.com
...and it's done like this:
iPhoto > select photos > File > Export... > QuickTime tab ...set width and height, etc.
Then iWeb > Media button > Movies tab ...drag in your movie created above by iPhoto.
Then iWeb > Inspector > QuickTime tab ...settings.
Note: The above generates a QT slideshow pseudo movie of small file size and thus appears quickly in a web browser. By pseudo, I mean that the non-fading parts of the movie sequence are actually one single static frame timed to stay on screen — not a series of movie frames.

Ken Burns Effects Don't Work in iMovie HD (I've Tried Everything)

Version:
OS X 10.4.10
iMovie 6
*Hardware 1:*
PowerMac G4 Dual 500 Mhz, 1GB RAM, Internal 40GB HDD and Internal 320 GB HDD
*Hardware 2:*
PowerBook G4 500 Mhz, 512MB RAM, Internal 20 GB HDD
Problem:
This problem occurs on both of my G4 Macs. In iMovie HD, I imported a JPEG from iPhoto with Ken Burns Effects on. The still photo appeared properly in the Clip Viewer initially, but appeared as a black screen in the iMovie Monitor. Once the imported photo with the Ken Burns Effects completed rendering, the clip in the Clip Viewer turned white and appeared as a white screen in the iMovie Monitor. I have tried almost everything I read about in these forums in search of a resolution.
*Resolutions that Failed:*
1. The photo is definitely a .jpg
2. Tried importing the actual .jpg file as well as importing from iPhoto.
3. QuickTime and all other Software updates have been applied and are running on the most current release.
4. Repaired disk permissions.
5. Created, saved and manipulated the iMovie file in the standard Movie Folder on my main internal hard drive. (i.e. – I'm not saving to an external HDD)
6. Created, saved and manipulated the iMovie file in the standard Movie Folder on my secondary internal hard drive. (i.e. – I'm not saving to an external HDD)
7. Deleted the 'mac.imovie.plist' file and created a new one.
8. Attempted to do apply the effects logged on as a different user.
9. Saved file, restarted machine and reopened numerous times but the problem persists.
10. Tried a lower resolution photo and the problem persists.
11. Attempted to import all the photos I planned to use, added transitions to all of the clips and rendered completely. Saved the file, restarted the machine and reopened the file with no change to the blank clips.
12. The iMovie trash emptying issue did nothing to help.
*Additional Notes:*
1. The problem is confined to the Ken Burns Effects in iMovie. I am able to work with true video clips without incident.
2. Ken Burns Effects operate properly in iPhoto 6 using the slideshow functionality.
3. I would use iPhoto, but it seems like it would be easier to line up specific sections of an audio track with certain Ken Burns Effects in iMovie. (i.e. – a crescendo at the 16 second mark of the audio track coincides with the end of a 'zoom' on a photo, transition from second 16-17 second mark, new photo at the 17 second mark and pan left to right from 17 second mark to the 25 second mark.) Point is that it lines up precisely with the markers on the audio track, which seems far easier to do in iMovie than iPhoto.
4. Please help me, I'm going nuts troubleshooting this bug! I can't find any resolution that works.
Thanks in advance for the help.
Message was edited by: Charlie Brown Jr.

Hmmm. You seem to have tried, without success, most if not all of the methods of resolving a Ken Burns black screen issue.
Some thoughts that have occurred to me:
1. Perhaps your G4 500mhz Mac is not fast enough. I think that the minimum spec for iLife '06 is 733mhz. Might have nothing to do with this problem, but I just mention it.
2. Are the sizes of your images too large, as can happen with some of these new high def cameras? iMovie has trouble working with very large images.
3. Do you have any 3rd pary plug-ins, particularly in Quick Time, that could be causing a conflict?
4. Do you have enough disk space for the project to operate?
5. Have you done a recent Quick Time update? Some users have reported a problem with that.
6. From your post, it appears that you have continuously worked within the same iMovie file that exhibits the Ken Burns problem. If this is true, try creating a new iMovie project and experimenting with a few clips to see if the problem persists in the new project.
Ken Burns issues can be very frustrating. I think that you will need to keep trying things until something works. Wish I could be more help, but perhaps some of the tech experts on this forum will have some workable suggestions.
There is an application called Photo to Movie that reputedly has a far better Ken Burns type of effect. If you can't resolve your problem, you might try downloading that app. I believe that it offers a demo download.
Good luck.

Not happy with slideshows / Ken Burns effects / lesser quality in iDVD

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