Vacation Bible School.  Mission Trips.  Conferences.  As we find ourselves already part way through the summer months, church staff and volunteers find themselves in the midst of this beautiful (and exhausting) time of the year.  Because time spent in conversations, building relationships, and sleep is critical – we are here to help so you can make the most of the time you have!

As a thank you to those who serve or sharing memories, a photo slide show or video is often a quick and easy go-to option that is frequently used for short term mission trips and VBS.  Rather than spend lots of time researching what the best method is – we’re here to help!  New apps are released every day for mobile production (another post coming soon), but to make a slideshow or video for the big screen at church or to post to YouTube, here are a few simple programs that don’t break the bank or require hours of editing.

1.  Apple’s Photos – Did you know that there is a slideshow option in Photos?  When organized in an album, simply click on the “Slideshow” option.  There are several different viewing options and themes to choose from.  The order of the photos is the order they will show in the slideshow.  One of my personal favorites is the “Vintage” theme.  Connect your computer to a projector or mirror it via an Apple TV and you’re good to go!
2. iMovie – A quick and easy way to create a slideshow and export to a video format.  There is more advanced control with the ability to decide the length of display for an image, adding video clips, music, transitions, and adjusting which portions of pictures are shared if you don’t like the “auto” adjustments in “Ken Burns” style.  Lots of great tutorials available on Youtube if you’re new to the iMovie game.  Alas – only available through Apple.
3. Keynote – Of course Powerpoint is an option, but as Apple continues to up their game, Keynote has begun to offer some advanced narration, export to video format options, and other fun.
4. Adobe Spark – Offering the ability to do basic graphic design or create videos from templates, this is another great low cost option known for its simplicity and user-friendly nature.  For details, visit: www.spark.adobe.com.
5. Renderforest – My new personal “go-to” option.  Renderforest is great for people who aren’t always up on the latest tech options and/or find  some of the other professional software a bit intimidating.
   • If you’re interested in creating a 60 second promo, there are customizable templates to create videos like this: The Great Commission Society.
   • There are also a variety of slideshow options and customizable templates.  Renderforest has also just gone through an upgrade!  You now have the option to dump images in and let Renderforest do all the work (here’s an example: Adventure Camp 2018 ).  Or if you would like to open their advanced editor, you can choose to have more control.  Perfect for the amount of time, effort, and ability you have to offer.  You also have the choice to upload your own music or use their audio loops.  Renderforest is also cost effective and doesn’t break the bank!
   • For details: https://www.renderforest.com.