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BRIAN LIVINGSTON:     "Window Manager"     InfoWorld.com
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Monday, February 11, 2002

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MUVEE MAKES MOVIES

EVERY ONCE IN a while, a program comes along that
changes the way we use computers. Muvee AutoProducer
is one such program. It has a deceptively simple
purpose: With the click of a button, it makes a music
video out of files you've copied to your PC from a
camcorder or digital camera.

That doesn't sound like much of a breakthrough unless
you've tried doing it with ordinary video-editing
programs. The rule of thumb among media professionals
is that it takes an hour to produce one minute of
finished video using software called an NLE
(non-linear editor).

In less than a minute, by comparison, AutoProducer
finds key visual highlights in your video segments and
edits them -- in sync with your chosen music track --
into a polished little "muvee" (pronounced MYOO-vee,
as in music video).

In case you think I've lost my mind and joined the MTV
generation, don't worry. This software has loads of
business applications.

Broadcasting. The use of AutoProducer in commercial
ways has already begun. Companies such as Xtreme Sport
TV harness it to create short montages, combining the
latest action on the field with thumping beats.
AutoProducer's output is fully editable by NLEs, so
producers can try different styles and then polish the
result by replacing one shot with another, but only if
necessary.

Education. Instructional videos tend to be deadly dull,
but they don't have to be. Breaking up the talking
heads with a few quick-cut, jazzy bits can make almost
any program more bearable.

Fun. Aside from the 9-to-5 implications, the consumer
uses of AutoProducer are huge. Millions of households
have camcorders, and now many digital cameras can also
record short videos. Editing the output, however, has
been a drag. At last, AutoProducer makes it a treat.

Other software surely exists to do what AutoProducer
does, but not at this price -- free, with Muvee.com
credits inserted into each production. The $59.95
personal-use version and $119 pro version remove this
and other limitations.

Testing AutoProducer, my only problem involved the .mov
files used by some digital cameras. I had to cough up
30 bucks for QuickTime Pro at Apple.com to convert the
files to .avi. I also had to download DirectX 8.x from
Microsoft.com. But those things aren't really Muvee's fault.

I was impressed by AutoProducer's mysterious ability to
pick out focal points in the action and mesh them with
music into something more attention-grabbing. In one
shot of a little girl rocking back and forth,
AutoProducer edited out the middle, segueing the
beginning and end of the movements into a single,
seamless motion.

Start at  http://www.muvee.com/website/?id=freebies to
get 33 free music tracks. Download the software to
experiment. And watch out, Steven Spielberg.

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