How to Create a Microsoft Photo Story Movie

Creating a Microsoft Photo Story can be a fun and easy way to utilize all of those digital photos you have been collecting and storing on your computer. Both elementary school students and adults can learn it with ease, yet it has enough customization to keep even the most fervent scrap booker satisfied.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Open Microsoft Photo Story and click "Next" to begin a new story.

2. Click "Import Pictures" and select one or more pictures you would like to import into your story. Click "OK" to import your picture. Once you have finished importing your photos, click "Next" to move to the next window. See tips for importing multiple pictures at once.

3. Add a title or caption to one or more of your pictures in this window by selecting the picture and typing the text in the text box to the right of the picture. You may adjust the font color, size, style and placement using the buttons above the text box. Click "Next" to move to next window.

4. Record narration on one or more pictures in this window by clicking on the picture you want to narrate and selecting the record button. When you have completed the recording, click the stop button to end your narration. You may also click on the "Customize Motion" button under the preview screen to change the motion of your pictures. Click "Next" to move to the next window.

5. Add music to your movie in this window. You may add your own music using the "Select Music" button or add preformatted loops using the "Create Music" button. Click "Next" to move to the next window.

6. Finalize your movie in this window. Select what you want to do with the movie in the "Activities" box, change the location and file name in the "File name" box and the quality of the movie in the "Quality Settings" box. Click on "Save Project" to save your project as a Photo Story file for later editing. Finally, select "Next" to convert your Photo Story to a Windows Media Video (.wmv) file.

Tips & Warnings

• Import multiple pictures by holding down the "ctrl" button while clicking on each picture you want to include.
• You may reorder your pictures by clicking and dragging them where you want on the filmstrip along the bottom.
• You can easily navigate through your Photo Story project using the "Next" and "Back" buttons.
• Click the Preview button frequently to make sure your video is shaping up the way you want.
• If you are planning to narrate, plug in your microphone before opening Photo Story to insure the software recognizes it.
• If you plan to post your movie on the Internet, be careful of copyright issues when using music or pictures you did not create.
• All pictures automatically have movement by default unless you have added text the picture.