MacMost Now 319: Exporting iPhoto Slideshows as Video

Learn how to create artistic photo slideshows in iPhoto that can then be exported as video files. You can then email these video files, create a DVD or upload to a video sharing site.

Comments: 29 Responses to “MacMost Now 319: Exporting iPhoto Slideshows as Video”

    wilson Abrego
    14 years ago

    everething works jut fine 'till i want to sync with my iphone 3g don't know why little help !!!!pleaes

    wilson Abrego
    14 years ago

    Hey just forget about it .

    I found the way how to do it.

    Thanks

    wilson Abrego
    14 years ago

    OK What should I do to e-mail it ?

    Help please!!!

    Deke
    14 years ago

    It Looks easy but you cannot expert the theme with the photos, for instance you selected scapbook as a theme but when you export slideshow to quicktime video or directly to idvd it will no export the scapbook theme which is frustrating, all you get is a black background with your photos jumping from one to the other, so if you know of a way to export the scapbook theme as well as photos please notify me regards Deke.

      14 years ago

      You definitely CAN export a slideshow to a video with the theme. I just tried it to confirm. I created a new slideshow in the left sidebar. Then I pressed the theme button at the bottom and chose "scrapbook." Played it to see it in action. Then I pressed the big Export button at the bottom of the window. Chose a resolution and it exported as a .m4v video with the scrapbook theme.
      Perhaps you set up a slideshow and then chose to export just the photos from it instead of the slideshow itself?

        Tim
        13 years ago

        I have the same issue. Maybe I am confused by step 1: "Create a new slideshow in the left sidebar." I am good at taking an event or libray and hitting the "Slideshow" button at the bottom (on version '09), and getting it just how I want it, but when I stop it and send to iDVD, I get only the music and picures but not the theme such as "Scrapbook" Just now I went to "Export Slideshow" and it seems to be working, (VERY slow with 557 photos), but aren't I supposed to be able to go straight to iDVD and burn?

          13 years ago

          I can't remember exactly how it was in 09 (have been using 11 for so long). But you don't want to just hit the Slideshow button. That kinda creates a temporary "quick" slideshow. You want to select the photos, and then look in the left sidebar at the bottom for the + button and create a slideshow there. In 11 There is a "Create" button at the bottom right, but in 09 I think it is a + button. Or, try File, New, Slideshow.

          Tim
          13 years ago

          Never mind. I actually watched the video, which I should have done first. Thanks for the site!

    Lou Gold
    14 years ago

    When I export the video, it is not placed anywhere. I find it ONLY in the iPhoto application but I can't access it to export to iMovie or to attach to an email or upload to youtube. The folder called iPhoto slideshows is completely empty.

    what now?

    thx,

    lou

      14 years ago

      When you export using File, Export, you get to choose where you want the resulting movie to go. Put it on your Desktop or your Documents folder to make it easier to find later if you like.

        Adam
        13 years ago

        Gary: Please help -- I have created a slideshow with > 100 photos and some music, etc. Each time I try exporting to iDVD or a folder on my desktop, however, the export process takes an exceedingly long time (perhaps due to the heavy images?), but then -- much worse -- I receive an error message and the process doesn't seem to go through. We have an iMac from last year running near-current versions of all of the relevant programs. Seems as though others have had this problem as well. All I'd like to do is to burn a DVD of the slideshow for viewing on standard DVD players.

          13 years ago

          Perhaps a photo is corrupt or missing? Music? Hard to say without a first-hand look. Just try re-building the slideshow and see if that helps (easy if you put all the photos in an album first).

            Adam
            13 years ago

            Thanks, Gary. From what I've now read, if a Mac is set up to go into sleep mode, and the Mac sleeps during the export process (which can happen depending on how data heavy the slide show is and how long the export process takes), that can gum up the works. Have to adjust the settings so that it doesn't go into sleep mode.

              13 years ago

              The export was taking that long (or your sleep time was that short)? What happened when you turned off sleep mode and tried it?

    The_dude
    14 years ago

    Hey man, great job with this video. I was messing around with I-photo trying to make a slide show but having problems exporting it with music. I searched online and found a lot of people with the same problems and many different ideas about what was wrong.

    Then I found your site and realized I was doing everything all wrong. After watching your video I was able to complete the project very quickly. Thanks a million...

    -D

    Bill
    13 years ago

    Great instruction, straight forward, easy to follow and I had my slideshow to video in about 2 minutes. Thanks from a VERY new mac user.

    Donna
    13 years ago

    Hi, GAry~
    I n assigning a Theme ot my slideshow, it will not apply the music I select:it continually replaces the selection with one on the 'sample' or default list- even when the slideshow plays correctly, after I export it ( and it has even burned onto DVDs with incorrect music and default settings- i.e. loop song- not music/ slide fit to music….) ARRGH!!!
    It appears if I use the music songs provided with the program ( samples/ defaults) it is fine,but trying to add my own music, it is a no- go and mac replaces my music with the first in the sample category...
    Please help. Thank you.

      13 years ago

      Odd. Perhaps the music you are trying to add is a format not supported? Just a guess. Maybe try converting it to a standard .mp3 and see if that works.

    Elizabeth
    12 years ago

    Gary,
    The video is very helpful however, when I open up my iPhoto, there is no plus sign at the bottom of my screen. Am I doing something particularly stupid? In my defence, I am a relatively new user to the MacBook!

    Grateful for your help.

      12 years ago

      This is an old video. Look in the File menu to create "New" things.

    Arthur
    12 years ago

    Exporting a slide show from iPhoto always fails at the last second with an error message :OSSstatus error -9459. Why is that?

    MacBook Pro
    2.4 GHz Core duo
    OS X 10.6.8
    4 GB RAM
    iPhoto 8.1.2

      12 years ago

      Searching for an answer it seems it has to do with display sleep. Turn off display sleep in your Energy Saver preferences and see if that works.

    Yoseff
    12 years ago

    Man, thank you very much for this comment.
    I was going crazy with my iPhoto, cause it was the sixth time that i just got a file with a black screen - sometimes white -, with any photo or sound, and just, and all because I was exporting from a Album and not a Slideshow Presentation.
    Thanks for the hint about this tiny detail.

    The Jazzcat
    12 years ago

    Hello Gary,

    I have created slideshows in Iphoto and I have selected music to go along with them. If a tune is 7 minutes, I expect a 7 minute slideshow when I export it to a movie. What happens is that the slide show turns out to be 2 minutes and 43 seconds. Why am I having this problem when exporting the slide show to match the length of my music?

      12 years ago

      Not sure. Experiment. Try setting it so slides are X seconds long and then doing the math to get it to the right length. Maybe make it in iMovie or Keynote for more control.

    Clare
    12 years ago

    Hi
    How do I save my slideshow to a DVD?? Can you please gave me step by step instructions?? I don't have IDVD just the iPhoto application. thanks so much

      12 years ago

      You can't create a DVD without DVD creation software. So you'll need iDVD, if you can get it. Or an alternative, like the apps in the Mac App Store or something like Toast. Or, just find a better way to distribute the video than DVD.

    holly
    11 years ago

    hi Gary, Great info. For some reason though, my iPhoto doesn't have the "Export" button on the lower section. Any idea why? I can export from the File menu, but it doesn't give me the options for exporting.
    thanks!

      11 years ago

      This video is from 2009, so it would have been for iPhoto 09. You probably have iPhoto 11. Things are in a different place, but the options should still be there. Look around for it while creating a slideshow.

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