From The Guys at Animoto

The new version of our app is ready to download from the App Store!  It’s still free, so head here to grab it: http://itunes.com/app/animotovideos

Huge new features in this one, including:
— Sync to your Animoto.com account
— Download videos for offline viewing
— Longer videos with an All-Access Pass
— Lots more songs, new genres
— Better image fitting/placement in your video

Since first launching the Animoto iPhone app just over 5 months ago, we’ve picked up over 300,000 users.  Most of the new features developed for this release were in response to feedback we’ve been getting from you all, so thank you.

Also thanks to everyone for their patience.  We had originally planned on having this update released over 10 weeks ago, which is when we first submitted it to Apple for approval.  But it only now just got approved.  We’ll try to be diplomatic here and spare you a blog entry full expletives.

To learn more about our new iPhone app, head to: http://iphone.animoto.com

As always, we love to hear your feedback. Danke!

~ by jason on june 22nd, 2009.

A bit of news for today.  Here’s the official press release:

Animoto Raises $4.4 Million in Series B Funding for Video Creation Platform,
Led by Madrona Venture Group

Award-Winning Video Creation Service to Expand Product Offerings and Reach

New York, NY – June 18, 2009 – Animoto® (http://animoto.com), the video creation platform that lets consumers and businesses easily create professional-quality videos from their own photos and music, today announced that the company has received $4.4 million in funding, led by Madrona Venture Group. Additional investors include Jeff Clavier’s SoftTech VC and Bruce Livingstone, the founder of iStockphoto, as well as Amazon.com, which originally invested in Animoto in May 2008.

“Since founding Animoto we’ve focused on delivering a simple user experience with a clear business model to allow anyone the ability to create professional video,” said Brad Jefferson, CEO & Co-founder of Animoto.  “We’ve created a base of raving fans and have been operating at cashflow positive since December 2008.  In Madrona we have found a partner who enthusiastically believes in the creative vision and financial opportunity we see for Animoto.  Madrona’s leadership and investment will help accelerate our product roadmap, distribution strategy, and team growth.”

Launched in August 2007, the Animoto website currently has 750,000 registered users, and approximately 10% of those users have paid for premium services.  Additionally, Animoto’s Facebook application has 2 million users and Animoto’s iPhone application has 300,000 users.

The heart of Animoto is its patent-pending Cinematic Artificial Intelligence™ technology that thinks like an actual director and editor using the same sophisticated post-production skills and techniques that are used in television and film.  The technology takes into account every nuance of a song: the genre, song structure, energy, rhythm, instrumentation, and vocals.  No two videos are ever the same; even videos generated from an identical set of images and music will each have a completely distinct set of motion design.  Videos are produced in widescreen format and can be emailed, embedded on any website, or downloaded in DVD-quality formats for display on computers, televisions, and even large projection screens.

“Animoto’s very talented team and break-through products have redefined multi-media storytelling and photosharing,” said Matt McIlwain, Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group.  “Animoto’s success in cost-effectively generating almost 100,000 paying customers across consumers, businesses and professional photographers establishes them as the market leader with great potential for the future.”  Mr. McIlwain has joined the company’s Board of Directors.

In recent months, Animoto has won numerous awards for Animoto.com.  Animoto’s latest recognition was winning both the Judges Choice and People’s Voice awards for Best Services & Applications website at the 2009 Webby Awards, hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times.

ABOUT MADRONA VENTURE GROUP

Madrona is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on building leading technology companies.  Started in 1995, the firm has established a reputation of partnering with entrepreneurs, investors and advisors to create value together. The firm has a diversified portfolio of early-stage, technology-driven companies in the areas of Consumer Internet, Commercial Software and Services, Digital Media and Advertising, Networking and Infrastructure, and Wireless. Representative investments include Amazon.com, Classmates.com, Farecast, ShareBuilder, and Isilon Systems.  Visit http://madrona.com.

ABOUT ANIMOTO

The founders of Animoto Productions™ include veterans of the entertainment industry who share a passion for helping people share their stories and express themselves through online media by innovating technologies in the field of video production.  Animoto Productions, founded in August 2006, is based in New York City with an office in San Francisco.  Visit http://animoto.com.

And we almost forgot to mention in our last post… the folks at EMI CMG have been gracious enough to make their wonderful library of platinum-selling Christian & Gospel artists available to Animoto users.

Steven Curtis Chapman is one such artist, and we must admit, his song “Cinderalla” is pretty much the perfect song for daughters making an Animoto vid for dad.

In fact, Chapman’s fans displayed “a father’s love” for their children in a special Father’s Day video tribute that features Chapman’s hit single “Cinderella.” Fans were encouraged to submit family photos and as a result, over 150 photos were chosen to create two heart-warming videos here on animoto.com

To view these unique Father’s Day tributes visit: http://www.tangle.com/stevencurtischapman.

Be sure to check out this song, along with the rest of the EMI CMG music we have available, in our “Gospel & Christian” genre.

** Note: These songs are only available for consumer users.

As you may or may not have remembered, Father’s Day is this Sunday!  Send your dad (or grandpa or brother or husband–or any other father in your life) an awesome video greeting made from your pictures.

Our designers have created a playful setting for your video card, so now all you have to do is choose a few pictures, select a soundtrack, and email it off to your pops.

To learn more and watch a sample video click here.

~ by jason on may 17th, 2009.

Every once in a while, we’re reminded that there are other important things going on in this world than this crazy company we’re working on.

One of our original fans (when Animoto it was in beta and in its rawest form) is Aaron Horn — who created one of the first Animoto videos ever made — of his son, Eli, going through treatment for neuroblastoma at age 3 and a half.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, neuroblastoma is a very rare pediatric cancer affecting about 650 children a year.

Since their first video in 2007, Aaron and Eli and their family have become part of the Animoto family, visiting our offices while they are staying in NYC at the Ronald McDonald House and supporting us every step of the way.

It’s been a long time coming, but we have finally been able to return the love.  Yes, we got Eli the coolest spy kit ever for his 5th birthday, but on top of that we are donating proceeds of purchases made with the promo code ‘HOPE’ to Band of Parents, a non-profit that supports neuroblastoma research here in NYC at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

For more info about how the ‘HOPE’ code works, visit http://www.videosofhope.com to be directed to the campaign’s Facebook page.  When you get there, check out our posted video tribute to Eli.

Eli, we’re thinking of you buddy!

We had a total blast at the Webby Awards last night.  We were presented with both the Judges’ Choice and the People’s Voice Webby awards for ‘Best Service & Application’ category.  And if today’s total-body-pains are any indication, we definitely did our fair share of celebrating.

It was nice reflecting back on our many years of hard work and recognizing all that we’ve accomplished.  Even more nice though was reflecting upon the many top-shelf open bars surrounding us at the venue and appreciating the fact that we were drinking something a bit classier than Brooklyn Lager for once.

It was a fun crowd.  Who would have ever thought that a bunch of nerds like us would ever get to hobnob with all these famous celebrities?  I guess when you’re being given an award, you’ll show up anywhere… even if it’s with Ruby on Rails programmers.  Thanks for coming, celebs!  Just let us know next time you’re having a LAN party and we’ll totally be there.

Amazingly enough, our table was front and center, right between the YouTube people and The New York Times.  (We’re pretty sure they forgot we’re just a startup.)  Seth Meyers was hilarious as host.  And one of the highlights for us was definitely the performance by DJ Mike Relm spinning video based entirely on the “O-face” guy from the movie Office Space.  Freakin’ genius.

We didn’t have the wittiest of 5-word acceptance speeches, but we probably at least had the loudest.

Okay, back to our lives of anonymity.

And Brooklyn Lagers.

Btw, this slideshow is hilarious.  All these famous celebrities… and Nate:

~ by jason on june 9th, 2009.

~ by jason on june 9th, 2009.

Our CFO can beat up your CFO.

Afterward, Jimmy Fallon came over and gave Nate a high-five.  Pretty awesome.

~ by jason on june 9th, 2009.

You can now Tweet your Animoto video directly from the video player page with the click of a button.

I think this now makes us Oscar-worthy.

What the heck is Twiiter, you say?

~ by jason on may 22nd, 2009.