PulpMotion Advanced 3.1

Overview

PulpMotion Advanced is a software package to create interesting slideshows using existing video, audio and image content to produce something special. PulpMotion Advanced is available for the Mac (reviewed here) or the Windows PC.

Create impressive slideshows which can be exported as a video to Apple devices, iLife, QuickTime, and GarageBand. Video compositions can be configured to display at the appropriate resolution for the device that they are intended to be viewed on which makes it easier to display without experiencing dropped frames during playback.

The software is well integrated to provide drag and drop support for pulling media into the app to use for a slideshow composition. The overlap with other Apple apps and devices makes PulpMotion Advanced a useful app for those people who make full use of the Mac focus on digital creation.

Installation

Installation completed without any issues. There was no malicious software added during the setup process.

PulpMotion Advanced requires Mac OS X 10.8 or later.

Interface

The Mac interface has a display window in the top-left part of the main window. Both the slideshow/video resolution and the percentage of the resolution that is being displayed at normal size is indicated below the playback window. To clarify, if the slideshow is being displayed at 70 percent of its normal size to fit into the display window within the app, the percentage will show as 70%.

Playback controls sit directly below this display window. The Main Inspector pane to the right displays the details about the project and offers a way to drill down to the basics of each project and its settings. Various content options and selections can be made in the bottom pane.

The interface is pretty standard for any application offering presentation, editing or other audio/visual medium.

Pros

• Create interesting slideshows using video, audio and image content blended together
• Drag and drop content directly into the application
• Use existing themes perhaps including the documentary maker Ken Burns theme style
• Use iPhone Faces to create zone of interest on a project
• Quart Composer can help personalize the final slideshow
• Export final slideshow to the iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV, iWeb, iDVD, Mail and GarageBand app
• Export video composition to QuickTime or iLife
• Include anti-aliasing and motion blur features on HD content
• Bump up color fidelity for most vibrant, color-balanced content
• Save export parameters so they can be used again and again
• Change screen size to match exported size i.e. to the resolution of the playback device to see how it'll look.
• Advanced version additionally includes layout customization, animated text, audio commentary support, filters for images and audio, custom page layouts, and additional themes

Cons

• Learning curve.

Conclusion

PulpMotion Advanced is an excellent option to create slideshows using existing audio, video and image content to blend it all together. The software includes many export options to Apple devices, systems and apps like GarageBand.