Mark Hennings saw online photo slideshows as a stagnant industry that needed to catch up with today’s design standards.
So he created Designer Slideshows, which aims to modernize the standard photo slideshow often used at weddings, graduation parties and funerals. The Omaha-based company seeks to improve the experience of creating those types of slideshows with professional motion design software and a quick turnaround.
For a $200 fee, the service allows anyone interested in a photo slideshow to hand off all of the technical work to Hennings (left) and his staff of nine, who also work for his other brands included under National Media Brands Inc.
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Designer Slideshows compiles the photos, renders the slideshow, licenses music of the customer’s choice, burns it to a DVD with multiple play modes depending on the event, and ships it next-day-air to the customer.
“You can get software for $30 or less or a cheap subscription to make your own software,” Hennings said, “but we know some people value their time more than this and don’t want to have to struggle through technical difficulties.”
Hennings said the company’s closest competitors are small video production companies that can take templates available online and plug in photos to create a similar experience to a slideshow.
“We are basically taking this idea, which we know happens because we have had people ask our video production business Omaha Video Solutions and Wedding Memories of Omaha to make slideshows, and turn it into a widely-accessible online brand,” he said.
Designer Slideshows’ next closest competitors are do-it-yourself animation websites like Animoto.com.
“We want the user to do as little work as possible and need no technical knowledge,” Hennings said. “But they have to be willing to pay more for a more quality slideshow product. This is what separates our target market.”
For more about Designer Slideshows, see the the video below.
Credits: Photo of Hennings from linkedin.com. Video courtesy of Hennings.
