Animoto’s better online slideshows

Animoto helps you produce widget-based slideshow in slicker ways than you can with Photobucket, Slide and RockYou.

The difference?

While most other sites rely on Adobe’s Flash-based video technology, Animoto relies on its own technology to pair photos and a music track together to create them. The result is a more emotive experience, with photos being displayed for you in patterns and shapes that Animoto matches with the music.

Think of iTune’s music display, but for your photos.

If you choose a classical music track to go with your photos, for example, you’ll get a slower, more sedate video of photos than with rock or hip-hop tracks. During the fast points of songs, you’ll see photos fade in and out, swirl around and duplicate themselves more quickly than during the slow parts.

The New York City-based company, which is comprised of a number of video technologists and producers, wants to be used by the many garage bands on MySpace and other web sites — and really anyone looking to create a more compelling presentation of their photos.

It is self-funded.