Making a video out of still pictures

[Nominus Experse]

As some of you may have noticed, the final competition in EoFF's Top Artist is to make a video compilation of your most recent works - 8 in all. Due to this event, I have this question:

What programs are out there that are tailored for such a thing?


All I want to do is be able to pan, make transitions, place text, place several audio tracks that can fade in and out, etc... The usual video editing goodness, but only this time all i wish to do is use still images.

I tried Adobe After Effects out, but it was ridiculously over my head and I couldn't get very far, and further more, I don't even know if that's the program I was looking for...


So a little help would be appreciated, not only for myself, but for ValkrieWing and Mum also as I will be passing this knowledge onto them.

[starseeker]

I know it's possible to do that in Windows Movie Maker, but I'd try something better if it exists.

[Nominus Experse]

I know it's possible to do that in Windows Movie Maker, but I'd try something better if it exists.
I really, really, do not want to use Windows Movie Maker...

It made my head explode.

Twice.

[starseeker]

You try making AMVs and enduring it crash every other 2 second clip. Apparently decent free video editors are hard to come by.

[Nominus Experse]

Ughh... the thing is an abomination.

Also, it doesn't need to be free - I have some cash that I can shell out (for once in god who knows how long), so that isn't an issue.

And if the price is ridiculous, then I would at least like to look at them all the same. Sometimes the trial versions are enough.

[rubah]

I'd assume that anything you can directly edit video in you could make stop motion stuff with. Animation Shop comes with Paint Shop Pro, you could haggle with the GIMP but I've never really done anything like that myself.