Get ready to chow down on our latest installation of Hungry Startup of the Month, with Animoto!
Animoto makes it easy to create gorgeous, professional-looking videos out of your photos and video clips. They just launched their Universal iOS App, making it even easier for users to produce and watch on the go. Apple has been singing their praises, even featuring the company under their ‘Best New Apps’ section of the iTunes homepage. With all the recent buzz, we were eager to find out what is fueling Animoto. Check out their responses in our interview below!
Q: What is Animoto?
Animoto is a company that makes it easy for people to create and share professional videos for their lives and businesses. Users upload their own photos and video clips, customizing them with different styles and songs. Our intelligent slideshow maker then turns each into a beautiful presentation.
A lot of pro photographers use us to showcase their images to clients. Small business owners with display needs are also a big part of our professional demographic. Then there are CMOs: Chief Memory Officers. CMOs use our service to commemorate special occasions like weddings, birthdays, or holidays. Prior to Animoto, our founders worked in video and music production and realized that the process of making beautiful videos could be democratized without the help of a ton of money or hired experts.
Q: If Animoto were a dish, what would it be, and why?
A fancy cupcake: something that looks pretty and comes in a batch that is easy to share with others.
Q: If we were to crack open your staff fridge right now, what would we find inside?
The bottom shelf of our fridge is always filled with craft beer. Seltzer also goes really fast. People love peanut M&Ms and jelly beans for sweets. We have an endless stock of Frank’s Hot Sauce, Cholula, and Sriracha too. We’re coffee fiends, so there are three types of machines: a drip coffee, a fancy hand clamp espresso and an automatic espresso machine.
Q: Why is food important at Animoto? What are the meal times generally like?
Every Monday morning, we have a big, company-wide meeting. Afterwards, we put on some music, cut loose, and eat lunch together. People are happy and relaxed; there’s always a ping pong game going on in the background. The routine is great because the meeting gets everyone focused, and then, we have the ability to reinforce team camaraderie by eating a meal together. It’s the perfect way to start the work week.
Q. Any secret cocktail, favorite snack, preferred dish…?
A big ritual here is doing a shot of Fireball Whisky together on Fridays. If there’s good news or people we need to congratulate, the bottle also comes out of the cabinet for a toast.
A lot of our parties revolve around food. A few examples: when we added Triple Scoop Music to our library, we had an ice cream party to celebrate. When our iPad app dropped, we had a Belgian pretzel party with Belgian beers.
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