LQ Graphics Inc. has released version 2.0 of Photo to Movie, a tool for creating a movie by zooming and panning over a still photo (the “Ken Burns effect”), then generating QuickTime files compatible with iMovie and iDVD.
(You can also accomplish the Ken Burns effect in iMovie 3, but LG Graphics says their app offers higher quality rendering, provides more precise control of multiple frames, and adds the ability to ease into and ease out of motion.) Version 2.0 adds support for curved motion paths, cross dissolving between multiple images, a real time preview of the movie, an enhanced editing system, and localization to French, German, Italian, and Japanese.
Photo to Movie 2.0 costs US$29.95; the new version is a free upgrade for registered users. It requires Mac OS X 10.2 (“Jaguar”) or later.