Microsoft Photos now lets you 'choose a star' for your custom videos

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
last updated

Now you can pick someone to be the star of your custom videos created by the Microsoft Photos app.

The Microsoft Photos app has seen quite a bit of a change over the past year, implementing new features to help you automatically create custom stories out of your photos and videos. Now, Microsoft has announced another new feature rolling out to Photos in Windows 10 will help you zero in on the star of the show.

Fittingly called "Choose a Star," the feature lets you pick someone to be the focus of your video. You can get started by selecting the "Create" button at the top of the Photos app and choosing "Automatic video with music." After you've selected all of the photos and videos you want included, you can choose "Create video" as you normally would and let the app do its work.

Once your story is created, you'll see the option to "Choose a star" listed underneath the Story Remix option in the preview pane. Simply select who you want to be the star of the video, and Photos will automatically adjust each portion of the film to focus on that person with zoom effects and more.

According to Microsoft, "Choose a Star" should be rolling out to everyone running the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update now.

See at Microsoft Store (opens in new tab)

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

9 Comments
  • It's weird that the photos app receives more and more features for video editing. Microsoft should instead release a separate app for video editing, a modern Movie Maker.
  • IDK.. I kinda like the idea of everything related in one place.
    1. Less apps
    2. Less confusion
    3. Less switching
    4. Less data
    5. Less clutter
    Less is more.
  • I think it might be confusing that the "Photos" app is meant to be used for video editing.
  • they were going to re-label it the "mixer" app?  make sense now with all the enhancements they are making
  • No, it won't be..
    1. Those video features are front, and center.
    2. Because of smartphones, people are already used to finding thier videos right there with thier pictures. Just, as they edit photos right there, it makes sense to go ahead and take care of videos as well.....
    Nevertheless, a rename, which MS is good at, would be a good idea, at this point.
  • And still no live photos support in slideshow mode.
  • Great, now release an app for Android that manages my photos, uploads to OneDrive, and allows me to auto delete from phone hd, but maintains thumbnails for viewing........basically, Google photos, but from Microsoft.......or, W10M's photos app, but on Android (since W10M, is now the new Palm OS/BB10........ so much potential, but no developer support led to its demise) What would make it even better, is if MS integrated the Photos app into their launcher. I'm convinced that the new Andromeda device will need to run Android in a contained shell, almost as if it were an app, kind of like, an OS inception into another OS. This is possible on W10, through VM, if they somehow could integrate this and have Amazon app store integration, and the option to install Google play, or. apk files, it would remove any and all barriers for people to complain about lack of apps........the device will most likely be ARM chipset, which means the apps could run natively without emulation, so performance wouldn't take a hit.......this is the only way a MS mobile device will ever be able to have any chance of widespread adoption.
  • It's a great app !
  • I think something goes wrong with this update because all editing functionalities are gone!!!?