Recently, I created a slideshow in the VSE of Blender. To speed up image-ratio correction, pans and zooms, I created a few scripts that I want to share with you. Since it is possible to add images via drag-and-drop to the timeline and to create with these scripts an effect on button-press it is pretty easy and fast to create a slideshow with blender. 
slideshow_scripts.zip (3.02 KB)
RestoreRatio.py
resets the duration of the image (to e.g. 4 secs), adds a transform-effect strip which scales the image to restore its correct ratio, and creates a metastrip of the image and its effect-strip
AddPanLR.py
AddPanRL.py
AddPanVertical.py
Adds an effect strip with a pan for the length of the image strip. I created various pans in different files to have all pans available at ones by button press.
AddZoom.py
AddZoomOut.py
Adds an effect strip with a zoom in or zoom out effect.
The scripts are pretty easy to use. Open the VSE, drag an image to one of the channel. Click on the image strip, open a script, press “Run Script” and that’s it.
Does anybode know why Blender is so slow in rendering images in the VSE? I used 18MP images but the output format of my video is “only” HD. Shouldn’t take 2secs to render one frame?! Does anybody has similar problems?