A photo movie is created based on scene configuration information, which includes scene definition information to determine a type of special effects, the number of still images, and playback time for each scene. The playback time is summed up to figure total playback time of the photo movie. If an intended total playback time is specified by a user, the playback time and scene configuration are changed in each scene so that the total playback time of the photo movie corresponds with the intended total playback time. In another embodiment, a moving speed of a cropping frame for cutting out a portion of a still image is derived from a moving path of the cropping frame and a total playback time of a photo movie. The size of the cropping frame is changed if the calculated moving speed is out of an allowable speed range.