Stopmotion Explosion Review
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I was given the opportunity to review
Video cameras are in abundance in our home. From our GoPro and vlogging camera to our cell phones and webcams, cameras are everywhere.
Therefore, it is no shock that my children have become fascinated with the process of making movies and videos of their very own. They frequently take one of the many cameras available to them and create little movies or vlogs. We have been swimming at the pool, playing video games, and immersed in the world of imagination, all through short films they have created.
The boys discovered stop motion animation a few years ago while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas. We were hooked instantly. It opened up a whole new world of creativity. Our toys could now become the stars of these movies, without their hands being seen. We have tried different ways of creating our own stop motion animation. We
Stopmotion Explosion: Stop Motion Animation Kit
Today I will be reviewing the Stop Motion Animation Kit from Stopmotion Explosion. The kit retails on their website for $79.99USD.
This kit contains everything needed to create amazing high-definition animated films
. Stopmotion Explosion
Learn techniques that can be used to make movies with LEGO®, action figures, toys, clay, and many other materials. Fun for all ages and experience levels!
The animation kit
- 1080p HD video camera with internal microphone, manual focus, and clip
- 290+ page Stopmotion Explosion book
- a quick start guide
- animation software (No CD-ROM drive required, install via CD or download from their site)
- an assortment of sound effects*
- a storyboard PDF printable
*sound effects are royalty free which means you can use them if you intend to upload your videos to YouTube.
This kit does not include ModiBot Mo or the accessory kit. On their website, the figure is sold for $10 each and the
The software that comes with this kit also does not include the ability to do post-animation graphics, combine multiple clips together, or add sound effects. In addition to what is in the kit, you will also need a program like Windows Movie Maker or iMovie to be able to do these things. The kit does come with many sound effects for you to use but you will have to use a different program to incorporate them.
Our First Stop Motion Video
We started using our kit the moment our package from Stopmotion Explosion arrived. The packaging is very eye catching and instantly captured the attention of my children.
Jack, who is 8 years old, opened the box within minutes. He began reading how to download and install the
He quickly looked over the book, quick start guide, website, and instructional PDF provided. Jack found set up to be very easily with this set. Because he already had some knowledge of how stop motion animation works, he was able to jump right in. If you are new to stop motion animation, the book that Stopmotion Explosion has included in this kit is a wonderful resource. They also have many tutorials on their website which can be very helpful.
Jack decided that he wanted to animate the puppet that he had made earlier in the week.
Meet BagBot 2000
Jack’s first stop motion animation using the Stopmotion Explosion’s kit starred
This simple animation took less than an hour. From installation to finished product, he was able to set it up with minimal help from Mom or Dad. The only help that Jack needed for this project was to add the sound using a video editor.
Animate ANYTHING and Make MOVIES
The Stopmotion Explosion Stop Motion Animation Kit included a wonderful book called Animate ANYTHING and Make MOVIES. This book is an excellent resource to use to merge creating fun movies with learning.
History
The book starts with a history of film making and how stop motion movies were invented. I found this very interesting. I learned something new because I was not familiar with the history of the cinema.
There are many inventors, like Thomas Edison and the Lumiere Brothers, discussed. The information given is minimal, but this provides an excellent opportunity for further research and discussion. My children have always been fascinated by inventors and were familiar with the name of Thomas Edison (we actually went on a tangent to discuss the invention of electricity and whether Edison or Tesla
Implementing history into a very fun activity is a great way to enhance the learning through play approach that we take to schooling.
STEAM
We have previously discussed STEM and this
There is a chapter all about animation actors. They discuss using items you find around your house, like LEGO mini figures or silly putty. There are also instructions about how to make your own armature.
This book discusses many topics like building sets using various materials, different cameras you can use, how to properly light your set, and how to create different animation sequences. My children enjoyed these chapters because they involved the hands-on learning that STEAM is known for.
Storyboards and Screenplays
There is also an emphasis on proper story development.
The book talks about how to properly write screen plays, creating engaging stories using story boards, and other smaller details that help make their movies come to life.
I am always looking for ways to encourage my children to write more. They have discovered a love of making storyboards to track their ideas and plot lines.
Stop Motion And Learninging
I do want to take the time to reinforce how stop motion can be included into your education plan.
Stopmotion Explosion suggested that we could recreate historical scenes using stop motion animation. I think that this is a fantastic idea and will definitely be something that we will be trying in the future. You could also recreate scenes from your favourite books. The opportunities to incorporate this creative process into your homeschooling are endless.
These ideas, in combination with the aspects I discussed above, could make this a very valuable tool in your kit.
John’s Adventure To See Bob
After brainstorming a few different story ideas for their first major project, Lucas and Jack decided on a story about John visiting Bob.
John is a clumsy LEGO mini-figure who loves to build things. He wants to go visit his friend, Bob, and makes a portal to transport himself to Bob’s house.
The portal he builds first transports him to a seemingly deserted island with a cave. Within the cave is another portal which takes John to Bob’s house.
Enjoy.
Our Experience Making This Stop Motion Movie
Making a stop motion movie takes time.
Lucas and Jack spent a
Along the way, we had some issues. These issues were because of the learning curve that learning something new has. I wanted to discuss them because it will give you an idea of what you may need to use in addition to this kit.
Lighting
For us, our biggest issue was the lighting.
I do have a full lighting kit that I use when filming, but I wanted to make a more realistic experiment for readers who might not have that kind of lighting available to them.
We relied heavily on natural lighting coming in through our living room window as well as over head lights and a lamp. If you look closely, you can notice a few frames where the lighting changes. Without 100% artificial light, it is hard to make the lighting consistent throughout the day or if you were filming over several days.
For their next movie, I will definitely be getting out my lighting kit for them to use. If your children really like doing stop motion animation, I would also invest in a lighting kit. They create fewer shadows than overhead lights or lamps as they are actually designed for the task at hand. It will also allow them to make longer films that take multiple days to shoot without having to worry about lighting changes.
Focus
The second issue we had was focus.
I was very hands off while they were filming their movie. Because they had previously used cameras with auto-focus, they often forgot about checking the focus of their images.
We will probably change out the webcam we use with this program because it is just one extra thing for their minds to focus on. Once they have mastered making the movies and the program, then they might choose to use the camera with the manual focus.
The manual focus does give you more options for the way in which you shoot your scenes. Auto-focus cameras sometimes have a hard time figuring out which section of Lego to focus on when doing close up shots. The manual focus will allow them to do more close up scenes and more complicated camera angles. It will be a good tool to have but is just hard for them at this point in time.
Multiple Programs and Green Screens
The boys really wanted to put a bright blue sky with clouds in the background of their island scene.
We were unable to figure out how to do this in the programs we had available and within the time frame to publish this review. The Stopmotion Explosion website does have tutorials about how to do this process but it is complicated for beginner film makers.
We would have preferred the program that comes with the stop motion animation kit to come with these features instead of having to install and learn multiple programs.
Would I Recommend?
While I do like this product, I feel the price is a little steep for that you are getting. For $79.99, I would want a little bit more than this kit provides. This is only my opinion, it may be a great option for you and your needs and budget.
The software provided has some downfalls. It is very basic, which makes it easy to use, but it is very limiting for those who want to take their movies to the next level. For beginners, this may be the perfect software for you to experiment with the world of stop motion animation.
Needing another program to add in the sound effects means that you need to learn two programs instead of just one. Windows Movie Maker also no longer comes as a part of Windows, like it used to. If you have windows 7 or lower, it should be pre-installed, but anything newer and you will need to download it or purchase an
The webcam is of good quality but there are two big drawbacks for me. The manual focus has its negatives because my children find it a little difficult to be able to focus it. They also forget that they have to refocus it whenever they change the scene or position of the camera. The attached stand makes it difficult to position. It is also not the sturdiest which means little bumps of the table from a little brother can mean repositioning and refocusing the camera. I would have much preferred a small tripod over the attached flex stand. My children often needed help to get the camera positioned how they wanted it to be. They do show making a stand out of Lego to help position the camera, which does help, but a tripod would have been more convenient. We will not be using this camera for future videos.
Ultimately, the decision is yours. This stop motion animation kit by Stopmotion Explosion might be perfect for your needs.
If you want to check out what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about this product, check out the reviews here:
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