Mom
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Hi all…
I have a couple of questions. This world is so incredibly new and confusing to me! Our son (11 yr. old) is very much into this stop animation movie-making. He has been using my iPod to take pictures. He then puts them into iMovie to do whatever he does to make a movie. We want to take things to the next level for him, but I am at a loss for what to do. Christmas is coming, and I thought – what a perfect time to get him stuff. So, we have a Mac that he uses primarily, but we are one of ‘those’ families that not everyone has their own computer. This is the family comp – and it is in the main living area. All that to say, his ‘studio’ is in his room, so, that gives you some idea of maybe what we can and cannot do for him at this time.
We don’t have a real fandango camera. Basically, I would like to know if there is another software out there, compatible with Mac, what would give him more functionality than iMovie. If so, what is it? Are there any other resources you would recommend for us to help him explore this new interest?
Tips and all the help I can get would be fantastic. Options, options, options – give us lots of ideas, and we’ll see what we can afford.
Thanks much,
The Mom
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Lechnology
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Option 1: Logitech Webcam pro 9000.
Check with Bricksinmotion.com for more suggestion as this is not a well traffic site to get answers.
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retsofnv
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I use a mac too. Here are the programs I use.
Stop Motion Software:
1) iStopMotion (comes in three versions from $49 – $400). The home version is fine. I have heard of Boinx having sales on this from time to time, so you might do even better than $49 if you get lucky.
2) FrameByFrame – I’m pretty sure that this was free. It’s like iStopMotion, but with less features. (I rarely use it now, but it works fine)
Audio Recording and Soundtrack Mixing:
1) Garage Band
2) Audacity
Video Editing:
1) Final Cut Express (Not necessary until you get into more advanced editing)
2) iMovie
Special Effects:
1) Photoshop Elements
There are lots of cameras that will work. I use a Canon ZR960 connected to the Mac by firewire.
A tripod would be one of the best gifts that you could get him/her as they are essential for good quality movies.
Regards,
RetsofNV
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BrickshotStudios
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In all honesty, there are no webcams suitable for stopmotion that work on macs. I got the one from logitech, and it sucked. The lack of software was atrocious, and it constantly auto focused making it nearly impossible to get a consistent shot. I highly recommend getting a camcorder. JVC offer good ones, and the one I have is around $250. If you’re not willing to go that high, look into Sony camcorders instead.
The best stopmotion program I’ve come across that isn’t free is iStopmotion. The home version is great, and it would probably suit your needs.
For editing, iMovie would probably be fine, and it sounds like your son already has a knack for it. But if you truly want to a better program, Adobe Premiere Elements 9 or 10 would be a good choice.
For special effects, you may want to look into Photoshop Elements or Gimp. Photoshop is better, but if you want freeware, Gimp is fantastic.
Hope this helped!
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Brix_Lover
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I think it is a wise decision to change your OS from Mac to Windows. There are many compatible software and hardware for windows than mac. In other words, you can minimize your budget when buying a good quality product for your son to use because Windows has a large range of compatibility system.
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Bric a brac
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Mmmm… I hope “Mom” and the others are still active here seeing that it’s 2011 since she last posted her thread. It would be nice to have them here. ^.^
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