Friday, June 22, 2012

ISTE 2012 San Diego Animation Presentation


Reanimating Student Learning With Student-Created Animations

Ways To Create Animations:


Use iMovie and iPhoto on a Mac (Windows-Photo folders and Windows Movie Maker)
This software is included with the operating system on Mac computers. (Windows Movie Maker is included on PC computers running Microsoft XP or Windows 7 software.)

You will need to take about ten times the amount of still photos as the number of seconds that you want your video to be. Example – 30 second video = about 300-350 photos with objects being incrementally moved
60 second video = about 550 to 600 photos

Sam Animation Software created through project at Tufts University.
Can download demo version first and try out software before purchasing.
Works great with external webcam so that you can easily take pictures of stop-motion stage.
Student examples

Account types and pricing

XtraNormal Initially get preset amount of XtraNormal Points (XP) to purchase assets – characters, settings, etc.  Can buy more points.
1,200xp -$10
5,000xp – $25
15,000xp – $50
40,000xp – $100
80,000xp – $150
Publishing a video costs 100 XP but can preview it for free.
Assets remain with your account for re-use after purchased.
Click on the Education tab to create cookie settings to take your browser to the education version page every time that you go to XtraNormals site so that you don’t see all of the videos posted.
Or you can watch the video on XtraNormal’s website if you have the video cued up and ready to play.

Free software for Mac, PC, and Linux.
Can teach animation history and techniques
Easiest to use if you have an interactive whiteboard or a tablet to make drawing easier than trying to use mouse or trackpad.

Blabberize Short tutorial video
Student example

Other Ways To Create Animations
ActivBoard
Free version of software available from Promethean Planet
You will need to create a free account first in order to download software.
Use video recorder feature to move objects around on the page to create an “animated” video.
Final product will be a video of objects moving.
Student will not be visible in video – only the screen movement.

PowerPoint or Keynote
Software available for purchase from Microsoft or Apple
Create slide and duplicate.
Incrementally move objects.
Duplicate.
Repeat process until all slides are finished.
Set timing of slides to advance automatically and adjust timing to 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, or 1 second.
Experiment to find the best-looking time settings.

PC only software available for purchase.
Similar concept to Blabberize but much more sophisticated-looking product.