Next up is Flip Boom All Star ($69.99), recommended for third through eighth graders and beginning animators at the high school level. In addition, the onion-layer tool enables users to see several frames at once and makes it easy for beginners to edit the next sequence of movements. The storyboard at the bottom of the screen presents the scene’s previous characters, props, and background. The software is designed specifically for K–8 users and can stimulate kids’ imaginations while developing their motor and reasoning skills. Flip Boom Cartoon ($39.99) simplifies basic animation processes by providing the drawing tools, clip art, and sound effects that are needed to create short films in a matter of just minutes. Toon Boom’s Flip Boom products simplify the animation process and are a great way to introduce young artists to the cartoon world of stop-motion animation. But both students had a little difficulty figuring out how to use the face-fitting and proportion features. Miranda most enjoyed creating characters, giving them voices and movement, and getting inanimate objects to dance, float, stroll, jump, talk, and even blink. Our two student testers loved these products. Static images are transformed into dynamic characters with full-body motion. With CrazyTalk Animator Standard ($49.95), students can dive into the total animation experience and control actors, props, scenes, lighting, and cameras. The software also lets users record their own voices, use the text-to-speech function, or pick from a selection of preset phrases. We couldn’t resist importing, animating, and giving voices to the images of our colleagues and historical figures. Using auto lip-sync, you can add moods and facial expressions to your drawings, photographs, and demo heads, transforming ordinary images into characters that can be used in independent videos or integrated into other multimedia projects. Both companies feature products that teach the basics about how the animation process works and expand on other valuable skills for both beginners and pros.ĬrazyTalk 6 ($49.95) can make faces talk, and it’s a perfect program for introducing students to the great world of animation. In fact, we think CrazyTalk and Toon Boom belong in every animator’s studio. Reallusion’s CrazyTalk series and many of Toon Boom products are designed to help aspiring animators produce professional-looking films without becoming seriously frustrated. We know how scary it can be to jump headfirst into a new endeavor, so to help you get started, we asked Valenza and Stern to introduce their favorite animation tools, many of which are free or inexpensive.- SLJ staff That’s because animation software developers like Reallusion (a big name in 3-D movies) and Toon Boom (a Canadian company whose clients include Disney) have started to create products for average Joes, rather than strictly for animation pros. “And it’s now more possible than ever to teach animation in schools.” “We would argue that animation is a literacy,” she says. It can even lead to more empathy, an essential skill in today’s increasingly complex world. Working with animation, says Valenza, can also enhance kids’ understanding of technology, engineering, and geometrical and spatial relations. And it’s not just about helping students sharpen their scripting, editing, and storytelling skills. “Animation can fuel a child’s imaginative explorations,” says Valenza. These kid-created animated movies, and others like them, are perfect for spicing up a lesson, a website, or even those often monotonous morning announcements. Lee) a funny, instructive 42-second flick about what not to do for your prom (hint: never depend on a friend to line up your date) and a snippet in which the school’s mascot, a Spartan, boogies and levitates above the library’s circulation desk. And that’s bound to make learning a lot more interesting-and much more creative.Īt Springfield Township High School, in Erdenheim, PA, teacher librarian Joyce Valenza and her former teaching assistant Jennifer Stern use tools like CrazyTalk and Blabberize to help kids create their own short animated films, including a tour of Civil War Gettysburg (complete with walking-talking images of generals Ulysses S. In fact, it’s now a snap for young storytellers to learn the ABC’s of animation. Thanks to a slew of new, easy-to-use animation tools, you don’t have to work at Pixar or DreamWorks to create a summer blockbuster. Thanks to some new, easy-to-use tools, kids of almost any age can create their own animated films By Jennifer Stern and Joyce Kasman Valenza
0 Comments
The free VPN from iTop is not like the other free VPNs in the market. And there are 3 different tiers for the paid version. You’ll understand exactly what I’m talking about when you know about ExpressVPN.Īt the time of writing, iTop VPN review is available in both free and paid versions. Expensive: While the cost for this VPN seems very reasonable, it’s not.The iTop VPN review lacks a lot of them including OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, and PPTP. Limited Protocols: You might not know this but a good VPN must have a few protocols to regulate the online traffic most efficiently.Torrenting is one of the main things I use a VPN for. No Torrent Support: One of the biggest ones in my opinion.So, it’s obvious that I found some drawbacks during my iTop VPN review. No VPN software in the world is foolproof. Try ExpressVPN Now Shortcomings of iTopVPN Review Unlike other free VPNs, iTop claims to have a very strict no-logging policy and superior security.Īlong with a VPN, iTop also offers a data protector, a private browser, and a few other components. Is iTop VPN safe to use? Well, it’s currently available as both free and paid versions. The term stands for “ Virtual Private Network” and it creates a safe tunnel for data coming in and leaving your network. But before that, you need to know what a VPN is. In my iTopVPN review, I’m going to explain what features you can expect to find from this niche software provider. It makes sense because the parent company, Orange View Limited is based in China. You may not have heard of this VPN before because it’s usually not a name that comes to mind when you think of VPNs. Is iTop VPN Safe? Let’s Understand the Features.Is iTop VPN Good for the Following Services?. |