Stop Motion Studio is an app that makes turning images into video a fun and educational process for students.
Designed to be easy to use, and with the basics coming free, this is a useful tool to allow students to express ideas in video format. Since it is app-based it can be accessed on personal devices, both in class and elsewhere.
Teachers can also use Stop Motion Studio as a way to create engaging stop-motion videos that educate the class, from a science experiment guide to a math problem walkthrough. This makes it easy to turn images into videos.
This guide aims to explain all you need to know about Stop Motion Studio for teachers and students.
What is Stop Motion Studio?
Stop Motion Studio is an app, available for iOS and Android, which turns a collection of images and audio into videos. It is super simple to use and, as such, is ideal for younger students – with some assistance.
Since the app works on a smartphone, it's easy to use the camera to pull in fresh imagery, allowing for a huge amount of creativity for students to play with.
The app itself is a useful way to teach students how basic video editing works and to enhance their IT skills. But it's also a good way to let students submit projects in which they will take time and focus on telling the story creatively, thereby getting a deeper learning about whatever it is they're working on.
While this is very easy to get started using right away, there are more complex features that allow those who enjoy it to further their video editing skills and express themselves even more creatively.
That all applies to teachers too, who can benefit from using this as a way to set work or give examples of projects that students can learn from, while enjoying it at the same time. Want to set a science experiment in which Lego characters explain it all? That's possible with Stop Motion Studio.
How does Stop Motion Studio work?
Stop Motion Studio is an app that can be downloaded free on iOS or Android devices, for both tablets and smartphones. As long as your device has a camera and a microphone, you're going to be able to take advantage of this tool.
Once installed, you can start creating a project right away – you don't even need to sign up. Or watch an already created video as a good example of what is possible.
Stop Motion Studio uses simple interface controls to get students making videos right away. Hit the big plus icon and you're taken right into the capture and editing window. This uses the device's camera, allowing you to fix the camera and tap the shutter icon to take a shot, before moving the object and snapping again.
Once finished you can tap the play icon right away and the video will quickly process and begin playing back. You can then be taken into the editing window in which it's possible to add audio, cut sections, add effects, and more.
Once done, you can export and share the video file to be viewed on other devices. This is ideal for students submitting projects to the teacher, which can then be done via email or the school's LMS submission portal of choice.
What are the best Stop Motion Studio features?
Stop Motion Studio has some great features but it's worth mentioning right now that most require payment. The free version will let you make a basic video and add audio, but there's little else you can do beyond that.
This could be enough for most tasks as editing is possible and the end result can still look great if you get creative with the real-world object manipulation that you're capturing.
Stop Motion Studio paid version gets you a whole host of backgrounds that can instantly transform the subjects being captured. Import images, pull in sound effects, and add movie effects, all with the premium version.
You have the option to draw onto images, allowing you to add in virtual characters and effects that might not be possible in the simple snap-to-capture setup. There's even the option to use a green screen in the real world, which lets you then place characters into a virtual environment in the editing stage. You can even paint over the video frame by frame for a rotoscoping effect finish.
Themes are a nice touch that let you add in titles, credits, and more to give the end movie a personal touch. The higher quality video options, such as 4K, are also available in the paid version.
Remote cameras can also be used in the premium version so more than one camera angle, or a better quality camera, can be utilized. This works via a WiFi connection, allowing for greater range and ease of use.
How much does Stop Motion Studio cost?
Stop Motion Studio is free to download and use in its most basic form. This is fine for creating stop-motion films, with audio in high definition.
For all the extra features mentioned above, you'll need to go for the paid version, which can be upgraded in the app anytime. This is a one-time payment that gets you access to all the features forever. This is charged at $4.99 and works on iOS, Android, Chromebook, Mac, Windows, and Amazon Fire. But you will be buying it for one device, or paying multiple times for versions that work on different platforms.
Stop Motion Studio best tips and tricks
Build projects
Have students present a project, be it a science experiment, history report, or math problem, using stop motion. Let them get creative but set limits on time, locations and characters to make sure it's not overwhelmingly freeing.
Set a task
Use a set of characters, such as Lego, to build a video that guides students on how to work a task. Use this year after year, making it worth the effort for a fun and engaging guide video that can be referred to multiple times by students as they work.
Team up
Work on a group or class project with students controlling various characters while a few students take care of the video and editing part. Work as a team, with varying roles, to build a final result. A Christmas video for parents with a difference perhaps?
