smoovie
Latest
Smoovie for iPad: A stop-motion app for kids (and adults young at heart)
I recently spent some time with Smoovie for Mac, a kid-friendly, stop-motion video app. I really loved it, but I thought I'd check out the iPad version, too. I had a sneaky suspicion Smoovie and the iPad were a match made in heaven, and I think I was right! Smoovie for iPad is just as easy to use as the Mac version, if not easier. Because of the iPad's built-in camera and portability, it's so mush simpler to make a stop-motion video around the house or even outside -- get down on the floor or right up to the dog's nose. And of course, the iPad's touch screen makes Smoovie that much more intuitive to operate. There's just something fantastic about not having to worry about transferring photos, cables or being limited to one space with Smoovie on the iPad. It's an all-in-one package. And for kids (and adults), that just makes it all the more inspiring and fun to use. Of course, using Smoovie on the Mac does have its benefits, too. For one, you're not tied to the limits of the iPad's camera or storage. But ultimately, Smoovie is about having fun, not creating a Hollywoord blockbuster. Smoovie for iPad costs US$4.99 and is available from the iOS App Store now.
Smoovie for Mac: A kid-friendly stop-motion video app
Smoovie is Open Planet Software's kid-friendly, stop-motion video app for Mac. It's a simple app that lets you -- or your kids -- capture photo stills, either from your photo library, your Mac's built-in camera or an external camera, and compile them into a straightforward stop-motion video. Smoovie is designed to be extremely easy to use. Open the app and create a new Smoovie. Title your Smoovie and choose whether you'd like to use your Mac's built-in camera (or an external one), or import photos from your photo library or another folder on your Mac. Choosing the camera option will present you with a large preview window with a fun, Smoovie negative film background. From there, simply start taking photos by clicking on the large red camera button underneath the preview window. Each photo you take will appear to the left of the preview window -- a basic timeline. Similarly, if you've taken a bunch of photos already, import them and Smoovie will compile them into a video ready to play. Easily adjust the order of the photos by simply moving them into place. Of course, Smoovie also lets you add photos from your library to existing Smoovie videos, too. And that's it. You're on your way to creating a stop-motion video! Smoovie has a few additional features to help make making your video even easier. First, when taking photos from a camera, the Onion Skinning Opacity shows you what your last still was with a preview of your new still overlaid in the preview window. This helps you get your next shot exactly where you want it to be in comparison to your last one, making your movie a coherent and smooth one! Additionally, create, split and merge scenes to to order your Smoovie the way you want it. When you're all done, Smoovie makes it easy to export your video to YouTube, Vimeo, iTunes or as a movie file. Because Smoovie is super-simple to use, it doesn't have slightly more advanced features like titles, filters, transitions, etc. So exporting as a movie and importing to an app like iMovie might be a good idea, just in case you really want to polish your new video before you share it with the world. Smoovie is available from the Mac App Store now for US$29.99, but you can check out the free trial from the Smoovie website.
