Help my nephew get even more 'animated'
November 7, 2010 8:23 AM Subscribe
Are there any good animation-making websites for an 8 year old? He's got lots of characters drawn up, and we'd love to scan them and have them move and talk and such. Any suggestions?
My nephew is really interested in animation. I studied it a bit in college, and he's begging me to get a movie going with him. The techniques I learned (Flash, rotoscoping, After Effects) are still beyond him, so I was hoping to find some website that can allow us to upload his drawings, and apply some basic animations.
I'm sure he has fantasies of creating his own Avatar/Ben-10 mashup of the same quality, but I'll be happy to help him get started on something slightly more modest. I know there are a lot of DIY animation sites, but the key things I'm hoping for experiences and recommendations for are:
(1) Uploading your own characters
(2) Easy enough for an 8 year old to use (the less text, the better)
If I'm thinking along the wrong route and you have alternative suggestions, please lay 'em on me!
My nephew is really interested in animation. I studied it a bit in college, and he's begging me to get a movie going with him. The techniques I learned (Flash, rotoscoping, After Effects) are still beyond him, so I was hoping to find some website that can allow us to upload his drawings, and apply some basic animations.
I'm sure he has fantasies of creating his own Avatar/Ben-10 mashup of the same quality, but I'll be happy to help him get started on something slightly more modest. I know there are a lot of DIY animation sites, but the key things I'm hoping for experiences and recommendations for are:
(1) Uploading your own characters
(2) Easy enough for an 8 year old to use (the less text, the better)
If I'm thinking along the wrong route and you have alternative suggestions, please lay 'em on me!
Toon Boom makes lots of different kinds of animation software, including a suite of products for kids. If you can't find a web site that meets your needs, then check these out.
posted by teedee2000 at 8:51 AM on November 7, 2010
posted by teedee2000 at 8:51 AM on November 7, 2010
Does your nephew have a Nintendo DSi? There's a free animation software called Flipnote Studio for that that's actually pretty awesome. And since you're using a stylus right on the screen that might be easier to start with.
posted by Caravantea at 11:45 AM on November 7, 2010
posted by Caravantea at 11:45 AM on November 7, 2010
Also came here to recommend Scratch. My 9 and 11 year old love it as do I!
posted by coevals at 1:58 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by coevals at 1:58 PM on November 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
"Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web."
It's kid-friendly, but a helpful aunt/uncle would be a bonus in the learning stage.
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:41 AM on November 7, 2010