Link via NYTimes.com
Q. Are there any animation programs made specifically for children that run on the average Windows PC and do not cost hundreds of dollars?
A. You do not need the kinds of machines that Pixar Animation Studios uses to get started with computer animation. A number of programs can create three-dimensional and stop-motion animation. Some are made just for kids. But first, you may want to ask your child what type of animation he or she wants to create.
The Flip Boom program from Toon Boom (www.toonboom.com/kids) teaches young users the basics of animation, including the principles of timing and motion. It works on both Windows and Mac OS X systems and costs less than $40. A free trial version is also available to download, and the company makes animation software that is more sophisticated for older users as well.
Anim8or, a free 3-D animation program for Windows, can be found at www.anim8or.com/main/index.html. CrazyTalk, a $50 Windows program from Reallusion (www.reallusion.com/crazytalk) can create 3-D talking animation from digital photos.
You can find links to other animation programs, reviews and video tutorials at www.your3dsource.com. Shareware sites like Download.com also have various animation software to try.
If you have a recent version of Adobe Premiere Elements, you have the ability to do stop-motion animation. The video-editing program sells for $99 at stores and at www.adobe.com, where a free trial is available. The stop-motion feature allows young auteurs to make animated movies by, say, methodically repositioning Wall-E action figures and snapping each frame of the movie individually with a Webcam.
Flip Boom is available at an academic discount price of $38.
CrazyTalk 5 is available at an academic discount price of $36.
Premiere Elements 4 is available at an academic discount price of $63.
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