GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine
GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the creators of the girl-empowering Goldieblox engineering toys have created GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine app as a tie-in to the toy of the same name, which retails for $30. The toy isn't necessary to enjoy the app, though (and vice versa). Kids can learn about stop-motion movies, see a few short examples, and learn step-by-step how to make their own, adapting projects that have already been started for them or starting one from scratch. Creations can't be shared, but they can be watched in-app or printed and played on the movie-making toy. Though this is a toy tie-in, the toy isn't marketed or even really mentioned beyond stating the option of printing the frames to view on "your own movie-making machine."What kids can learn
The sample movies are a delight to watch and will inspire kids to create their own. Though making movies is easy with the tools provided, the process requires enough effort and focus that kids will truly be proud of what they've created.
The diverse group of friends in the backstory will inspire all kids to be creative problem-solvers. With the tools available, kids are empowered to create whatever stop-motion fun they can dream up.
Several tutorial-style movies are included to help kids get started, as are some more sophisticated short movies that serve as inspiration. Movies are saved in-app.
What's it about?
Tutorials and sample videos in-app show kids how to create stop-motion movies they can create frame by frame. They then can view the short films within the app, or print their images to play in the zoetrope that's sold as a toy tie-in. Kids can choose from three brush types, several colors, and several stamps to create their drawings. They then move to the next frame with a shadow image of the previous frame so they can see how the moves will progress. A copy function lets them easily duplicate backgrounds or non-moving images. Twelve frames come together to make a one-second movie. Movies are saved in-app and can be continued or edited.
Is it any good?
GOLDIEBLOX AND THE MOVIE MACHINE engages kids right off the bat with a movie that sets the story. Goldie and her friends need to make lots of short stop-motion movies to save the Bloxtown Film Festival. With plenty of example movies and tutorials, kids will quickly pick up on the stop-motion concept and be making their own movies in no time. They have several tools to choose from as they create their art, and the movies are designed to be long enough to entertain but short enough to minimize frustration. Happily, the actual toy isn't even necessary to enjoy this impressive, free app that both girls and boys will love.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about favorite movies that are made using stop-motion animation (Wallace & Gromit: World of Invention, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and James and the Giant Peach are a few examples) and the time and work involved with creating a full-length movie.
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Even without buying the moviemaking toys, families can investigate the engineering behind it, looking at pictures of old film projectors and talking about the lights and rotating picture-by-picture strips.
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Find a flipbook or make one yourself to show kids a bit of "old-school" stop-motion animation.
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | Free |
| Pricing structure: | Free |
| Release date: | October 17, 2014 |
| Category: | Education |
| Topics: | Arts and dance, Friendship, Great girl role models |
| Size: | 114.00 MB |
| Publisher: | GoldieBlox |
| Version: | 1.0.1 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 7.0 or later |
