How to Create a Stop Motion Animation Video Using a USB Webcam and AnimatorDV

Any film you see is produced by showing a series of images in quick succession. The UK PAL video format shows around 25 images to the eyes every second. In order for you to create your own stop-motion animation video, you'll need to create an awful lot of images. This can be a tedious process, but software like AnimatorDV makes it a lot easier.

Download the AnimatorDV software, just type it into a search engine. The installation process is very easy, just go with the default settings. Before you start the program, plug in the camera you intend to capture the video with, wait until the computer recognises it and then start the software. If you're running the software on an older computer, you might want to restart the computer first and run the software on its own (it's quite CPU and RAM intensive).

Once you start the program, you'll need to specify the directory the program should use to store the images you capture. When you have configured this and your camera settings, the main program window will load and display the live feed from your camera.

To produce your motion capture, as I'm sure you know, you'll need to capture thousands of individual images, then string them together in a video to produce a film at the end. To start the process, click the red 'GRAB' button. If you have just started the program, you'll need to create a new sequence for your animation, a window will pop-up to inform you of this. Click yes to create the sequence. You will now be free to go through the tedious process of capturing all the images for your first stop-motion animation. Click grab each time you want to take a new image, moving your subject a little time after each click.
Once you have captured all your images, you'll want to export them to a video file that you can share. To do this, select 'Sequences' from the menu bar at the top of the screen. Then click 'Make Avi...' from the drop-down list. Select a location, click OK and your video will be created!

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Watch Bleach Anime Videos Online

Being a die-hard fan of the popular Bleach anime myself, I have explored a variety of websites and came across various interesting ways of watching Bleach anime videos. Finding a streaming website isn't really a difficult issue, however, to find a website that provides you a variety of information on your favourite anime would definitely be worth your attention.

The fascinating part about Bleach anime is its enormous cast of characters. Bleach characters consist of the Captains of Soul Society, the current foes of Espada to the oncoming ranks of Vizard. The variety of weapons which every character possesses, termed as Zanpakuto, contains a unique feature to its own, and these special features create a sense of mystery to the new oncoming bleach characters that will possess new Zanpakuto.

Apart from watching the latest Bleach episodes, a true anime fan looks into other aspects such as the soundtracks, movies, histories and even studies the creator of the anime. First and foremost, let us look into the Bleach soundtrack or OST. While enjoying the visual effects of the anime, enchanting music and sound effects are always utilized to support the high action movements. This music triggers your emotion and evokes the burning desire within you which enhances the show to be immensely exciting.

The reason why we are able to enjoy Bleach anime today is due to the effort and perseverance of the creator Noriaki Kubo, also known as Tite Kubo. Long ago, Bleach was initially rejected by Weekly Shonen Jump for publication as it resembles Yu Yu Hakush in many aspects. Therefore, only a controlled group of readers are given the opportunity to read. In addition, the chances of an official publication were very slim.

The rejection has very much discouraged Tite Kubo. However, Akira Toriyama, the creator of the mega hit Dragonball series, has inspired him to persevere. In 2001, Bleach was published in Weekly Shonen Jump, achieving more then 300 chapters, plus an anime adaptation begun broadcasting in Japan in 2004. Bleach manga was named a winner of the Shogakukan Manga Award for its category in 2005. In 2006, the very first Bleach movie was broadcasted in Japan, following a second movie in the last quarter of 2007. Bleach has succeeded in becoming a mega hit in both the manga and anime world today.

Now, I would like to recommend the best Bleach anime site which combines all these key components, allowing all Bleach fans to enjoy watching Bleach episodes and acquiring useful information at the same time. Remember, the Ultimate Bleach Site understands Ultimate Bleach Fans by providing Ultimate Bleach Information.

Discover the Ultimate Bleach Anime [http://www.bleachanimeguide.com] Site that provides you with wealth of information such as episodes, latest characters, Soundtracks and many other interesting news about Bleach. Watch Bleach Anime Videos [http://www.bleachanimeguide.com] today; it will definitely rock your world!

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Animated intranet launch videos to excite and delight

Using video to promote the launch or relaunch of a new intranet is a great way to gain exposure and engage employees.

We have seen some great videos over the past 12 months and have been extremely impressed with the design and messaging that has been used to ensure our customers and others have launched their intranet with a bang!

If you are looking for some inspiration for your own intranet launch video then here are some of the best videos that have worked towards ensuring high adoption levels and employee excitement towards their company intranet.

Cross Country intranet – Connect

CrossCountry had the mission “To be recognised for delivering great service on great journeys across Great Britain” and to do this they need to engage their employees and make everyone feel counted. Their new intranet was essential to this and in order to spread the message they created this great video to tell employees how Connect could benefit them.

Royal Canin Intranet 

Teaser for the intranet of pet food company Royal Canin. This animation discusses the usual problems of working in a large multinational company, and the solution: an intranet!

Staffordshire Housing Group – CAKE

Staffordshire Housing produced this film to engage staff in the launch of their intranet, CAKE.

Mark Brookes and Sandra Barber worked with creative agency Jammy Custard to promote the launch of their intranet CAKE and to engage new joiners in the future.  A fun, informative and short film that neatly introduces what CAKE is all about.

Coca Cola Enterprises Intranet – iConnect
Coca Cola Enterprises have an award winning intranet that is essential to how employees communicate, collaborate and transact in their business. Their video was key to their launch, showing how CCE communicates internally with employees through their intranet site.

UniCredit Group Intranet

The new UniCredit Intranet has improved the daily online experience of the Group’s employees, with an increase of more than 50% in the use of the intranet. Here is their animated teaser video they used to introduce their new intranet to employees:

Lambeth Living Intranet – Living Space

Lambeth Living was transitioning from an unloved, complicated, visually unappealing SharePoint system in a time of grass-roots change in the business.  The new Interact intranet is part of a wider focus on employee communication, improving service to customers and better document and information management so they launched this video to engage employees and help with the change process.

Here are our top tips for creating your own intranet promotional video:

1. Have a clear ideaof what you want to achieve. Like anything, if you don’t properly prepare and think about what you are trying to achieve then you are unlikely to get anywhere. Creating successful animated content needs you to first think about:

    Why do we need this video? What do we want to achieve with it?
    Who will watch this video? Why should they be interested?
    What do I want employees to do after watching the video? How should they feel?
    How will we use this video? How will it be delivered or presented to employees?

Thinking about these questions and having the answers ready is a first but very important step in your preparation.

2. Write your script with the end user in mind. You will no doubt be incredibly enthusiastic and excited by the launch of your intranet and all its new features, however it is unlikely your audience / colleagues feel the same way. Write the script based on how the intranet is going to help them and transform the way they work. Be clear with how you want them to use the intranet and why they should embrace this change that may seem unfamiliar and even unnecessary to them at first. Keep their needs in mind and you will easily win them over!

3. Use a video provider you trustto do a good job. It can be expensive to get an animated video so you need to know that who you work with can do a good job. Ask other intranet managers who they have used – LinkedIn is great for making these connections! Also see examples of their work and ask them how they see the story / animation developing. If you get an agency you trust then the great content you produce can be turned into a visual delight that engages and excites your employees from day one.

4. Set realistic timeframesto create your animation. We all hope for a smooth process and the best outcomes but the reality is things don’t always work out that way. Make sure you give yourself a reasonable timeframe to write your script, agree design briefs, sign off first, second and even third drafts and get all stakeholders prepared for reviewing the final version so there is minimal delay to getting it live.

5. Have a plan for promotingyour amazing new video. There is no point spending time and money creating a great video but then know one sees it. Think how you will best raise awareness of it. For example add it to your new intranet’s homepage, add in email campaign, have it playing in communal work areas, play at Town Hall meetings, publish on your old intranet if you are transitioning from one to another – you will know what is possible for your company!

Good luck with you intranet launch video and feel free to contact us should you want to discuss your intranet project further.

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Animated Movies Director: Job Outlook & Career Info

Learn about a career as an animated movie director. Read the job description, duties, education requirements, salary and employment outlook to decide if this is the right career for you.

Job Description

An animated movie director collaborates with designers, cinematographers, editors, musicians and animators, in addition to directing the voice actors who make the film come to life. While an animated movie director may not contribute to the animation of the film, they are typically skilled animators themselves, experience that is needed to coordinate several teams of animators and produce a cohesive animated feature. Animated movie directors are also responsible for completing a production on time and within budget. Common duties include choosing scripts and overseeing rewrites, auditioning and hiring voice actors and crewmembers, and creating an overall vision for the production. During filming, animated movie directors ensure that the camera work, lighting, sound and acting adhere to this vision.

Animated movie directors typically work very long hours, including weekends and holidays. They may spend extended periods of time on location where the film is shot. Due to the short-term nature of the work, many animated movie directors have periods of unemployment while searching for their next projects. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that in 2010, roughly 29% of producers and directors, including animated movie directors, were self employed.

Educational Requirements

While there are no formal training programs for film directors, most directors earn bachelor's degrees in areas such as acting, writing and communication. Animated movie directors may also pursue programs in art, animation or computer graphics to learn the fundamentals of animated filmmaking. Modern animation techniques rely heavily on computer-generated imaging, or CGI, so it's important to be familiar with current technologies. Training in the fundamentals of art history and visual art is equally important.

Required Skills

The BLS reported that animated movie directors typically must have the following qualities:

• Passion for the art of animation
• Leadership qualities, since directors must inspire and manage a large number of artists and technicians
• Creative thinking skills
• Ability to tell a compelling story
• Technologically minded personality
• Ability to handle high levels of stress and career instability
• Employment and Salary Outlook

Earnings for movie directors depend on many factors, including the box office success of their films, but the BLS estimated that the median annual salary for producers and directors, including animated movie directors, was $71,350 in 2012. Employment in the field was expected to grow 11% from 2010-2020, about as quickly as the national average for all occupations.

In the most famous animation studios, the job market is more competitive, and those just beginning their career may find it difficult to break into. Small or independent studios provide better entry-level opportunities. Overall, candidates with industry experience, such as directors' assistants, actors, writers and film editors, should have the best prospects.

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