NFB Launches ‘StopMo Studio’ iPad App
The National Film Board of Canada has launched its latest iPad app, StopMo Studio. Expanding and improving on their 2011 Pix Stop app, this latest incarnation incorporates an intuitive workspace, over twenty functionalities and improved options for importing visuals, frame overlay, digital drawing, timelapse, video editing, sound design and sharing finished work over social media.
One of the most significant concerns of stop-motion animators as far as creating auteur work or even staying practiced has been the lack of access to (or budget for) the technology and resources the medium requires. The rise of stop-motion apps for tablets and mobile devices has made tremendous strides in undoing this obstacle, and with the ease of use StopMo Studio provides there’s no excuse for talented filmmakers to leave their ideas unrealised.
Brush options for digital drawing in StopMo Studio
Working alongside the highly-accoladed stop-motion director Patrick Bouchard, StopMo Studio was designed by Mivil Deschênes and Jean-Sébastien Beaulieu. Consulting with the acclaimed filmmaker proved beneficial in the redesign of the new app from its original setup.
While keeping in mind The emphasis on simpliciTy and storytelling, Patrick Bouchard helped us make the application more sophisticated.
-Mivil Deschênes
To showcase the possibilities of what can be achieved with StopMo Studio, Bouchard created a new film exclusively with the app:
For over fifty years the NFB has maintained a proud tradition of exceptional stop-motion filmmaking, with practitioners such as Co Hoedeman (The Sand Castle), Patrick Bouchard (The Brainwashers, Bydlo), Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski (Madame Tutli-Putli) and most notably the pioneering work of Norman McLaren (Neighbours, A Chairy Tale).
The NFB’s StopMo Studio is available for the iPad 2, optimized for iOS7. For a limited time, people can buy it at the special launch price of just $0.99.
To find out more about the National Film Board of Canada or to download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV visit NFB.ca