Using WeVideo with Chromebooks to Create Stop Motion Videos

The scene as seen in the camera app

Students had to use our Chromebooks to complete the stop motion project, which limited them to the built-in camera of the device for image capture. The need for each group to have a space for photography that wouldnt also capture the unrelated activity of a busy classroom became an immediate need. We developed two solutions: a vertical setup and a Chromebook stand.

The vertical setup is nice because you can setup a foam core backboard to create your scenes. It also works well if you are using vertical figures that are able to stand on their own. For example, there was a group of boys who created a soccer video and used printed images of a crowd of fans sitting in stadium seats as the backdrop.

We encountered a problem using the Chromebooks with this vertical setup when, lets say, we wanted to show the sun setting. We had to physically tack the sun to the background so it wouldnt fall and then move it a little bit and re-tack it again. We wanted to be able to set it on a horizontal surface and move it around. In order to do that, we needed to somehow mount our Chromebooks in a way that would allow us to use the camera app to photograph the paper on the desk. A group of boys and myself became engineers for a day while others worked on creating their characters and scenes. I got out some more foam core, and we went to work!

Here is the foam core stand in use.

The Chromebook stand we created allows the students to easily move objects around on a flat surface, while using the mouse to quickly capture the images without much movement. Because we are not machines and could not create the exact same angle on each stand, we numbered them so that the students could select the same one every day.

There is a piece of 10 x 18 construction paper underneath so that the students are aware of their camera area. Once this is setup and taped in place, its easy to move figures around within the construction paper boundaries.

It does seem to get a little top heavy, so the students solved that problem by stacking their books on the back of the stand. If you dont have a mouse, the front edge of the foam core is short enough to access the spacebar to take photos.

Top view

We started with a piece of 13.5 x 16.5 foam core.

Scored the top at 3 , 4 and 12.5 . We scored the bottom at 8 .

To secure the correct angles, we used stick pins and an extra piece of 3 x 8 foam core on the sides.

I also ran a line of epoxy down all of the seams.

The kids had a great time making their stop motion videos with WeVideo, and this Chromebook stand made it possible for us to photograph on a horizontal surface.

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