Tech Camp

This past week Tyler attended a tech camp. Several months ago I started looking online for camp options for Tyler. We tried Camp Invention a couple years. Tyler liked it, but he's outgrown it. Last year he went to Cub Scout camp. I don't think he disliked it, but he didn't enjoy it enough to want to go back. I feel really lucky to have stumbled across the organization offering these tech camps. I'd never heard of them, so I kept my fingers crossed and hoped it would be as good as it sounded. It was, and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again!

They offered several different camp options for kids ages 7-13 - video game programming, SCRATCH programming, stop-motion animation, Lego Robotics, etc. I initially looked into it because I thought Tyler would be interested in the video game programming camp. Instead he wanted to try the stop-motion animation camp. They offer 1/2 day sessions where you attend one camp, or full day sessions where you pick two or three camps. Tyler went to the 1/2 day session because the full day ones were a little out of our price range this year!

He really enjoyed the camp and would like to try one of the other camps next year. For his class, they used Stop Motion Pro, which is the same animation software used to make the recent Pirates movie (by the creators of Wallace & Grommit). Each day they learned a little about the software and then had a project to work on. Stop motion animation is a tedious process, and I'm kind of surprised Tyler enjoyed it. One day he was about half way through his movie when he accidentally bumped part of his set and everything fell apart. He had to start over, so that was a little frustrating. He said his videos contain 15 frames per second, so a 7 second video is made up of 105 pictures he had to set up and take individually! Kind of helps you understand why his videos are so incredibly short! He said the professionals use 30 frames per second. Can you imagine how long it must take to make a 90 minute movie?!

Tyler's movies are very short, and I kind of wish he hadn't learned how to draw in explosions, but they're not my videos! They were given a baggie of Lego minifigs and had to use what they were given, so the 3rd movie (when they were learning how to add backgrounds and everyone used the moon background) contains a "space mermaid". She is being attacked by a space ant who is firing discs at her. In the last video, the person drinking explodes, and then the chest explodes when it's opened. (The movies are over so quickly; I felt the need to narrate a little!) I'm really glad he enjoyed his week!