In 2000 Lego launched the "Lego Studios Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set". The 433 piece set brought new technology to toyland: beyond including a computer connected video camera, a rarity in at the dawn of the new century, it also came with figures and backgrounds to help kids get started making videos.
Jump ahead nearly two decades and many kids have a video camera in their cell phone and boatloads of legos. What they need to create stop-motion videos is nothing more than a bit of inspiration and instruction.
Enter the Lego Make Your Own Movie Book ($17.99). It doesn't come with a camera, because you already have one, and it only comes with a handful of Lego elements, because it figures you probably have quite a few of those, too.
Instead, you get instructions on how to make movies. Illustrated in full color and with lots of step-by-step photos, the book can get kids up to speed with the process of making videos. The book covers the basics, but goes beyond, talking about different kinds of shots, the way angles affect the scene, even how to share your movie online.
Consider that the cost is now down to one-tenth the price of the Spielberg set, and you see this is a product that can reach a much broader audience!
Interestingly, what it does not cover is what software to use. Understandably, unlike the 2000 set, it does not include an app because there are so many of them. However, the book should have included a discussion of the programs available, and even made some recommendations. Instead, you'll have to look at on-line reviews.
In addition to the book's info, it also has a number of paper backgrounds that can be used to set the scene of your movies.
