Developed by students at the University of Michigan, the Scribble is a digital animation pad with a built in camera, allowing for stop motion capabilities. Can’t wait for something like this (or an iPad ap) to become available for purchase. How cool would this be in an art therapy session!
Autistic Kids with Cameras
A new film, Autistic Kids with Cameras by Alex Rotaru will be available in the near future for purchase. View the trailer below.
The Big Snit
Oh, how I love the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). My first exposure to their animated shorts occurred while watching the CBC after school, when NFB cartoons popped up during commercial breaks. Later, once I entered CEGEP (in between high school and university in Quebec), I took an animation class and was exposed to some of the classics.
Here is one of my favorite NFB animations, called the Big Snit by Richard Conde. It always reminds me that even if the world is ending, maintaining relationships with your loved ones is what counts. Enjoy!
Podcast
In the most recent episode of the Creative Therapy Sessions Podcast, available on Itunes, Melissa Solorzano speaks with Brian Austin, MPS. Brian is the founder of The Animation Project, where he integrates animation with art therapy for adolescents. Brian also on the editorial review board for Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association.
I’m excited to hear about the new directions art therapy is taking in relation to technology. This is a subject I’m interested in since there isn’t a substantial amount of literature correlating modern technology and art therapy with the older literature which discusses the therapeutic value and theory of more traditional media, including painting, drawing, sculpture and collage.
The interview with Brian focused upon ways to create computer animated pieces, which may not be practical in all institutions considering the cost of a computer and the software. Certainly, if you work for a non-profit you may qualify to grants or donations, and computers are much cheaper than they used to be. However, lets not forget that there are inexpensive ways of animating without a computer…flip books! The upside to flip books are that they require minimal materials and once they are made are so much fun to look at over and over. It also may spark an interest in learning other animation techniques including those that require computer knowledge. However, I think part of what makes integrating computer animation with art therapy particularly interesting to adolescents is the fact that it’s very much in tune with the times and their interests. Also, you’re teaching them a skill that, with further education, may even turn into a career.
In any case, I think flip book making could be a great intro into the world of animation, and may be more feasible for art therapists to integrate into their practices. Here’s a video series that demonstrates how to create a flip book.
Kid Koala
Although its several years old, I still love this video.
Basin Street Blues: