T-Rex at school without a green screen!

I have previously blogged about inspiring writing by having dinosaurs at school here using the very simple and straightforward app Jurassic Paint.  Part of the reason I liked the app was that you don't need a green screen to have children and dinosaurs in the shot at the same time.  However, Jurassic Paint only allows you to place images of dinosaurs on photos.  Which is why I am writing about Efexio.

With Efexio you can add a moving T-Rex to a photo OR a video.  This means your children can film themselves running around the playground or the field and then add in the dinosaur to create a really professional looking scene, without using a green screen or any additional apps. This makes the process much more straight forward and a lot quicker, which gives you more time to concentrate on writing.  

The app has lots of extra content which you can purchase as the free options are fairly limited.  For me, the T-Rex is easily the best free effect you can use (there are also skeletons, fire and smoke)  The T-Rex alone makes the app worth downloading.  

What makes this app work so well is the editor, which allows you to change the position and orientation of the T-Rex as well as its shadow.  These options are easy to play with and really add to the authenticity of the scene, as you can finetune it so that it appears much more realistic. 

You can also preview your video as you edit it which means the children can instantly see what the finished product will look like. 

You can just add a photo as a backdrop but for me, a video is far more interactive in that your children can pretend they are running away from the dinosaur, which is much more fun!  

Please let me know if you decide to use this app to inspire writing with your class; it would be great to see any videos you make too! 

Thanks, 

Tom

@teach_fresh