The Teachers' Animation Toolkit

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The Teachers’ Animation Toolkit
SETTING UP AN ANIMATION ROSTRUM
You will need the following:
A digital camcorder
Choose a tripod which is stable. Ideally pick one with a fl uid head, 
as this will be useful for live action fi lm making as well. They cost 
from £30 to £200 for basic models.
These cost from £125 to £3000 depending on quality. (See 5.1 for 
further details.) We recommend a mini DV camcorder with DVin/
out via fi rewire. Choose a 3CCD model for superior image quality, if 
budget allows.
A robust tripod

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It is best to choose a set of closed ear-style headphones, which help 
to exclude ambient sound, letting you focus on the actual recorded 
signal (price approx. £30–£100). The headset shown includes 
a microphone, which is handy for basic soundtrack recording. 
However, for more advanced sound work we strongly recommend 
using a separate microphone. (See 5.2 for details.)
A desktop computer or laptop
Headphones
Laptops are preferable to desktop computers for two reasons. 
First, as they are portable they can be easily moved to a temporary 
rostrum setting. Secondly, they can be used independently of a 
school network, which avoids potential problems relating to data 
transfer speeds and software networking.

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The Teachers’ Animation Toolkit
The example shows a close-up of the sockets you are likely to need: 
Left to right: microphone, headphone, 4 pin fi rewire port and two 
USB sockets.
A 5-metre fi rewire cable
You will need a 5-metre fi rewire cable, so that the camera can be 
set up a safe distance from the table or drawing board containing 
the animation set. The length also allows the cable to be taped out 
of the way of moving animators.
There are two standards: a 4 pin and a 6 pin. PC laptops and 
camcorders favour the 4 pin socket. Apple computers and laptops 
use the 6 pin version. Sometimes, you will need to buy 4 pin to 6 pin 
cables.
Note that some camcorders do not support fi rewire (see 5.1 for 
alternative cable requirements).

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A colour version of this image 
can be found on the companion website
Ideally, each rostrum should be lit by a studio quality light 
on a sturdy stand. The one shown burns cool, so is safe for 
the classroom. You can buy a three or one bulb version from 
Backdropsource for around £40–£70.
http://www.backdropsource.co.uk/Productinfo.
asp?id=1143&pname=90-watt-ultra-cool-light-with-stand