Who says making an animation is difficult? Use our free software and setup your own studio to make stop motion animations of all kids. With the Beautiful Motion software, it literally takes only seconds to capture images via webcam, save them to your computer, and compile a Quicktime movie of your animation.

If you do decide to use the software, all we ask is that you email us and let us know what you think and how you are using the software. We'd appreciate that! Download Window Version in Zip Archived Format Download Mac Version (coming soon...email us to get on the list to receive it)

Sample Animations:
View Selected Animations from Siggraph Studio 2006 and 2007

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. How much does the software cost?
A. The software is free! We do this work out of a love for animation and to know that kids will get excited about making animations.

Q. What type of cameras do I need?
A. Most any USB webcam will work fine. If your computer is compatible with the camera, then the program will read the webcam imagery fine. For MAC versions, USB or Firewire cameras are supported. We've had great success with Logitech and Microsoft webcams.

Q. What type of files does the program export?
A. The program exported finished QuickTime movies and also saves individual sequential photos that can be brought into advanced editing/compositing programs.

Q. How long does it take to make an animation?
A. Seconds. Literally. Once your camera is setup, run the program, and capture your first few frames in a matter of seconds.

Q. Can I work on animations over a long period of time?
A. Yes. You can save your project and then reload it at anytime to continue work over long periods of time.

Q. Do we have any examples?
A. Yes. However, we haven't made them public yet and are currently working with animators, artists, and educators at the Siggraph 2006 and 2007 conference where we're creating hundreds of animations in just a few days with our software.

Q. Is there any other software that's needed?
A. The software/drivers for your webcam and the latest version of QuickTime. QuickTime is only needed if you choose to export your movie within the program. You can download QuickTime (free download) at the Apple website at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

Q. Does the software support onion skinning?
A. Yes. You can turn on and off an onion overlay of the frame before and after the current frame you're working on.

Q. Can you add or delete frames?
A. Yes. You can insert a new blank frame anywhere in your animation and you can also delete any frame.

Q. What happens if the my computer crashes?
A. Hopefully, it won't. If it does, we've got you covered. Every frame is saved immediately after you capture it. The images are stored in a folder called originalimages, and these serve as a backup of all of your work.