Interview in issue 9 of Education Technology Magazine on the effectiveness of software Muvizu as tool for educators to build skill and confidence in students.

1. PROMOTION: DIGIM A NI A | 35
✥Muvizu’s product director, Barry
Sheridan, graduated with 1st class B.Eng
in Product Design in 1997 and worked as
a product designer for GEC Marine, ePoint
and Polaroid. After gaining an MPhil in
Advanced 3D Graphics he moved into the
computer games sector as a 3D artist,
designer and manager.
Could you tell us a little more about
Muvizu software, and how it works within
the education sector?
Muvizu comes pre-loaded with a vast library
of models, characters, animations and
sound-effects which you, as the director,
bring to life. Animations are created in
a series of passes, adding and refining
gestures, movements and sounds as you go
and automatically lip-synching into any
language. Muvizu’s fun, digital puppetry
approach has many applications right
across education from more formal areas
like language and history through artistic
subjects like storyboarding and directingto
softer butnolessvaluablelifeskillsincluding
confidencebuildingand presenting.
Who can use it?
Muvizu:Play’s power lies in its unrivalled
accessibility. Imagine being able to create an
HD animated music video or an impactful
presentation to accompany a project in
hours rather than weeks. Muvizu:Play+ is
the licenced version of Muvizu and offers
storytellers, educators and businesses
looking to animate quickly and affordably
the full range of Muvizu functionality
and rights to all content produced
using this version of the software in
perpetuity. Teachers all over the world
are using Muvizu to deliver lessons and
create memorable content that comes
alive for students. Muvizu is committed to
the educational use of Muvizu and offers
educational discounts on multiple licences.
Where did the idea to develop the
software come from?
Digimania, the company behind
Muvizu, is a team of artists and inventors
revolutionising the world of animation.
Many of our talented, innovative animation,
software and technology team were
originally behind the software design
for Ananova, an online news service that
featured the world’s very first computer-
simulated newscaster. Alongside
Muvizu:Play, we are collaborating with
some of the world’s most exciting animators
to develop the principles of the globally
popular storytelling/education software
into a revolutionary 3D real-time renderer
for the animation industry.
✥Dr. Christina De Coursey is a lecturer
and programme leader at Hong Kong
Polytechnic University and using Muvizu
has rolled out her ‘Business English through
Animation’ programme successfully in Pune,
India and in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.
How can animation become an
educational tool?
Not long ago, textbooks began using
images because they enriched students’
understanding of the objects under
study. Animation puts those objects into
motion, and into contexts. It lets teachers
demonstrate and students represent their
knowledge in ways static images cannot,
showing realistic details of operations,
situations and applications.
In the workplace, knowledge involves
social interactions which impact
important outcomes. Animation helps
students show their understanding of
all those dimensions. Knowing how to
animate will soon be a ‘desired graduate
attribute’.
Will technology such as this software play
a big part in the education sector’s future?
Definitely. Students in many fields
(healthcare, engineering, design and
business) must integrate content with the
social and cultural elements of various
situations (teamwork, client reception,
project management and sensitivity).
Animation is cheaper and easier than
current assessment tools, especially those
which can handle motion and time.
Learning how to animate is increasingly
important due to its widespread
workplace use, for example showing safety
instructions, updating procedures, visual
user manuals, etc. ET
Movies in minutes
Muvizu:Play+ animation software lets anyone create 3D-animated movies in a matter of minutes
rather than months without the need for any specialist training
Character Builder Prop Editor Lights 'n' Cameras
Prepare Animations Timeline Eyes
For more information on Muvizu:Play+ educational packages and discounts contact commercial@digimania.com. www.muvizu.com