Moviestorm Lets You Make 3D Animated Movies on your Home Computer

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Moviestorm. All opinions are 100% mine.

Moviestorm is a fun app that allows you to make 3D animated movies on your home computer, without having to know complicated 3D modeling software. Really, Moviestorm is essentially a complete virtual movie studio, that takes you through the whole process of making a “film” – from script to screen. The software lets you create sets and characters, direct, shoot and edit your movies, and once your masterpiece has been completed, you can share them with others online.  But, unlike with other complicated 3D animating and modeling software, Moviestorm is much easier to use than popular software like 3D Max or Maya which only trained 3D animators can really use. Moviestorm on the other hand, has a small learning curve, as it operates more like the Sims than a complicated 3D modeling program.

Using Moviestorm you can create a Moviestorm video in 3D, along with avatars (or characters) with customizable features, accessories and outfits. You can also customize your set with your own design, direct your scene, and set up interactions in between characters. You can then film these interactions as a scene (record the action), edit the movie, add music and sound, you can even add titles and credits, and finally, you can upload and share your movie.

Obviously, Moviestorm is a lot cheaper then hiring a real film crew or hiring 3D animators to make a 3D movie for you. Moviestorm is also probably the most affordable way to be your own Moviemaker currently in existence. Aside from just being a lot of fun to play with and make your own movies, we imagine that this could be a great tool for budding film makers and film students. For starters, a Moviestorm movie could be used in place of a storyboard or animatic. Really, Moviestorm has the potential to be a great planning tool before you go out and do a real fill shoot. For film students. Moviestorm is especially ideal since it lets them simulate a real movie making environment by letting them direct, set up shots, and even edit on the fly.

The Moviestorm interface is similar in many ways to the Sim’s easy-to-use interface, but at the same time it also offers a robust set of options that can get a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, there are helpful tutorials and guides along the way that help you understand all of the system’s features better, and overall, the Moviestorm interface is pretty intuitive. In many ways, it also feels like you’re creating your own video game when you use Moviestorm. Practically everything about your characters can be customized, from their accessories, to their physical features, to the colors of their clothes. And just like in the Sims, furniture, windows and the construction of the “set” can be rearranged. There are different views to use when navigating the Moviestorm interface- Character’s View, Director’s View, Camerawork View, Cutting Room & Publisher’s Views, so that there are a wealth of options and things that you can do with your set, crew and camera.

Everything from action, to romance, to sci-fi, horror, drama, documentaries, comedy, video blogs and commercials can be created using MovieStorm. But you don’t have to stress about copyright infringement, any movie you create with Moviestorm is totally yours as far as Moviestorm’s concerned. You can even sell your movie if you want too, and some Moviestorm members are doing just that.

Moviestorm is both Mac & PC compatible (XP, Vista, Windows 7). We tested on a Mac and found that MovieStorm works well with minimal lag on a Core 2 Duo system. The Moviestorm software actually costs $249.99. That price might seem a lot, but it’s actually very affordable when you consider the pricing for a serious 3D modeling program. Alternatively you can opt for their $7.99 a month subscription plan with a Moviestorm membership. Membership also includes Moviestorm points which you can use to rent or buy extra content packs (characters, costumes, sets, props, animations, sounds, etc). You can rent content packs for a day or a month, so you only pay for the content you’re actually using. A 30 day trial is available for new members, and you can cancel within those first 30 days and pay nothing. And when we signed up we were given 800 Moviestorm points to spend. Members are also entitled to use the Modders’ Workshop which enables them to make their own content packs or import models from Google Sketchup. This includes dozens of free user-made mods available, and others available for sale from third parties.

Overall, Moviestorm is the first software of its kind we’ve seen that makes 3D animated movie making work for the masses. The amount of features and customization options that Moviestorm offers is impressive and quite robust. If there was any gripe we had with the system, it’s that the characters aren’t the most attractive, compared to lets say the Sims and many other popular video games. But that is a minor gripe in the grand scheme of what Moviestorm has too offer, and we hope that is something they will improve as time goes. on. No matter what, we’re sure that Moviestorm’s users will a have a blast while developing they’re own animated movie masterpieces.

Moviestorm in 3D Moviestorm video in 3D