Studio Creator 360 Degree Video Maker Kit Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Melody
Now the schools have gone back after the summer holidays there is a definite autumnal feel in the air, and my thoughts have already turned towards Christmas (which is less than 100 days away so my son tells me!). As my children have got older (they’re now 12 and 8) I’ve found it harder to think of gift ideas for them as toys are no longer appealing, and they seem to want to spend most of their spare time attached to electronic devices. So, when I was asked to review the Studio Creator 360 Degree Video Maker Kit from Canal Toys I jumped at the chance. The boys love watching crazy videos on You Tube and Tik Tok so this would give them the opportunity to make their own (rather than dodgy recordings on my mobile that I tend to discover at inappropriate times!).
When the Video Maker kit arrived the first thing that struck me was the size of the box, it’s pretty large and very colourful so definitely looks impressive and I’m sure any children would be delighted to unwrap it on Christmas morning. Inside the box were an LED colour ring light; motion detector 360-degree device; tripod; phone holder and a “green screen” along with an instruction book. It’s worth noting that batteries aren’t included (it needs 3 x AAs) so you’d need to have some handy on Christmas Day to avoid disappointment. We also thought that it would be useful to have a plug included, so that the power cable could be plugged into a socket, rather than to a USB port, which is what we did.
Having got all of the pieces out of the box, my 12-year-old and I started to set it up. We found the instructions were very easy to follow and we were set up and ready to go in a matter of minutes. There is an app to download to use the functions, and also another optional app for using the green screen to create virtual backgrounds for videos. These were both easy to find and download.
I was impressed with the quality of the main pieces which felt very sturdy. The tripod is adjustable up to a meter high and the phone holder fits most models of phone, with or without cases on. The LED light ring has a range of different colour options, which are controlled via the buttons on the power cable and look really impressive.
Recording the videos was very straightforward, the motion sensor means that the light and camera swivel around to follow you when you’re moving which was very clever and some of the videos did look pretty impressive. Both of my sons have loved playing with this and creating videos, although they are yet to upload them anywhere. We’re also looking forward to taking it outside when the weather improves to try to record some football skills videos too. One thing to note her is that the set can be used with or without a tripod which makes it very flexible.
The only negative we felt was that the “green screen” wasn’t really a screen, it was more like a big folded piece of green cloth, there was nothing to use to attach it to anything, although the instructions suggested sticking it up on the wall, which we tried but it kept falling down, so I resorted to holding it up behind my son when he was recording (This did work but wasn’t ideal). I think the set could be improved by adding in a pop-up screen or even a more solid cardboard green screen.
Overall, this would make a great Christmas present for children who are into technology, it gives them the opportunity to be creative. The set is designed for children 8 years and over which I would say is about right, although my 12-year-old has been most interested as he has his own mobile phone and likes to share his photos with his friends. At a RRP of about £45 this is good value and will provide hours of entertainment.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £44.99
This product can be purchased from: https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/arts-crafts-and-music/ring-lights-and-video-makers/studio-creator-360-degree-video-maker-kit/p/222351