Project

Picture This!

Groups

Picture This! is a video editing tool progressing toward children's natural expression of play while telling stories with their toys. We use technology to offer visual feedback regarding how the scene looks from the point of view of an imaginary audience. If the toy has an immediately accessible visual perspective, a new world is opened to the child. The toy helps her explore visual and narrative perspectives of character props, expanding the discovery of her environment. The child storyteller enters the world of the movie maker. Cameras become part of a toy system showing how things look from a toy's point of view. They can be integrated in LEGO people, car drivers, and even coffee mugs! The video process, supported by gesture-induced editing, benefits children in practicing social interrelationships and visual perspective taking.