How to Make a Dancing Skeleton Movie

Movie Maker 3D has everything you need to create a sharable, attention-getting video for a friend, work or school. If we don’t have the 3D model you need you can easily download a model file from one of the many 3D model sites and stores on the web. For our Dancing Skeleton movie we downloaded an animated 3D model from Sketchfab.com. Use these steps to add any 3D models in USDZ or GLB format.

1. Go to sketchfab.com to get Dancing Skeleton by Saqib Ali. Sketchfab is in transition but the last time we checked this model was still available for free. It’s also on fab.com for $0.99 USD.

2. Tap Download 3D Model and tap DOWNLOAD in the GLB Converted format section.

3. Launch Movie Maker 3D, choose an existing 3D scene or make a new one by tapping Add Scenes.

4. Tap the Add (+) button, then select 3D Model File (USDZ or GLB), then choose the dancing_skeleton.glb to add it to your scene.

5. Add music to your scene, tap the Customize (paintbrush) button, then Background Sound, then New Clip, then Audio File to choose music from either your Music Library or from a downloaded MP3, WAV or M4A file.

The "Dancing Skeleton" 3D model by Saqib Ali is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

The music clip we used in our movie is Rock Guitar Dance by Difourks available royalty-free from Envato.com.

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Movie Maker 3D and Anime

Anime is a style of movie and video, traditionally hand-drawn but now usually created with computer design apps. We’re interested in this area and are experimenting in the lab with a couple of things.

So far we’ve found a number of companies who provide 3D character model creation apps and body animation clips that work with Movie Maker 3D. Some of these like Ready Player Me have been tested by us and are already in the app.

We’re currently playing with apps produced by avatar model creator Avaturn and anime avatar model creator Vroid Studio and have found that they work in some cases. Follow these basic steps if you want to experiment:

• Use the desired avatar model creator site or app (see below) to create your new avatar and download it to Files as a .GLB or .VRM file.

• In Movie Maker 3D tap the Add (+) then 3D Model File (USDZ or GLB) to choose and import the .GLB or .VRM model file into your 3D scene.

• See this Movie Maker 3D FAQ page if you’d like to import individual animation clips.

Results are not guaranteed but we’d love to hear about your experience at support@moviemaker3d.com.

In the lab we’re also working on support for body tracking and animation clip “retargeting” which will enable new ways to use animations across different characters. The results look promising. Stay tuned to see what happens next!

Check out the links to companies mentioned in this post:

Avatar Model Creators

ReadyPlayer.me - Stylized avatar creator

Avaturn  - Life-like photo-realistic avatar creator web

Anime Avatar Model Creators

Vroid Studio https://vroid.com/en/studio - Anime character creator app for iPadOS, macOS and Windows

Vroid Hub - https://hub.vroid.com/en - Anime character public exchange

Animation Clip Creators

Deep Motion https://www.deepmotion.com - Text to animation clip, video to animation clip

Kinetix https://www.kinetix.tech - Video to “emote” animation clip (site for developers)

Movie Maker 3D 11.4 Now Available

We're excited to announce a new version of Movie Maker 3D - Video Animation Creator!

To celebrate, get the new Camping Cartoon template including 2 scenes and 37 3D models FREE for a limited time! Usually available only with a Movie Maker 3D Plus subscription.

Check out the new Central Park template including 1 scene and 23 3D models. Available with a Movie Maker 3D Plus subscription.

Here's what's new in 11.4:

• New Templates: Camping Cartoon, Central Park.

• New 3D models: Cartoon Bear, Cartoon Beaver, Cartoon Coyote, Cartoon Moose, Cartoon Owl, Cartoon Rhino, Coffee Cart, Firewood, Hotdog Cart, Ice Cream Cart, Ice Cream Sundae, Motorhome, Pink Magnolia, Wheelchair, Wood Patio Table.

• You can now “trim” a Body animation clip to show only the movements within a specified time range of the clip.

• Fixed Cutout models to have a clear background when a photo is added, so a PNG or “portrait” photo will display “cutout” properly.

• Numerous bug fixes and performance improvements.

Movie Maker 3D is a free app and includes 22 free scene templates and 359 free 3D models for you to try. Upgrade to Movie Maker 3D Plus to get unlimited use of ALL 69 scene templates and ALL 650 3D models for just $1.49 USD per month or $14.99 USD per year.

No signups, passwords, tracking or ads.

If you need help or have any questions please let us know at support@moviemaker3d.com.

If you enjoy using Movie Maker 3D, a great review on the App Store is always appreciated!

Thank you!

Mary Ellen & Len