This project is designed to create a Movie Studio/Scanning Station for a classroom setting, which will allow students to scan documents / images to create stories or create video using stop motion and green screen technologies using their iPad or other tablets.

This project was initially inspired from another Instructable (Phone Scanning Station)

We have taken the Phone Scanning Station, and turned it sideways, so it can serve multiple purposes. First, it can act as a scanner, just like the initial Instructable. Second, it has the structure to allow students create a backdrop and use figurines to create stop motion, slow motion, or time lapse video using the iPad camera application.

Creating a studio like this for students to use, allows them to create their own video and publish to a larger audience, without having to use the themselves or their classmates as actors and to keep images of specific students off the Internet.

Step 1: Parts List:

This is an easy project you can build for your classroom. The total parts list, without the iPad can be purchased for between $20 an $30.

30' of 1/2" PVC - Sch 40 pipe cut in the following lengths.

Main Frame:

3 x 27 1/2" - Cross Beams

4 x 17 1/8" - Uprights

4 x 10 1/2" - Connecting Beams

2 x 7 1/2" Extension

iPad Frame:

3 x 9 3/4" Cross Sections

2 x 7 1/4" Interior Beams

2 x 1 1/2" Beam Extenders

Fittings: All 1/2" slip fittings

6 x 3 way corners

4 x T's

8 x Elbows

2 x Caps.

Step 2: Build the Main Frame

1) Place a 3 way fitting (6) on each end of the 3 - 27 1/2" Cross Beams.

2) Place a 10 1/2" smaller Cross Beam to connect two of the three Cross Beams in item #1. (Image 1)

3) Connect the third Cross Beam to the other two using the 17 1/8" Uprights. (Image 2)

4) Connect two additional 17 1/8" uprights to the other side, using T fittings (Image 3)

5) The completed structure should look like figure 4.

Step 3: Extending the Frame to Hold the IPad (Camera)

1) Insert a 7 1/2" extension into the open part of the T fitting from the previous step.

2) At the end of each extension, place a Elbow fitting.

3) You will cut two separate pieces to connect to the other end of the elbow. You will not glue these because you will flip the sides depending upon the orientation of the iPad. The first piece is 2" and the other is 10"

4) You will place an elbow at the end of each of these pieces and a 7" upright with a cap on the end.

Image 1: The shorter piece of pipe is on the left and the longer piece is on the right. This is when the iPad is in "portrait" mode.

Image 2: The longer piece is on the left and the shorter piece is on the right. This is when the iPad is in "Landscape" mode.

Step 4: Building the IPad Frame

To keep the iPad square and the camera at the same height, regardless of the position (portrait/landscape), we need to extend the frame so it is a square.

1) Place a Elbow on each end of 2 - 9 3/4" pipe sections.

2) On of of the pipes, place a 7 1/4" pipe section on the open ends of the Elbows.

3) On the other pipe, place a 1 1/2 pipe section on the open ends of the Elbows.

4) Take 1- 9 3/4" section of pipe and place a T fitting on each side.

5) Connect the sections created in steps 2 and 3 together using the section in step 4.

You should have a container that looks like Image 1.

Step 5: Creating the Retaining Structure for Your IPad

1) Mark 4" in on the longer pipes in the large section and 4 1/2" on the shorter sections.

2) Drill 3/16" size holes in the places marked in step 1.

3) Lay out small bungee cords (pack of 10 for $3) cut the end off of one end and thread it starting on the top, through the hole and up the bottom hole on the opposite side. (Image 1)

4) Use vice grips to stretch the bungee cord so you can tie it off. (Image 2)

This will hold the iPad from falling through the bottom.

5) Measure in 2" from each corner on each side to create diagonal bungee straps to hold the iPad from the top.

6) Drill through the marks and thread the bungee cords starting from the bottom, so there are diagonals in each corner to hold the iPad. (Image 3)

7) Drill 6" in on the outside of the frame on each side. You will use this to connect the iPad Frame to the Main Frame. (Image 4)

Step 6: Attaching Your IPad Frame to the Main Frame

1) Drill holes 6 1/4" up from the bottom on each frame upright.

2) You can use thin bolts or dowels to connect the iPad frame to the Main Frame.

3) Remember you can switch the sides of the shorter/longer side pieces to keep the iPad camera at the same height.

This project can be used as a scanning station, a toy theater with a green screen or a painted background. You can also add lighting to the top of the main frame because the top bars will not be visible if you have the iPad in Landscape view and if you zoom slightly in Portrait view, you will not see the top and bottom main frame bars.