That's a good observation regarding the two TF camps. I'm in the camp that enjoys helpless TF, but it would be easier to get another actress willing to turn into a werewolf. As for low budget TF, I liked some of the effects posted in a thread right below this one. The shots in the mirror are what I had in mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz7nE862qkY
They way they did stop motion fur can be done better with a little more patient. I was thinking some sort of felt fabric that can be glued to the skin in increments, though I haven't found the right fabric yet when I went looking. I think something similar can be done with mane or tail growth. I'd like to eventually get ear/tail sets of a few different lengths, but unless we commission them, they're not going to look realistic. However, as long as we stick to the same colors and textures and get everything in the same universe, it should look polished.
For tail growth, a convincing effect is to hide it in your pants, then have something tied to the end that you can pull. I also thought maybe inflating a balloon covered in fur but I haven't tried this yet.
Does anyone have guesses about how they made the tail move in the love action version of Pinnochio? I don't think we're going to be able to make someone a full animal-- the transition is never convincing when you just swap a human in costime for the real thing. The way Missa ended her barn video with the girl 75% transformed with the rest of it implied is maybe the best bet.