Animations
Stop motion is a powerful animation technique that makes still objects appear to be moving. Creating stop motion requires creativity, spacing and timing skills, an understanding of movement, mechanical repetition, and assembly. There are many types of stop motion techniques, in both 2-D and 3-D media, such as: hand drawing, cell, cut-paper, human, and claymation. It is recommended to focus on cut-paper, 2-D animation. The American show South Park made this technique famous many years ago and it is easiest when working with a low budget and a DIY approach.
You will place characters or objects on a background, take a photo, slightly move the object, take the next photo, and so on and so forth until you have taken hundreds of photos. Look at your camera throughout the process and you will see that the illusion of movement is evident from the start. Once you look at the images on your editing software it really comes to life and starts to get exciting.
Mandatory Requirements:
Choose at least 1 of the following:
Materials:
Stop Motion Animation Tips:
Conceptualization
The best projects result from strong ideas. To generate stronger ideas it is well worth it to watch your favorite famous animations, student-produced animations, and to critically analyze how they were designed.
Scripting
After you brainstorm ideas you need to write down your thoughts to determine what interaction and action will take place. Most people prefer to start with scripts, a storyboard that is completely textual. Writing descriptions of the action helps to determine how and in what order every shot will become animated later in the process.
Storyboarding
Storyboarding is a major component to any animation project because it ensures that ideas are well developed before production, and saves time by anticipating problems. The purpose of the storyboard is to visually plan out the entire animation. Here is where you begin to think about the “camera work” by showing every shot or important transition in the animation. Unlimited storyboards are always available for you.
Experimentation & Set-up
Stop motion requires a camera or video device to expose single or multiple frames of images that, when run at normal speed, appear to represent continuous movement. Keep the camera steady by using a tripod. It takes a lot of patience, trial and error, and experimentation to initially get started with photographing the objects. Once you get over this hump it all starts to speed up and become more mechanical. It will seem like you are on an assembly line with your team.
You will place characters or objects on a background, take a photo, slightly move the object, take the next photo, and so on and so forth until you have taken hundreds of photos. Look at your camera throughout the process and you will see that the illusion of movement is evident from the start. Once you look at the images on your editing software it really comes to life and starts to get exciting.
Mandatory Requirements:
- Minimum 1 minute long, no maximum
- At least one character or object, no maximum
- Creative Title and opening sequence
- Sound Effects
- Music (not overpowering the sound effects or other sounds you decide to include)
- Minimum 1 set / background, no maximum
Choose at least 1 of the following:
- Narration
- Character Voices and dialogue
- Anything else that is creative and will enhance your animations, upon teacher approval
Materials:
- Art materials / clay / markers / posterboard / cardboard, any other drawing materials
- Characters: made out of whatever you want, or use an old toy
- Cameras that take great photos
- Tripod (camera must stay still for many frames before moving to new angles)
- Editing software. FCPX or iMovie work very well.
Stop Motion Animation Tips:
- The quality of the art in storyboards isn’t very important, but a well-executed storyboard is the best of all planning devices. More on storyboards and planning on the back of this handout.
- Use arrows to indicate motion of the camera or motion of the characters within the storyboard drawings. It makes the photography much easier later on in the process.
- Anything that detracts the viewer’s attention from what is being animated works against the movie. For this reason, backgrounds should be simple and steady.
- Improvise: don’t give up when your story calls for something to happen that seems impossible to achieve with the techniques. Make something up on the spot while filming if necessary.
- Stop motion photography is time-consuming. Students need to take turns in responsibilities and use of equipment. If students can plan teamwork appropriately, it can move smoothly and effortlessly once you get started.
- Editing is fun but time-consuming.
Conceptualization
The best projects result from strong ideas. To generate stronger ideas it is well worth it to watch your favorite famous animations, student-produced animations, and to critically analyze how they were designed.
Scripting
After you brainstorm ideas you need to write down your thoughts to determine what interaction and action will take place. Most people prefer to start with scripts, a storyboard that is completely textual. Writing descriptions of the action helps to determine how and in what order every shot will become animated later in the process.
Storyboarding
Storyboarding is a major component to any animation project because it ensures that ideas are well developed before production, and saves time by anticipating problems. The purpose of the storyboard is to visually plan out the entire animation. Here is where you begin to think about the “camera work” by showing every shot or important transition in the animation. Unlimited storyboards are always available for you.
Experimentation & Set-up
Stop motion requires a camera or video device to expose single or multiple frames of images that, when run at normal speed, appear to represent continuous movement. Keep the camera steady by using a tripod. It takes a lot of patience, trial and error, and experimentation to initially get started with photographing the objects. Once you get over this hump it all starts to speed up and become more mechanical. It will seem like you are on an assembly line with your team.
Watch the following examples to help guide and inspire you:
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