8P8 Stop Motion

Refection

• Using legos, an iPad, a computer, and stop motion, I created a stop motion lego scene. The scene was two lego characters find an old time machine that this man built (but now he's dead) and they explore it. They make sure nobody see's them and they try and use the machine. They get in it and everything is spinning and shaking. When everything stops, they have figured out they had time traveled into the past. They then start exploring the past and are super happy and exited. I created this because I though it could be a fun experience with stop motion again and I really enjoy time travel scenarios.

• During this process, I learned how to quickly build lego structures. I usually don't play with legos or anything like that, so I was a bit confused on how to make something like the time machine super fast on a limited time schedule. I just put pieces together on the lego board, and if I liked it I kept it. If I didn't like it, I removed some pieces and quickly added new pieces. It didn't take me long thought to get the right things that I liked. I really enjoyed creating the structures, even on a limited schedule.

• The 7 standards of the class are Empowered Learner, Digital Citizen, Knowledge Constructor, Innovative Designer, Computational Thinker, Creative Communicator, and Global Collaborator. My project ties to Creative Communicator because I used sites and digital tools like stop motion to freely express a story. This involves creating a format and/or sending a message to an audience. I am using technology not just to give information, but to create a sense of creativity and artistic expressions.

• A challenge I overcame on this project was trying to make things like a tire or a block to fall without my hand showing, so it can actually look like it is falling, like stop motion is supposed to do. Some things I tried out were trying to take a bunch of pictures while the tire and stuff were falling, but that didn't turn out as expected. So I moved onto a different idea, which was basically teleporting the tire from the top of the machine on tot he floor, but that just looked weird. In the end I just ended up using my finger to slowly move make the tire fall, but it still looks alright.  

• Given a chance to do this again, I would change taking so much time to build my structures. I was supposed to do them quick, which based off the timing, I did, but I wanted me to be able to make them faster. For example if I were to do this exact project again, I would not start with just placing the random blocks on the base, I would set up a clear idea in my head and then start building so it doesn't take up much time. If I were to have done this in the first place, I could have possibly gotten more scenes done with my stop motion.

• Hastings High School Career and Technical Education Program offers Agriculture, Business Management, Computer Programming, Construction Trades, Culinary Arts, Digital Multimedia, Engineering Design, Finance, Insurance, Marketing. My project connects to the Digital Multimedia CTE program at Hastings High School. This is because I used the internet and digital tools like stop motion to help create my lego project. I used stop motion to take several pictures to make it look like the legos and everything else is moving by itself.

• My project connects to careers in animation and digital media production because I am engaging in core techniques used by professionals in the film, advertising, and entertainment industries. By planning, taking pictures, and editing stop motion Lego scenes, I am practicing the storytelling and sequence editing. These skills are important to job roles such as animator, video editor, and multimedia specialist. This project provides experience in creating visual content for digital platforms.