What is stop motion?

Stop motion animation (also called stop frame animation) is animation that is captured one frame at time, with physical objects that are moved between frames. When you play back the sequence of images rapidly, it creates the illusion of movement. If you understand how 2D drawn animation (early Disney) works, stop motion is similar, except using physical objects instead of drawings.

The basic process of animation involves taking a photograph of your objects or characters, moving them slightly, and taking another photograph. When you play back the images consecutively, the objects or characters appear to move on their own.

Below are some stop motion videos that I like a lot:

What do you need (a simple version)

• Camera (digital camera, or even a phone)
• Tripod (or something to hold your camera in the same position). You can check one out for free in the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at Aderhold 232.
• Computer
• Animating program, such as MonkeyJam, SAM Animation, Dragon Animation or even iMovie, or Windows Movie Maker
• Materials needed to create your scenes and characters (this can be paper, clay, paints, etc.)
• And, of course, your IMAGINATION!

Tips for the project

Your stop motion video should be 30 seconds to one minute long. You might need to take 150 - 250 pictures for it. You can create longer videos, which means you need to take more pictures. The more images you have, the smoother your video will be.

Step 1: Brainstorm ideas

After this step, your group should have a general idea of the story that you're going to tell. Keep in mind of your video length, your story should be short and neat. Make sure it is feasible with the resources you have, and let your mind loose!

Step 2: Create a storyboard

Now you need to transfer your abstract story into a detailed storyboard. A storyboard has the main ideas of the story, visually, so it's easier to make the animation. Consider all details and add them to your storyboard.

Step 3: Production

Now it is time to create your scenes and figures. They can be made from anything, or they can be real life. TIP: if you are making the figures out of paper, then make each joint separately, the head, body, upper and lower arms, and legs, so you can move them in the animation, to give a real life effect.

We will not meet in class as a big group at this step. But at the following dates, I will have meetings with certain crew members:

• Mar 26 - meeting with all group leaders
• Mar 28 - meeting with all photographers
• Mar 30 - meeting with all video editors

The crew members mentioned above need to attend the meeting at normal class time. I will provide specific instructions to you at the meetings.

All group members need to work with your group members at the time and follow the project timeline that you all agreed on.

Congratulations!

You have made your own stop motion video! Show it to your friends and family! Also share it with the class, we will vote for our favorite one.