Stop Motion Animation Checklists This guidance document explains how to get started using Digital Blue cameras to create stop motion animation videos in the classroom. These cameras come with the Digital Movie Creator software, which allows you to create and edit traditional movies as well as stop motion animations. This document assumes you have installed this software. Introduction to stop motion animation Stop motion is a filming method where static objects appear to move. It is used in many animated films such as the Wallace and Gromit movies. It works by displaying a sequence of still images quickly one after another, tricking the brain into perceiving movement. When filming, an image (called a frame) is taken of an object, then the object is moved slightly and another frame is taken. The object is moved slightly again and another frame is taken. This process is continued until a sequence of frames has been created. When this sequence is played back in rapid succession (more than 10 frames per second), the object appears to move. In a professional movie, about 40 frames a second are taken. Digital Movie Creator creates movies with a playback rate of 15 frames per second, so 15 images need to be taken to create one second of animation. The simplest way to use Digital Blue cameras to create stop motion videos is to use either model animation or clay animation. Clay Animation Children will probably be aware of clay animation from the Wallace and Gromit films, and some of them may have seen documentaries on how these films are made. In clay animation, figures are made out of plasticine, and their features are moved in a lifelike way. The set is three dimensional, and is filmed horizontally on a table top. The Old Man and the Tiger and the Three Billy Goats Gruff on the DVD were created this way. Children really enjoy designing their own characters, but care needs to be taken when sculpting the figures. Features such as arms, legs and tails that are to be moved need to be:
· quite thick, as thin arms would either be too floppy or would break when moved;
· firmly attached to the body. An example of this is the monkey mini video on the DVD. The actual monkey is about 10cm high. If your story needs a close­up, these can be simulated by creating larger versions of the characters or plots (look at the bowl of food being eaten in The Old Man and the Tiger). Model Animation This is similar to clay animation in that the set is three dimensional, and filming takes place horizontally on a table top. However, this method uses articulated plastic models such as Lego or Playmobil figures. This would be more suitable for younger children, as the movement can be more easily controlled. An example of this is the dragon mini video on the DVD.
Stop Motion Animation Checklists The main problem with using plastic models is that they can overbalance easily. To avoid this, put a little Blu­Tack or plasticine on the model’s feet, to temporarily stick them to the table top during filming. Creating a set When first creating stop­motion animations, make sure the background, props and camera are fixed; they can be easily knocked when moving the models between frames, and slight movements of any of these can spoil the illusion of motion. The following is recommended for a simple set:
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find a well­lit area. The light needs to be as constant as possible, otherwise the animation appears to flicker when it is played back (The Old Man and the Tiger animation was filmed underneath a skylight).
use a classroom table, and wedge the feet so that it does not wobble.
Make sure that the shadows of the filmmakers or other equipment do not fall on the table.
fix a cardboard box to the table using strong tape to create a stable background. The children’s backdrops can then be designed on paper, and attached to this using marking tape (for easy removal between scenes).
place any props such as tables and chairs on the set.
place the camera in its stand on the set and check that all the props are in shot.
once the props are in place, use Blu­Tack or plasticene to stick the props and the camera to the table top, so that they are less likely to move if accidentally jogged. Once children have got used to having fixed backgrounds and props, they can experiment with changing them to create effects, for example, moving the background to simulate the sea.
Stop Motion Animation Checklists Making a Simple Stop Motion Animation The Digital Movie Creator software that comes with a Digital Blue camera allows you to create stop motion animations relatively easily. Firstly, make sure the camera is in its stand and connected to a USB port on your computer. The camera should beep three times as you do this. (Sometimes you need to take the camera out of its stand and reseat it.) Next, start the Digital Movie Creator software. You should see the main screen, with live images from the camera being displayed in the centre window. To start an animation, click on the Stop motion animation button (the one with the three stick figures on it) and the screen below should be displayed. View Collection button Stop­motion animation button Number of frames taken so far Capture a frame button Length of animation so far Finish stop­motion button Delete last frame button
Last frame taken Live image from the camera Prepare the set for the opening shot, and press the green Capture a Frame button. The number of frames should display 0001 and the frame taken should appear at the bottom of the screen. (Sometimes it takes a few seconds to capture this first frame). Move the model about 1cm and press the green Capture a Frame button; the frame counter will increment, and the last frame taken will be updated. Repeat this process, moving the model and capturing frames. After 15 frames have been taken, the movie length should show 1 second. If a mistake is made (such as a hand in the shot), the last frame can be deleted using the green Delete button. Unfortunately, only the last frame taken can be deleted. When the scene is complete, press the Finish stop­motion button, and the Frames and Movie Length boxes should return to zero. Stop Motion Animation Checklists Viewing and Saving Stop Motion Animations To look at your animations, press the Collection button at the top of the screen, and the following screen should be displayed. The Temporary tab at the top of the screen should be highlighted, and all the movies taken in the current session will be displayed, with the latest one first. Temporary collection Permanent collection Delete the selected movie
Close the collections window Export button Transfer to Permanent One button To view an animation, double click on the image. A larger image will appear, and you can play the movie using the triangular play button. If you’re happy with the animation, press the Transfer to Permanent One button. Items in the temporary collection will be deleted when you exit Digital Movie Creator, so it is really important to move any items you want to keep to the permanent collection. To view saved animations, click on the Permanent tab at the top of the screen. In order to watch animations in Windows, or to put scenes together using movie editing software such as Windows Movie Maker, you need to save the animation in a different format. To do this, go to the Permanent collection screen, and click on your animation and press the Export button. Save the file as type AVI (the default) and this new file can be opened using other Windows software. Stop Motion Animation Checklists The Filmmaking Process Children need to be taught that to create high­quality animations they need to take a lot of care planning the scenes of their stories. The following steps have been used to help children achieve this. Firstly, help the children to create their own simple model animations using toy cars or plastic models. Talk about the sort of problems they encountered and suggest ways of fixing them. Amongst the common problems are:
· a really jerky motion
· hands appearing in shot
· a really quick motion
· the background moving
· models or bits of set falling over
· bits of set moving
· shadows of the filmmakers appearing and disappearing
· people not involved in the filming walking past and affecting the scene Let them remake their short animation, trying to get as high a quality of action as possible. Help the children to choose a story that would suit stop­motion animation. This technique is very time consuming, so the biggest consideration should be that the story can be broken up into a few scenes (a maximum of 10), each lasting only a short time. Complete the storyboarding process, thinking carefully about:
· what characters are required.
· what props and backgrounds are required
· where the characters will start and end the scene (e.g. will they move on and off, or stay in shot?)
· how the characters interact with the props on the set.
· which parts of the models will move. Beginners may only want to move the whole model on and off the set; more experienced animators may want to move heads, limbs and tails.
· what words will be narrated. This will need to be practised and timed, so that the length for each scene to be animated is known. A scene should not last more than 10 to 15 seconds (150 to 225 frames).
· any sound effects that could be added later. There should then be a discussion about how many frames to take for each movement of the models. For beginners, it is recommended that 4 frames be taken for each movement of the model. This gives a jerky motion, but the filmmaking process is much quicker. More experienced children could try for a smoother motion using less frames per movement, but this requires more time, patience and accuracy. The mini videos jerky go­kart and smooth go­kart demonstrate the difference in number of frames taken per movement of the toy car. Before filming, assign roles to each of the members of the film­making team. For each scene it is recommended that there should be:
· a director checking that the scene is being played out correctly. (Initially, this could be the adult assigned to the group.)
· a cameraperson controlling the computer, and making sure that all hands and shadows are out of the way before capturing a frame
Stop Motion Animation Checklists
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an animator for each model being moved. Assigning one person per model reduces arguments. It also helps with continuity, as that person should remember how they moved the model last time. There are a set of checklists at the back of this document that the children could use to remind them of their responsibilities on set. If there are any children left over, they could be creating backdrops and props, or recording the soundtrack, until it is their turn to be involved in the filming. Once a scene has been completed, check it for errors, and save it to the permanent collection. When all the scenes have been completed, export them as AVI files, and put them together using a movie editing software package in a similar way to the other digital storytelling techniques on this DVD.
Stop Motion Animation Checklists Vertical Filming Once the children have had experience of stop­motion using clay or plastic models, try creating more abstract effects by filming from above a two dimensional picture on the floor. This can be used to animate art work, or tell stories using flat puppets (such as shadow puppets articulated using brass split pin joints). The following mini videos demonstrate some ideas:
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dance of the 10p pieces hoplite ·
sandbox five 10p pieces being moved on a paper background.
a picture drawn directly onto the paper background. Faint guidelines were drawn in pencil, and the final picture was completed in stages using marker pens.
a classroom tray filled with a thin layer of play sand. Patterns were filmed being gradually made in the sand. To film vertically, you will need a tripod to hold the camera and a USB A­B cable to connect the camera to your PC. This cable is not supplied with the camera, but they are commonly used to connect printers to PCs, so you should be able to find one to borrow in school. Remove the Digital Blue camera from its base stand, and look at the bottom. You will see a standard tripod screw mounting and the USB B port (it is squarer than the wider, flatter USB A port on your computer). Attach the USB B end of the cable to the camera before mounting on the tripod, as the base of the camera’s design is such that it is difficult to connect both at the same time. Tripod screw mounting
USB B­type connection Stop Motion Animation Checklists Director’s Checklist Is the set ready?
· Are the backdrops and props in place and stuck down?
· Do you know where the characters will appear from?
· Do you know how the characters are going to move?
· Do you know how fast the characters are going to move? Are the animators ready?
· Does each model have only one person assigned to moving it?
· Do all the animators know what they have to do with their model? Do you know how long the scene needs to be? Cameraperson’s Checklist Before taking a frame:
· Do you know how many frames to take for this shot?
· Has everyone stopped moving their models?
· Are all hands out of shot?
· Are all shadows out of shot?
· Have you stopped people from walking past your set? Animator’s checklist When moving a model:
· What did you move last time and which direction did you move it in?
· What have you moved this time?
· Is there anything that you haven’t moved yet that you should have? DON’T TOUCH:
· the backdrop
· the props
· the camera
· anyone else’s model After moving your model
· Are your hands out of shot?
· Is your shadow out of shot?