Stop Motion Animation for Beginners

Stop Motion Animation is a filmmaking technique in which inanimate objects or figures appear to move. The Wallace and Gromit movies use this technique, and some of the films that students may see in the Wisconsin Film Festival are made using Stop Motion. It is a very easy way for elementary students to create short films of their own.

Animation is a perfect STEAM project, incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

The basis of Stop Motion is simple: you take a photo of a figure, move it just a little bit, and take another photo. Repeat this process many times, and then play the photos in sequence at a very fast pace. The more photos you take, the smoother the action will be.

An iPad, tablet, or smart phone and a Stop Motion Animation App are the essential elements. Stop Motion Studio is a free app for iPad or iPhone. There is also a version for Android. Here is what you will need:

☛ Two pieces of white foam core to create the studio

☛ Objects or small figures to animate

☛ Smart phone or iPad

☛ Tripod or stand to hold your device steady

☛ Stop Motion Animation App like Stop Motion Studio on iTunes or Google Play

Create the Studio Place one piece of white foam core on your table, and the other piece vertically in back of it to form the background. Place your studio in a well-lit area. You can also provide some additional lighting with a lamp or worklight, but be careful not to create shadows on your set. You can also use a tri-fold presentation board as the backdrop, but you may need some supplemental lighting. If you prefer, you can use colorful foam core. Colors will absorb more of your available light. Photos from a magazine can also make great backdrops. Of course, your students can draw backgrounds as well. Use a tripod or iPad stand to steady your camera.

Choose Characters

Students can create characters with any of the following:

☛ Action figures or small dolls or animals

☛ Clay figures that you create

☛ Wooden blocks

☛ Small household objects such as paper clips, bandages, or bottle caps

☛ Drawings that they create

☛ Candies

☛ Whatever object they would like

They will need a way to make the object or the paper cutout stand up for each photo.

Imagine the Story Students can simply plan a sequence in their heads, or they can storyboard the action first. Storyboarding may help produce more satisfying stories. However, students may discover a great story through simple improvisation with the materials. This is a great team project for two or three students who can collaborate and take turns shooting the photos.

Shoot the Photos Open the App and shoot the first photo. Move the figure only a little bit. Or move its arms or

STORYBOARD TEMPLATE legs, if it has appendages. Shoot the photo and repeat. Generally, twelve frames make one second of film, so the more photos you can stage and shoot, the better. Playback your footage.

Image source: Rachelle Doorley. TinkerLab. https:// tinkerlab.com/

Incorporate Lessons Learned in the Next Video You will learn a great deal about how many photos to take, how to create convincing movement, and how to structure a story with your first attempt. Students will be eager to make use of these lessons in their next film. You can add titles that you write on a board or create using letters you have in the classroom. Be sure to shoot multiple shots of the titles and of the opening setting for your film.