Unit Evidence
This unit has two assignments associated with it.
This assignment requires you to develop skill and understanding of the techniques and terminology involved in creating Stop Motion Animations and its relation to still images..
Initially you will be required to work in a group to plan and create a short ten second, silent stop motion animation. Following this you will create a short ten second animation with soundtrack on your own. At each stage you will show the final production to your peers and evaluate the audience reaction using appropriate terminology in your report.
Note that your own final Stop Motion Animations must recognise a target audience.
During this unit you will have opportunity to use Adobe Photoshop, Quicktime Movie, iMovie and Garageband (to edit MP3 files) software.
Assignment one. You will need to successfully complete the following activities as the first part of your Stop Motion Assignment:
Create a TEN SECOND Stop Motion Animation with soundtrack:
• You are required to research and investigate other Stop Motion Animations, and animators, in particular -
- “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel (Link to Contextual Influences).
- Aardman Animations. (Link to Contextual Influences).
- Or a Choice of Animators of your own.
• Produce a number of basic ideas for a stop motion animation.
• Extend one idea into an illustrated outlined proposal for your Stop motion
Animations, in the form of a storyboard.
• A ten second group Stop Motion Animation.
• A ten second (minimum) individual Stop Motion Animation.
• A description of the techniques involved in creating your Stop Motion
Animation using some appropriate terminology.
• Evaluation of the response of the audience to your Stop Motion
Animations (verbal/questionnaire).
• Final evaluation of completed assignment.
Research: Willis H. O'Brien
Willis H. O'Brien was a special effects and stop motion animation pioneer, born in California 1886 he is known for creating some of the most classic images in film history. He worked from 1916 right up to the early 1960s, at an early age he lived in Oakland California and began to work in all different types of trades. His interest of prehistoric animals began when he was young, in his spare time he would create sculptures and drawings and this then led him to become employed by an architect and also a cartoonist for a newspaper. The beginning of O'Brien's film career began when he made some life like models of a dinosaur and a person, he was helped to animate them with assistance from a newsreel camera man. This footage was seen by some one who asked him to be involved in a film called The Dinosaur and the Misssing Link: Prehistoric Tragedy.
The Dinosaur and the Missing Link: Prehistoric Tragedy 1917
This was also a silent movie as it was made so early it was not possible to have sound other then music.
King Kong vs Godzilla 1962
This was made a lot later in the 1960s and it is really good to see it in colour, you can see how different it is in comparison to today but back then it would have been incredible for people watching the film.
I do like to see how it was used for the first time in movies and it was the first step into what it has become today, although it was done in quite a simple way the effect it created would have been fantastic back then and it has progressed so much over the years.
Creating a Stop Motion Animation on Photoshop
This unit has two assignments associated with it.
This assignment requires you to develop skill and understanding of the techniques and terminology involved in creating Stop Motion Animations and its relation to still images..
Initially you will be required to work in a group to plan and create a short ten second, silent stop motion animation. Following this you will create a short ten second animation with soundtrack on your own. At each stage you will show the final production to your peers and evaluate the audience reaction using appropriate terminology in your report.
Note that your own final Stop Motion Animations must recognise a target audience.
During this unit you will have opportunity to use Adobe Photoshop, Quicktime Movie, iMovie and Garageband (to edit MP3 files) software.
Assignment one. You will need to successfully complete the following activities as the first part of your Stop Motion Assignment:
Create a TEN SECOND Stop Motion Animation with soundtrack:
• You are required to research and investigate other Stop Motion Animations, and animators, in particular -
- “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel (Link to Contextual Influences).
- Aardman Animations. (Link to Contextual Influences).
- Or a Choice of Animators of your own.
• Produce a number of basic ideas for a stop motion animation.
• Extend one idea into an illustrated outlined proposal for your Stop motion
Animations, in the form of a storyboard.
• A ten second group Stop Motion Animation.
• A ten second (minimum) individual Stop Motion Animation.
• A description of the techniques involved in creating your Stop Motion
Animation using some appropriate terminology.
• Evaluation of the response of the audience to your Stop Motion
Animations (verbal/questionnaire).
• Final evaluation of completed assignment.
Research: Willis H. O'Brien
Willis H. O'Brien was a special effects and stop motion animation pioneer, born in California 1886 he is known for creating some of the most classic images in film history. He worked from 1916 right up to the early 1960s, at an early age he lived in Oakland California and began to work in all different types of trades. His interest of prehistoric animals began when he was young, in his spare time he would create sculptures and drawings and this then led him to become employed by an architect and also a cartoonist for a newspaper. The beginning of O'Brien's film career began when he made some life like models of a dinosaur and a person, he was helped to animate them with assistance from a newsreel camera man. This footage was seen by some one who asked him to be involved in a film called The Dinosaur and the Misssing Link: Prehistoric Tragedy.
The Dinosaur and the Missing Link: Prehistoric Tragedy 1917
This was also a silent movie as it was made so early it was not possible to have sound other then music.
King Kong vs Godzilla 1962
This was made a lot later in the 1960s and it is really good to see it in colour, you can see how different it is in comparison to today but back then it would have been incredible for people watching the film.
I do like to see how it was used for the first time in movies and it was the first step into what it has become today, although it was done in quite a simple way the effect it created would have been fantastic back then and it has progressed so much over the years.
Creating a Stop Motion Animation on Photoshop
The pictures were taken in Millennium Square the group was stood together and after each shot we would move slightly, we wouldn't move to much as it wouldn't have worked so well in the stop motion animation sequence/timeline. I think it has worked well and I've chosen to use a 20 sec frame rate which isn't to fast.
Our own group work ideas
Our ideas for this project was for three of us to have what would like a race on the chairs from our main computer room where we meet. Because the chairs are on wheels it will work, we can move a small distance as we go around what we made as the course between the two studio rooms in a figure of eight. Each shot will be taken after we've move about a metre and both pictures will be taken from the same spot.
My ideas and development
- Pictures of someone repairing a bicycle, taking photographs whilst they do the work to the bike and then to see them get ready to go out and maybe follow them as they leave to go riding.
- I was thinking about the idea of taking pictures of somebody eating some food at a table, maybe seeing them walking into where ever they are siting down and taking pictures as they go through their meal, then finishing, standing up and walking away.
I think this could be my idea for the 1 minute S.M.A with a soundtrack
- Another idea for my own stop motion would be, taking pictures of some art work and trying to take the first shot at the beginning of a drawing or painting and following it through until the person has finished. It will work quite well as it will follow different stages as its created, also it could be done without seeing the artist in the picture, this would give a great effect of being able to see it done without having a person involved.
Ten second Stop Motion Animation
My 10 second stop motion animation is actually a T-shirt attached to a clothes line and it moves around the clothes line onto the grass and moves along on the grass and then back onto the clothes line, it does sound like a bit of a boring idea but i like the way its a piece of clothing moving around by itself.
This was my S.M.A after putting it through Photoshop using the workspace then motion selection in the window bar, I've also added some audio to it as well and I think it works ok with the moving t-shirt.. I could've taken a few more pictures as it is quite a juddering sequence, i don't think it would've even needed that many more pictures to have made it slightly smoother.
Screen grabs of how to create a SMA on Photoshop
These follow the steps on how to create it on Photoshop, I found it quite easy to follow and it will become even easier as you get used to it.
Evaluation of the unit
This was a great unit, an animation you can create using still pictures of movement, I didn't know this was possible at all. You do need to be very exact with the camera on a tripod and make sure it doesn't move at all during the movement of whatever you're shooting, after combining all the images you've taken using the animation selection on Photoshop it's incredible what you can create. It really does make you realise how much it's used today, it would be great for using at a sport event or even something being built and even just on a busy street, it's a technique i will definitely be using again.
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