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My Processes of Creating a Stop Motion Animation.

This post is about my endeavors in the world of stop motion, from the capturing of the footage to the editing of footage.

Attempt 1: Drawing Stop Motion

My first animation is me pushing a coin down a slope which has been drawn.

For this animation, I used; My camera phone, an LED lamp, a stand clamp, a small tripod, paper, a coin, a pencil, a ruler and earphones.

I set up my camera by putting on a tripod. I then put the tripod on a stand clamp so my camera was facing down. I used the LED lamp so I could get consistent lighting. The coin, the pencil and the ruler are just props to animate. The earphones let me take pictures of the set without touching my phone so the frame stays consistent.

Once all the photos have been taken, I imported all the footage to a computer via a USB cable, I thought that this process would be challenging as I thought that the school computers would reject my phone. If this were to happen then I would have used Google Drive.

The most unexpectedly challenging part of the process was actually animating on the software. Firstly I used Adobe Lightroom to animate my stop motion, this compiled all my images in order, I opened a slideshow and used the arrow keys to move through the images, I later found out that I couldn’t animate in Lightroom, I could have animated if a plugin for Lightroom was downloaded, unfortunately, school doesn’t let students download download plugins and configure system files. My next attempt in animating my photos was in Photoshop, this took multiple tries but I will talk about the attempt with was successful. I imported all my images into a Photoshop timeline, converted the timeline to a frame animation, I highlighted all the frames and then set the duration of the stills to no duration. 

I then optimized the animation and then flattened  the frames into layers, so that the rendering process is more efficient. I then rendered the video so that I could edited it further in Premiere Pro. As you can see, the image is in the wrong orientation, the rotation tool in Premiere Pro can quickly fix that, I also sped up the animation so that It looked smoother. 

I attempted another method of animating through After Effects. This process is a lot more quick but in my opinion the workflow of After Effect doesn’t feel right. I firstly imported the images I took and then put them into a a new composition I, I then put that composition into another composition which let me use ‘Time Remapping’, this you let me sync my animation to the beat of the music I will be choosing for the final project. 

Attempt 2: Pixilation

In my opinion, I feel that pixilation is more difficult than drawing a stop motion animation, everybody has to have the same mindset, and everybody has to communicate really well, communication is key as you need to tell the model how to move, you are also not allowed to touch people, because that’s weird. Communication is not one of my strongest abilities so this attempt is probably one my worst.

In this attempt, I only managed to get over 50 frames, for a smoother animation, I created a 3 second animation which I then copied and then reversed in Premiere so that the animation can last longer.

Attempt 3: Claymation

Claymation is much easier than Pixilation as you don’t have to talk to move the models, however, the models do take a long time to design. When doing claymation, it is best when the models have simple design so that the process is quicker. In my first attempt in claymation, I made a small quadruped, model which made it easier to animate as the figure didn’t move as much. 

My first attempt in claymation I made a free form model, which means I didn’t use an armature skeleton. In claymation, the models tend soften over time when they are being used. In a lot of cases, this is good as the models are easier to move, however, when you are animating long appendages, they tend to not stick into the same place if it isn’t thick enough.

The second attempt, I made a Minecraft Creeper model. This time, I used an armature. Since the model is basically a stick, the armature is basically a single piece of wire. This helped in keeping the model straight.

In my opinion, using an armature is very useful if you have a fairly large figure. Smaller figures are better off free form, but some kind of support like small pieces of wire to stick appendages together. 

Overall, I think that claymation is one of the best methods of stop motion because the figures are easier to move and direct. This means that I can do what I want to do with the clay models with almost no limitations. I would consider using this method for my final product

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Good Examples of Stop Motion

As stated previously, stop motion animation is a versatile medium as animators are limited to only their imaginations. This means that each stop motion film would have a different purpose, like educating or advertising.

Here is a good example of an animation which has been created to inform a family audience.

The ‘Change4Life’ advert is a good example of an animation which is used to inform a family audience as it uses simple and ‘cute’ characters and a cartoon background. They explicitly show the audience the message which is to cut back on sugar by making sugar cubes look scary in a ‘cute’ fashion.

This next example is an advertisement directed to the genera public.

This McCoy’s crisps advert is more directed to the general public as there is no sign of anything relating to age, gender, etc... it is clear that this video is an advertisement as we are presented with a McCoy’s crisps bag, they’re also thanking people for buying their brand of crisps and making people not buy imitation brands, in my eyes I see this as ‘buy our brand, nothing else’. 

This next example is a music video which is simply designed to entertain.

This example is a music video for the song ‘Fell in Love With A Girl’ by the band ‘The White Stripes’, the animation could considered as a brick film. I can see that his video if purely for entertainment as the music video didn’t have a deeper message hidden in between. I can’t see this being targeted to a specific audience, I see that the music for more targeted to an older audience but it is opposed by the fact that this video was only made with Lego. 

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The Process of Creating a Stop Motion Animation

This post will be about the process of creating a stop motion animation in more detail. 

Character Design:

You would want to design your character so that you can see the measurement of the character’s body parts. Also at this stage you would need think about the material you want your character to be made of. 

Once your character design is finished, you would need to create an armature structure for your character’s model, pre-made armature structures can be purchased too. You would need to do this so that the model can be put in a fixed position in each frame. Once this armature structure is made, the materials that you have chosen for the model can be sculpted onto the armature.

Creating the models for the character’s isn’t the only thing you would have to make. Another aspect you would have to consider is the expressions of the character. Multiple variants of the character’s face would have to be made so that when the product is finished, the character looks alive. In addition, you would have to make multiple variants of the  character, for example, if your character walks through a desert, you would make another models of the character covered in sand.

Creating the Set:

Another aspect you would need to consider when creating a stop motion, is the set of the animation. This could be a simple white background or it could be a complex living room. The most crucial aspect of creating a stop motion set is that the lighting is consistent, natural light from the sun is very bright and useful however clouds can dim the sunlight and then your animation would have inconsistent light, the solution is using artificial lights like a lamp. If you are using materials which are glossy, you would see that the light reflects off those type materials, to solve this problem, you can use white parchment paper to diffuse the light. 

A background can be added to the set to to make if more interesting, blue paper can be used to make a simple sky or you would make a green background which can then later be keyed to something different in the editing software.

You could also put props into consideration, when creating props, you would have to make the size of the props relative to the size of the character. 

Post Production:

When creating a stop motion animation you can create it in a specific way, you can either create the film in ‘doubles’ or in ‘singles’. When filming in singles, it would create a smoother animation, as photos are taken in 24 frames per second which is the industry standard amount off frames in filming. Filming in doubles is when the animator shoots in 12 frames per second, this saves time when creating an animation, however, the film would be less smoother, you could create an animation which is 15 frames per second to get an acceptably smooth animation.  

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The Different Methods of Stop Motion

Just like a film, a genre of animation also has sub-genres, stop motion has multiple sub-genres which all relate to the material the animator is using. 

The first type of stop motion animation we will be talking about is ‘Puppet Animation’, this type of animation consists of a figure with a skeletal structure called a puppet, this is to make sure that the figure stays in place. The environment will also be constructed so that the puppet can interact with it.  

Firstly, the character will be designed, the animator would measure out all the lengths of limps and the dimensions. Secondly, the skeletal structure would be created based on the measurements made, the skeletal structures would be typically be made out of metal wire as the material is flexible and it stays in a fixed position. Pre-built armatures are available as well.

When the armature structure has been made, they animator can now sculpt the character. An array of materials can be used however specific materials have to be used in specific places of the character’s body. If you want a material for the limbs of the character, you would want to use a material which is flexible. Parts like the torso wouldn’t need to be made out of the same material as the limbs the torso doesn’t move as much.

Expressions and emotions are essential when it comes to visual story telling. Puppet stop motion is not an exception. But how does a puppet express emotion? The animator would have to make different facial expressions so that the puppet can express them. This means that when a puppet is talking and there are at least 15 frames per second then the animator would have to switch the mouth so that the puppet looks like it’s talking.

When a puppet stop motion contains a lot of detail then it would consume a lot of time. 

The next method of Stop Motion is ‘Clay Animation’ (or Claymation, or Claymay). This form of animation works similarly to puppet animation where the figure would have a skeletal structure inside, figures could also not use the skeletal structure if they clay they are using is strong enough so that it remains in a fixed position, however it is recommended that an armature should be used as clay becomes more malleable when it become more warmer from extensive material manipulation. This type of animation was given it’s name because of the material that is being used. 

Another method of stop motion is ‘Cutout Animation’, again the process of designing a character is needed however there is no need to create skeletal structure because the animation will be made in 2D, materials like paper or cloth would be used. 

A good example of cutout animation is ‘South Park’ which is a more targeted to a more mature audience. Their pilot episode was made using paper but a couple season after they switched to using computer software. 

The next method of stop motion is ‘Model Animation’, according to https://www.animationcoursesahmedabad.com , model animations are created to interact with the live action world. Effects are used to blend the stop motion and real life world together, however, in a previous post, we see that this method was pioneered by Ray Harryhausen with his method ‘Dynamation’.

In contrast to these methods, this next method only uses inanimate objects which are found anywhere. This method is called ‘Object Animation’, there is no need to create any special puppets or models. However, there is a sub genre with object animation called a ‘Brick Film’ where the animator uses Lego for the material. You may think that ‘The Lego Movie’ from 2014 is to be considered a brick film, unfortunately, the Lego Movie uses CGI. On the other hand, the very first brick film which contained Lego ‘minifigures’ called ‘The Magic Portal’ by animator ‘Lindsay Fleay’ which has inspired the Lego Movie.

Finally, the last form of stop motion is ‘Pixilation’, this is where the animator uses real life actors, instead of using other materials. Pixilation is a good way make people do impossible actions like floating in mid-air or doing a back flip 20 times. A good example for this form of stop motion animation is an advertisement for the Amazon Kindle 3. 

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Significant Figures of Animation

This post will be talking about the people who have taken steps forward into animation.

Walt Disney:

Walt Disney is one of the most significant figures in the world of animation. The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923 in Los Angeles, California, eventually moving to Burbank, California. Initially creating traditional live action films, in 1928 they released their first successful animation called ‘Steamboat Willie’, featuring the now famous ‘Mickey Mouse’. In 1937, the Walt Disney Company released their first fully animated feature ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. 

Ray Harryhausen:

Raymond Frederick Harryhausen was considered to be a pioneer when I comes to stop motion and animation effects. Harryhausen has an interest in in films and models, it was said that he was inspired by The Lost World (1925) and King Kong (1933). Harryhausen began developing a technique that is now known as ‘Dynamation’ which makes animated models and real actors look like they are interacting with each other.

Hayao Miyazaki:

According to IMDb, the second best animator of all time is Hayau Miyazaki, the number one spot being taken be Walt Disney. Miyazaki is one of the greatest animation directors in Japan. Miyazaki’s greatest works are all created using hand-drawn animation, Spirited Away being nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

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Methods of Animation

As stated previously animations are a series of photos or images which create the illusion of movement. There are a variety of ways in which the illusion of motion can be created.

One method of creating the illusion of movement was through 2D animation. 2D animation can be separated into two categories. The first is ‘Traditonal’ or ‘Classical’ 2D animation. This method was extremely slow as animators had to draw characters by hand for each and every frame, additionally, each and very frame also had to be painted. A great example of classic hand-drawn 2D animation is from the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli, 4 of their films are at the top 10 of IMDb’s top 50 hand-drawn animated films.

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls051226887/

This GIF is from the Studio Ghibli film ‘Spirited Away’ 2001 directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Another film to mention which was hand-drawn is ‘Akira’ (1988) directed by Katsuhiro Ótomo, a Japanese dystopian science fiction film. 

The other category of 2D animation is ‘Digital’ 2D Animation, this can be done through software like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Flash, changes to colour or frame rate can be easily changed, most modern cartoons are digitally created.

Another method of creating the illusion of movement is through Stop Motion. Stop motion is a technique which makes inanimate objects come to life. The process of stop motion is incremental, this means that the subject you are animating is moved in increments while capturing a frame each increment. When all the frames are played in a sequence, it would seem like it is moving. This GIF shows the how a stop motion is created. 

To create a stop motion animation, you would need to have a subject and a camera. You would firstly capture a frame by taking a photo and then moving the subject slightly, you would then capture the next frame. It is recommended that an animator would capture 15 frames a second to create an acceptably smooth animation, generally animations are rarely created with a frame rate more than 24 frames per second and a frame rate less than 12, an animator could save time by creating an animation which is 12 frames per second, this is called ‘Shooting in Doubles’, shooting with 24 frames per second would be called ‘Shooting in Singles’.

An excellent example of the use of stop motion is from Wes Anderson. Anderson is known to have is own personal style when it comes to film making, this includes his projects with stop motion. ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ was Wes Anderson’s first film to contain only stop motion animation, the film received a Golden Globe nomination for the best animated feature film, and his most recent work in stop motion is ‘Isle of Dogs’. 

Claymation or Clay Animation is essentially stop motion but the subjects are made of clay. According to Stop Motion Central, clay is a versatile medium, which is only limited to one’s imagination. There are two types of models used for stop motion, the first is an ‘Armature’ based model where the model has a skeletal structure made of a metal, covered in clay. Another type of model for clay animation the ‘Freeform’ model where it doesn’t have a skeleton. 

There are different types of clay that an animator can use, clay can be water based or oil based. Water based clay is inexpensive to work with but it dries out unlike oil based clay. Aardman, one of the most influential animation studios, have used Newplast clay which is a non-drying, re-useable clay. They now currently use their own mix of clay called ‘Aardmix’.  

Aardman have been the leading studio in stop motion, clay animation and animation in general. They have been creating projects with clay animation for many years and have been commissioned by many companies and organisations like the NHS with the ‘Change4Life’ programme, the BBC and DFS. Below is a public service announcement from Aardman directed by Nigel Davies for the NHS ‘Change4Life’ public health programme.

Another form of animation is Pixilation, this form of animation uses real life actors. This form of animation works similarly to stop motion, where a photograph is taken and then the actors will move slightly and then another photograph is taken. The first person to use pixilation was Norman Mclaren in the 1950′s with his film Neighbours, reflecting on the themes of anti-war. 

The most famous example is from an animator called PES, with his short film ‘Fresh Guacamole’ which is pixilation mixed with stop motion animation.

Other famous examples of pixilation is a music video from the band OK Go with their song ‘End Love’.

If we are considering pixilation to be a form of animation then we could also consider that hyperlapse photography to also be a form of animation. Patrick Cheung’s video for Ghost Style’s song ‘Love Never Dies’ could be considered to be a form of animation.

Another method of animation is Rotoscoping, in my point of view, I see rotoscoping as a combination of 2D animation and pixilation. To create a rotoscope animation, you would simply trace over a video. A film by Brad Hansen shows the style or Rotoscoping. The animation showing feels more smoother and more human than other methods of animation. 

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The History of Animation

Before we get into the history of Animation, we would need to know what animation is. According to ‘Computer Hope’, an animation is a series of photos or images which create the illusion of movement, these photos are to be presented in rapid succession.

The Mediums of Animation:

During the industrial revolution in the West, in the 18th and 19th centuries came into experimentation mechanisms which would make images appear to move.

In 1603, the ‘Magic Lantern’ was created. It was a projector which used sheets of glass. Some sheets of glass had moving parts so it is considered to be the first example of projected animation.

A couple hundred years later the ‘Thaumatrope’ was invented in 1824. This was a device which house a rotating mechanism with a different picture on each side. When the device was rotated the user would see the combined image (Also known as persistence of vision).

7 years after the ‘Thaumatrope’, the ‘Phenakitoscope’ was invented in 1831. This was a device which used spinning disks reflected in mirrors that made it seem like a picture was moving. A similar devices was created in 1834 which has the same concept as the ‘Phenakitoscope’ called the ‘Zoetrope’, where a hollow drum housed with images on long interchangeable strip spins and made images appear to move. In 1877, the ‘Movieola’ or the ‘Praxinoscope’, expanded on the idea of the zoetrope, using multiple wheels to rotate images, people considered that this device showed the first prototypes of animated cartoon.

In 1864, the ‘Flip-Book’, also known as the ‘Kineograph’ was invented, the user would flick through the book so that the images in the book were seen in rapid succession. This medium of animation would reach a greater audience and has inspired early animators.

1900′s - 1930′s: The Silent Era

In the early 20th century, theatrical showings of cartoons started to appear. The years between 1900 - 1930 were considered to be The Silent Era. Animation studios were being formed, the most successful being Bray Studios, which helped cartoonists launch their careers. 

‘The Enchanted Drawing’, by J. Stuart Blackton, is too be considered the very first instance of animated video. The film consisted of Blackton drawing a face which reacts to Blackton’s actions. 

In 1906, Blackton then created ‘Humorous Phases of Funny Faces’ which is a film which was entirely animated.

In 1908, a French cartoonist and animator Émile Cohl created one of the earliest examples of hand-drawn animation, many historians consider this film to be the very first cartoon. Instead of drawing on blackboard Cohl used paper, the blackboard effect was created using negative film. 

In 1914 Winsor MCay created the very first animation which featured a character with an appealing personality this is what set him apart from the earlier animators like Blackton and Cohl. Gertie the Dinosaur was also the first animation to use keyframe animation. 

1919 was the year in which cartoonist Otto Messmer created Felix the Cat. This character was featured in two animated films, ‘Musical Mews’ and ‘Feline Follies’. 

1928 was the year when Walt Disney Studios gained notable success with Steamboat Willie. This animation contained the now famous Mickey Mouse. This animation was also the first cartoon to have sound printed on the film.

1930′s - 1950′s: The Golden Age of Animation

At this point of time, animations have became an important part of pop culture. During this era, we see the rise of Walt Disney, The Warner Brothers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Fleischer.

The Warner Brothers:

The Warner Brothers were a group of 4 brothers, Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack. They started off as travelling exhibitors showing motion pictures across the Ohio and Pennsylvania with their portable projector. By 1907 they operated in a converted store, bothers Albert and Harry were selling tickets, whilst Sam operated the hand crank and Jack sang during the intermissions.

In 1931 the Warner Bros. produced the animated cartoon series ‘Merrie Melodies’ featuring characters from the sister series ‘The Looney Tunes’ who have been ingrained into pop culture. 

Walt Disney:

Founded in 1923 in Los Angeles, California the Disney brothers produced a series called the ‘Alice Comedies’ which were live action.

In 1937, Disney created their first full length animated feature, ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’

1960′s - 1980′s: The Television Era

The Television became the new medium of consuming entertainment, the animation industry started to adapt to this new medium. Studios created these animations using a ‘limited animation’ style. Cable channels like Nickolodeon helped cartoons be everywhere on television. 

1980′s - Present: The Modern Era

The next step on the journey of animation is through ‘Computer Generated Imagery’ or CGI for short. 3 dimensional models replaced the drawing from the animation, CGI is essentially virtual stop motion. 

In 1984, The Graphics Group (currently known as Pixar) created the first fully CGI animated short film ‘The Adventures of Andre and Wally B’. 11 years after Pixar released Toy Story, the first fully CGI feature film.