Stop Motion Filmmaking

Stop motion videos are fun and relatively easy to make. If you've seen a "flip book" used to create animation, you've got the basic idea of stop motion movies. Different props can be used for stopmotion movies including legos, lincoln logs, modeling clay, or other materials. The key is using a tripod to keep the camera still! In this multi-day workshop we'll learn about stopmotion movies, see lots of examples for inspiration and ideas, and spend most of our time CREATING our own stopmotion movies using digital cameras and computers! Requirements for participation include lots of creative ideas, enthusiasm, a desire to have fun, and a willingness to collaborate with others!

I am scheduled to teach this as a week-long workshop June 23-27, 2008, for the Fine Arts Camp for 3rd - 9th graders at First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. A PDF flyer about the camp is available.

Equipment each student team is using:

1. Digital camera and Tripod - or- a webcam / digital videocamera and computer cable
2. Frames software by Tech4Learning
3. Computer
4. Stuff to make interesting stopmotion movies: Modeling clay with pipe cleaners, styrofoam and foil; lincoln logs; legos; Rescue Heroes; Small creative play kits (NASA characters and equipment, My Little Pony) etc.

Links to OUR StopMotion Movies created in this workshop: (all in QuickTime format)

1. All our completed films are also posted to YouTube on a special channel: www.youtube.com/fpcstopmotion
2. Dino-Death - 19 sec
3. The Unexpected Champion (also available on YouTube) - 1 min, 16 sec
4. The Great Fight on Mars - 23 sec
5. Puppet Goes Boom - 23 sec
6. The Rescue - 34 sec (Hannah Rose and Grace)
7. The Horse's Revenge - 27 sec
8. A Day On The Moon (also available on YouTube) - 1 min, 20 sec
9. The Race - 18 sec (Julianna and Brooke)
10. The Trophy - (also available on YouTube) - 1 min, 54 sec (A continuation, part 4 if you will, of The Continuing Adventures of White Hat and Ropey)
11. Western - 16 sec

Other Example StopMotion Movies:

1. A Day On The Moon (105 pictures, music from the Podsafe Music Network, took 2 hours to complete start to finish)
2. StopMotion Western Classics (The Adventures of White Hat and Ropey)
3. LEGO Obi-Wan vs. Darth Maul
4. Store Wars Join The Organic Rebellion!

Other StopMotion Sites

1. BrickFilms (lego stopmotion films)
2. Student-created stopmotion animation films from the BBC
3. Claymation movie examples from Kevin
4. StopMotion Animation (WikiPedia definition)
5. Great additional links are available from Tech4Learning (maker of Frames and the Clay Animation Kit)

Additional links about stopmotion filemaking are available on Wesley's social bookmarks for "stopmotion."

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