To some degree, this 20Time Project has been completed. Or better yet, chapter one of my introduction to stop motion animation is finished. Do I feel like an expert in the subject? Of course not. Nevertheless, I can say with a great deal of confidence that I know a lot more about stop motion animation than when I began and I have a few examples of my learning which can hopefully inspire others to try to learn the same. I have been able to answer most of my initial inquiries as well but, as I mention in this video, one good question only led me to many more. Creating these videos gave me a good idea of what it would take to make another one.
Now it's time to review my initial questions. 1. How does one write a compelling script for stop action animation? I learned that a compelling script can be made from minimalist materials. Music and motion has the ability to create and move an intriguing story along. 2. How can I manipulate lighting in order for the setting to look semi-realistic? Lighting, in my case, was about choosing the right time of day to shoot. While indoor lighting is consistent, that which comes in through windows is difficult to control. It's important to shoot within a short time frame before the sun continues its trip through the sky and changes the internal lighting. 3. What is the best way to create a small setting for the action? Painted cardboard and your child's toys create great props for a stop motion animation setting. 4. Is there an online community for these types of projects where I can get mentored? There are countless examples and tutorials on the internet explaining how to do these types of projects. The best community that I found where people were both sharing ideas and projects was at Stopmotioncentral.com 5. What is a reasonable time frame to complete this type of project? It's possible to shoot a scene in one day. In order to spend time editing and developing a story, one should plan on spending no less than one week to complete a short skit. 6. Is there an intersection between computer animation and stop action animation that I can adopt to make the project more efficient? There are a few different specialized software out there that will make this job much easier. However, I had already spent enough money on this project and therefore opted to stick with expensive software that I already had, Final Cut Pro X. I was able to do much of what I wanted with this but if I wanted to hone my skills even further, and was able to tether my camera, I might purchase more software. 7. What types of character figurines should I use or make? Figurines don't need to be completely pliable in order to express emotion or move a story along. My daughter's Matryoshka dolls served this purpose very well. I purchased a few additional figurines in order to move arms and legs but this is not necessary. Some artist have been able to create characters out of pieces of fruit. 8. Can I package this project so that my students can also complete similar projects? I started to build a website that would lead students through a project step-by-step. This was a good approach for teaching traditional animation. Stop motion animation requiring physical figurines in the real world is slightly more difficult to package. In this case, the concept is simple and the only way to learn is by trying it. 9. What types of stories are best told using this medium? In my projects I opted for shorts based on simple schticks, like dolls tripping. That is not to say that this is not a good medium for a feature length film. I just don't have the time or skill, yet, to make one. 10. Where should I publish my work? It's no surprise that Youtube became my go-to in regards to publishing. I haven't received too much feedback yet but I know that my projects do have the potential of reaching a wider audience. More importantly, I will be able find these in the future when I need to share them with my students in the hopes of them being inspired to try the same. 11. Would it be acceptable to allow my 10 year old daughter to assist me with this project or would it violate the rules of the class and child labor? Not sure about child labor laws but I was definitely grateful for the help my daughter provided me. It would have made my job much more difficult if I had to both position the characters and then run around and push the button on my camera. All-in-all, it was a great learning experience on many levels. Now I'm ready to put my learning in the 20 Time process to try and solve some real "wicked problems!"
1 Comment
Even though I can say with a degree of confidence that I've learned quite a bit about stop-motion animation on my summer 20Time project, the greater realization that I've had is that once life start making other demands it becomes quite difficult to keep up with learning that feels like a hobby. Although I understand that this was an assignment, it was one of our choosing and one which was supposed to be fun. However, I have found myself overthinking this assignment more than any other. The questions that I asked initially only spawned more questions. The more I dug into the subject, the more I found, the more I realized that I would have to learn, the more equipment and software that I would need to buy. Essentially, my problem with my 20Time project was that it was too open ended. If you asked me to read a book and then write about it, I could know that the book ends on page 237 then I would be able to reflect on the reading in 300 words or a chapter-by-chapter QQCE. Assignments like these have definitive beginnings and definitive ends. 20 Time projects on the other hand, can continue infinitely. This is what is what has made this project so problematic for me.
But enough about the 20 Time process. Let me get more specific about what I learned this week in the short video that you see above. In this video I decided to take a similar approach to the one I did in the previous week with Ghost Ballet but I was de |
AuthorI would like to share my reflections on my own learning processes and 2otime journey ArchivesCategories |