Stop-motion animation is a filmmaking technique in which still or unmoving pictures are played in rapid sequence to create the impression of movement Rapid sequence means that the images are played very quickly in a specific order Each image is called a frame Each frame shows a small change in position from the previous frame Claymation also known as clay animation uses stop-motion techniques to create movies starring puppets made out of modeling clay Modeling clay is used because it is easy to work with It allows animators to easily move and reposition the puppets in tiny steps to show movement Claymation requires patience and attention to detail It takes hundreds of frames to make a Claymation movie Animations can be created using many devices including a traditional camera smartphone tablet or webcam STOP-MOTION ANIMATION Claymation movies are usually shorter than other movies because they require more work How To Use This Book The projects in this book are meant to inspire you to create your own Claymation movies You can follow the steps provided or use your imagination to add your own creative twists to the projects 4
BECOMING AN ANIMATOR A career in animation requires hard work You can gain experience by joining clubs or entering contests Many schools and libraries hold workshops to teach animation techniques With a responsible adult’s permission you can also watch how-to videos online Observe your surroundings and keep a notebook to jot down ideas You never know when inspiration will hit At college animators might study sculpture animation or illustration The only limit to making Claymation movie magic is your imagination In 1955 well-known Claymation characters Gumby and his trusty horse Pokey were brought to life by animator Art Clokey 1921 2010 The characters appeared in a popular TV series and even starred in a movie In 2015 to celebrate Gumby’s 60th birthday Gumby Fest a stop motion animation festival was held at Citrus College in California The festival included an exhibition that featured the original puppets props and sets from the hit TV show CLAYMATION MASTERPIECES Clay animation got its start way back in 1897 when modeling clay was invented During the 1960s characters such as Gumby became popular The first Claymation feature film was Chicken Run released in 2000 The creators spent two and a half years planning the story and making the puppets then a year and a half shooting the movie To shoot 10 seconds of film about 240 frames were needed During filming 7,000 pounds 3,175 kg of Plasticine a type of modeling clay was used More than 500 puppets were made All the hard work paid off Chicken Run is the top-grossing Claymation movie of all time Other feature-length Claymation movies include The Curse of the Were-Rabbit 2005 The Pirates Band of Misfits 2012 and Shaun the Sheep Movie 2015 It takes a lot of time to shoot a Claymation movie About 10 12 frames are needed for one second of film It took five years to shoot The Curse of the Were-Rabbit 5
