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
CLAYMATION MAGIC It takes imagination planning and lots of work to achieve the magical look of Claymation The first thing you need is a good story Jot down your ideas and choose the one you like best Now write out the full story line Make sure your story moves along clearly from the start to the conclusion Once you have the story line finished create a storyboard that shows how to set up each frame Now you are ready to make your puppets build sets and create props Gather all your materials before you start working with clay You also need to choose which camera and software see below to use Make sure you have a steady bright light to shine on your set When you have put the set light and camera in position you are ready to make movie magic one frame at a time It’s important to remember that each time you make a change in the scene no matter how small you need to take a new photo When you have all your pictures use software to assemble your frames into a movie ANIMATION SOFTWARE There are many stop-motion software programs and applications apps available for animators of all skill levels from a beginner to a professional Be sure to check with an adult before downloading any apps or software to your device Some programs allow you to shoot your frames directly in the program then string them together Others require you to upload the pictures from your camera Most programs feature a tutorial that teaches filmmakers how to use the different tools 6 HOW IT WORKS You will need to learn how your software operates but most stop-motion programs work something like this 1 The software displays all the frames from the camera on-screen as thumbnails or small pictures 2 The animator clicks on a single thumbnail to select it This step is repeated as many times as necessary and in the right order 3 When all the frames have been selected the animator previews what the movie will look like and makes changes if needed 4 When everything looks good the animator uses the program to combine all the frames into one file It’s now ready for music credits and other additions
7 A storyboard is a tool animators use to plan the different scenes that will be included in a movie It shows what will happen and in what order Each frame is sketched to show the position of the puppets A storyboard also shows the kind of shot such as a close-up being used in each frame Make a storyboard to plan the action in your Claymation For now focus on showing large changes instead of small movements Try using different shots to create suspense or add humor Draw in pencil in case you want to make changes Editing is the process of reviewing your work and making changes Clay animators often reuse frames that show a repeated movement such as walking They can use the same picture twice in a row to cut down on the number of frames needed At other times frames can be reversed to show characters moving backward or walking around in circles Pauses are important too Create a pause by repeating a single frame several times Experiment with reusing frames to find interesting ways to enhance your movie while saving time shooting the frames You can also add music and sound at the editing stage to bring your movie to life Animation programs and apps usually come pre-loaded with lots of music and sound effects You can also record your own sounds or a dialogue between your characters Include the title of your movie at the beginning of your finished Claymation Add credits at the end to acknowledge everyone who worked on it Finally set up a screening to show your finished product to an audience EDITING YOUR MOVIE PLANNING YOUR VIDEO STORYBOARDS A storyboard showing six frames Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3 Scene 4Scene 5Scene 6 Tip Use music to create a soundtrack for your movie Think about how you can match the music to the mood of your characters Are they happy or sad silly or scared You could even create a movie based on a simple song or nursery rhyme
