Stop Motion Animation 2012-13

Stop Motion Animation Award

Aim and purpose

This unit aims to develop learners’ skills in the production of stop motion animation, using traditional frame – by - frame methods to animate 3D materials such as objects, puppets, clay figures and other models.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this unit a learner should:

·         1 Understand the techniques and development of stop motion animation

·         2 Be able to devise a stop motion animation with soundtrack

·         3 Be able to produce a stop motion animation with soundtrack

·         4 Be able to evaluate audience responses to own stop motion animation work

Task 1: Stop Motion Animation Past and Present

Working for a website aimed at developing young people’s interest in animation, you will produce a video blog which explores stop motion animation techniques including persistence of vision; stop-frame; frame rates, and their development up to the present, illustrating the blog with stills from animations which have been significant in the history of stop motion animation. You will explore the techniques and development of stop motion animation investigating pioneers and contemporary animators, and the genres and forms developed from the past to present day.

Task 2: Treatment and Pitch

You will plan and research enabling you to produce a stop-motion animation film of 15-20 seconds in length for a TV channel, website or film festival. For this task you need to work on your own or in pairs to:

·         Write a treatment identifying the content and audience of the proposed animation defining your audience by age, by gender, and by interests; taste; viewing context

·         Pitch your proposal to a visiting professional, you will also log and address feedback prior to production

Task 3: Production portfolio

You will compile a portfolio showing that you have considered the use of possible formats such as stop-frame techniques, time lapse photography, claymation, using found objects, modelling, puppetry, or combined formats.

You will include:
your generation of concepts: subject; characters; visualisation; awareness of technical limitations; exploiting format potential.
Generation of production ideas: storylines; sets; backgrounds; scenarios; audio

You will produce:

·         drawings and designs for characters and backgrounds

·         Appropriate pre-production  and planning documentation including drawings; storyboarding; consideration of movement; continuity; frames per second; perspective; soundtrack design; point of view; set or background; lighting; colour;

Task 4: Production

·         produce the animation film of 15-20 seconds

·         meet client for feedback

·         make revisions as required by client

·         arrange audience screenings e.g. local screenings, festivals, websites

·         Create questions for and carry out a focus group. 

·         Collect and analyse audience feedback considering genre, content, style, narrative, character, techniques, aesthetic qualities; creative qualities and technical qualities, through audience responses: collected from discussions, questionnaires, reviews, focus groups, and feedback from online exhibition.

Task 5:  Evaluation - reflecting on own animated work and audience feedback

Write a detailed evaluation of the production.  Remember to evaluate both process and finished product.  You must cover:

•               An outline of the original brief and the extent to which it has been realised; discuss the use of appropriate methods and techniques in producing your animation appropriateness to audience; technical qualities; aesthetic qualities; content; style

•               An account of your research, pre-production, planning, preparation and production; discuss skills you have developed as you have undertaken these processes, and design and logistics problems you have overcome; e.g. relating to time management, project management, monitoring work in progress, technical competencies, creative ability, own work, teamwork

•               A consideration of group roles and how well you worked together as a group

•               Strengths and weaknesses of the finished image, areas for improvement and the finished film’s suitability for purpose.

•               Codes and conventions followed; refer to your documentation; notes, sketches, portfolio

•               Client and audience feedback; evaluate the responses given

Stop Motion Animation Blogs

Yolanda Johnson

Peter Bailey

Haris Ali

Zunaid Patel

Ryan Bayley

Sami Miah

Estibel Sanchez

Jake Mockford

Examples of work

General feedback & observations

For the techniques and developments of stop motion animation (grading criteria 1) all students discussed and researched persistence of vision, frame rates and the development of various techniques over time.  This included workshops to create and research into praxinoscopes, zoetropes and flick books.  The class also found information and examples of work from early pioneers such as Muybridge to key figures such as O' Brien, Harryhausen and Svankmajer.  They also looked at the influence of these individuals on contemporary work.  Students found, analysed and presented on contenporary music videos, advertisements and idents.  This is evident in the main through their blogs and research for their individual productions.  The group video-blog and individual bits of work have also been uploaded.

In terms of individual portfolios, animations completed in class and dope sheets, most work has been uploaded to individual blogs (above) and I have commented on individual students in more detail on their feedback sheets.  Additional observation sheets complete.