Stop+Motion+Animation

**// Group //** toc Throughout this module you will become familiar with iMovie while making your own animation. The information below will help to guide you and your group through the process of making an animation called Stop Motion Animation.

= = = Introduction = A large portion of cartoons nowadays are computer generated and digitally enhanced. However, animation at its most basic form is a very simple concept. It is simply a number of drawings that are put together and shown very quickly to give the sense of movement. You may have drawn something like this using a sticky note pad. Stop animation is a form of animation done using digital cameras and movie making software such as iMovie. By making simple drawings, cutting them out and moving them around, you can make some very neat “cartoons.” Below is an example:

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= Assignment = The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to the process of animation by making your own “cartoon.” Because the assignment incorporates art and technology, you will need to have an interest in drawing (you do not need to be good at drawing.) to enjoy the project.

There are basically four steps to the stop animation process: 1. Making the artwork and getting it set up. 2. Taking pictures of each movement (which end up being the frames). 3. Editing the pictures into very short frames in iMovie. 4. Adding audio - either music, sound effects, or words.

For this assignment, you will do all four of the above steps but you will have the freedom to be as creative as you want.

The only real criteria is this: - the animated movie must be around a minute (give or take a few seconds). - the animated movie must include audio. This can be a song like the animation in the example had or you can narrate it by adding spoken word. If you can find sound effects, that might compliment your movie too. - the animated movie must also include a title and the beginning and something at the end to signify the end. This can be done in Windows Movie Maker. The text on these frames should also be formatted (i.e. changing the colour, font, size, etc. of the words).


 * It is important that you read all the instructions before proceeding. Once you understand the concept, it would also be a good idea to do a practice animation. For example, you could write your name, taking pictures of each stroke of the pen, the way it is done in the example video.

= Setup = = = **Step 1**:

Like any project, the first thing you should do is brainstorm and jot down a quick outline. The movie is only a minute long but there will most likely be a few different scenes. Sketch out what you think each scene will look like.

**Step 2**:

Set up your working area. Though you might not start the animation part (i.e. taking the pictures and moving the artwork around) right away, you should get an idea of what it’s going to look like. - find a large uncluttered table where you can work without any distractions. - set up a tripod on the table and put the camera on top of it. Angle the camera downwards to the table and lock it in place. What you are seeing will be the scene. This will be the size of the background. This should give you an idea of how big you should make your drawings and scene backgrounds.


 * Please note: **

1. The camera is facing down and locked into place so it can’t move. 2. The white paper is taped to table. This will be the background of the shot. Depending on what you are doing, you can draw on this. 3. Though it’s hard to see, I have put a piece of masking tape underneath each leg of the tripod, so I know where to put the tripod the next day or in case, for whatever reason, it is knocked out of place.
 * Remember once this is all set up you don’t want it to change. Make sure the tripod legs are locked and the handle that controls the angle is locked into place too. This is important.

**Step 3**:

- With your camera that is set up on the tripod and facing down, zoom into the background (the paper you have taped to the table) until there is no table showing anymore. Now you can judge the size that your artwork needs to be.

- Look through the camera and trace an outline around the page. Make sure this isn’t visible in the camera. It is for your reference only, so you know how much space you have to play around with. The higher you set the tripod the bigger the background is going to be.

= Final Step: =

Once you have collected all of the images you wish to you use you will need to import them into iMovie. For the remainder of this module you will need to refer to the iMove module in order to complete the process.