Week 1

Today we were introduced to the animation lab and the two different types of workstation:

the rostrum camera (for making 3D stop animation)

and the camera for 2D animations, linked directly to a computer/stop motion software.

This very simple software allowed us to try working with 'onion skinning' and timing.

We also watched some examples of work which the tutors liked and which other students found inspirational. My favourites were...

Little Dragon music video by Johannes Nyholm

I like the simplicity of this one; it focuses more on the story and less on the skill/technique involved in making an animation.

The puppets and scenery are so minimal but, along with the wafting backdrop, still manage to evoke a lot of emotion.

Oren Lavie music video (directed by Oren Lavie)

A lot of stop motion has been done with real people, enabling them to appear doing things usually impossible (flying etc). However, I think this one is particularly successful as it's interesting the whole way through and looks carefully considered e.g. when the model 'runs' it looks real; they must have looked at slowed-down film of people running. The video also works well as it's short, being a music video, and the lyrics/musical style match the visuals; the high number of views on youtube is testimony to this.