Stop Frame Animation Workshop

On this day we learned and experimented with about different forms of stop-frame animation techniques used for different animated series in TV and film. We looked at 2D animation, animation using a software called Dragonframe as well as clay animation (otherwise known as claymation)

Famous examples of 2d animation include Big Mouth (2017– ), The Simpsons (1989– ), Hit-Monkey (2021– ),What If...? (2021– ), Futurama (1999-2013), Rick and Morty (2013– ), Family Guy (1999– ) and Enchanted (2007). Films include The Lion King (1994), The Little Mermaid (1989), Mulan (2020), The Prince of Egypt (1998) and Tangled (2010).

Examples of claymation include children's animations such as Wallace and Gromit, Postman Pat, Shaun the Sheep and Pingu as well as movies such as Chicken Run (2000), Coraline (2009), Corpse Bride (2005), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014) and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). These are just some of many famous examples, so I think it is well worth exploring the techniques used in stop-frame animation.

Dragonframe Animation

Initially I was in a group with Frankie and Natasha and we took a look at the Dragonframe software for the first time. Dragonframe is a software that can be used for all different types of stop frame animation from 2d such as illustrated works to 3d such as clay. We experimented using the software with a camera hooked up to the software on a Mac so you could take each frame by pressing 'Enter' and adjusting the frame rate to give the animation a suitable speed. In our group we experimented with a lot of ideas but erased most of them. We created frames for a sort of fight scene as shown below.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c3a0a6_812e65c43d794b0b92a0dbde609c0b2a/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Above is the stop frame animation I created using techniques we had learned previously (for the mind map and collage) using the frames taken on the camera with the Dragonframe software. I created a very simple animation with a 0.1s delay before each frame; it almost looks like footage caught on a CCTV camera because of its quality. Below are the reel of frames that I used in this animation.

Claymation

In our same groups we also experimented with clay animation (or 'claymation' as it is referred to) by making our own unique characters and creating a simple storyline. I was with Frankie and Natasha, and we started out by taking different colours of plasticine and getting creative. We each tried to sculpt different characters (or avatars) for a short stop frame animation we would produce. I initially just started with one colour and tried to mould a stickman of some sort. However it was far more challenging than I thought, because I didn't realise how hard it actually was to stick the plasticine bits together, and suspend them in the air for bits such as the arms, head and torso. Eventually we each ended up with each of our own unique creations. Mine ended up being this very unusual figure, which looked to me like Baymax from Big Hero 6 (the head mainly), but with Marge Simpson's hair. It was very random, but all I wanted it to do was to stay upright.

These photos above are some close up shots of the set we were making. Essentially we were trying to make a scene in which the two creatures sit together at this miniature dining table. I moved the characters in the animation while Natasha took a photo of each frame, and Frankie helped out a bit with the photos too. It was a group effort as it would have taken us ages if we were making each of our own animations, to create the characters and movements. All the equipment is shown in the pictures below; along with the lights, tripod and background.