My animation

This is the animation I have been working on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITXPMEzpoVM&feature=plcp

Editing my clay model pictures

I edited my pictures in MS Paint to put mouths on the models for when they are speaking. I used MonkeyJam to push 24 frames a second together, to make them into video:

I then got all the footage and lined up the audio and put the videos in order:

Then saved it as one video.

Building a clay model

With my models I didn't make the appendages seperatly, I moulded them as one piece. Moulding them as one piece comes in handy when animating, its less of a risk for the model to fall apart.

Firstly, I soften up the clay my squeezing in again and again untill it is soft enough to mold. I pinch the top to create the head and the same for the arms and legs. Next thing I do is roll out the arms and legs then smooth out the whole body. I place a square piece of white card or paper in the mouth area so I can edit in the mouth later on the computer.

Here are some pictures of the process:

Taking Pictures of my clay model

In this part I set up my backgroud and my model. I then set up my camera I began taking pictures of my clay model. Each time I took a pictures I moved the clay model just a little bit, so when all the pictures are put together in a film, it would appear the clay model is moving. This is called persistence of vision.

Blackton Animation Style

Blackton Animation Style

Blackton made a film in 1906 called “Humorous phases of funny faces”, the first animation on film. He was the first to experiment with the idea instead of just photography, that’s why there is also just bit of normal film in it with the animation or doing it on film would have been pointless.

After watching the Blackton film we made our own, filming then stopping, then moving the image. It can become boring and slow but the end result is amazing. Things moving that wouldn’t usually move come to life.

Making this style you must be careful, the camera has to be very still depending on your scene. One screw up, one thing out of place and you can destroy a good piece of work. Patience is a key factor in this, as I said already it can become very boring.

Here is 3 images from the film “Humorous phases of funny faces”:

Flip Books

Flip Books

12-24 fps (Frames per second)

Flip books were for the rich originally for the poor couldn’t afford them, they were once for pornography and its very controversial because animation has always been assumed to be just for children.

This is an example of a flip book I made:

Thaumatrope: Bird and the Cage

Thaumatrope: Bird and the Cage

Persistence of vision:

Spinning the two images that are on each side of a flat surface causes your brain to remember the last image slit second after it is gone making you think both images are one.

Thaumatrope is a Greek word meaning “magic motion.

Here is an example diagram of “Bird and the Cage”.

Some information from: http://www.precinemahistory.net/1800.htm

Here is an example of a “Bird and the Cage I made: