A practice sequence for the clay that will be used heavily in my upcoming short film! Thanks and please leave a comment!

Abstract Green

Awesome new animation by the animator "Mamshmam"! I was very amazed when I first saw this and is now definitely one of my favorite animations. Some of the movements absolutely blew my mind when I saw them and I asked myself "How did he do that?". This animation is very artistic with the sculptures he creates out of a single blob of clay while animating at the same time. The animation transitions very fluidly between the different positions of the clay. Overall, absolutely stunning! All credit goes to "Mamshmam"for this animation.

Abstract Green:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hTzID5HmGE&feature=channel_page

More- Review

Plot:
The Academy-Award nominated animated short-film tells the story of a lonely inventor, whose colorless existence is brightened only by dreams of the carefree bliss of his youth. By day, he is trapped in a dehumanizing job in a joyless world. But by night, he tinkers away on a visionary invention, desperate to translate his inspiration into something meaningful. When his invention is complete, it will change the way people see the world. But he will find that success comes at a high price, as it changes himself, as well.
Awards:

• Academy Awards 1998 - Nominee - Best Animated Short
• Sundance Film Festival 2/99 - Special Jury Prize for Short Films
• South by South West 2/99 - Best Animated Short
• Aspen Shorts Fest 3/99 - Special Jury prize
• World Fest Houston 3/99 - Gold Special Jury Prize for Shorts

Credit:

Run Time: 6:00

Format: 70/mm/15p and 35 mm/4 perf release prints

Writer and Director: Mark Osborne

Producer: Steve Kalafer

Co-producers: Debra Callabresi, Kelly Moren

Line Producer: Shannon Lowry

70mm Prod. Supervision: IMAGICA USA Inc., Kelly Moren

"MORE" by Mark Osborne

My Review:

"MORE" is an absolute wonder to behold. It is brimming with so many treasures. It moves the viewer beyond the point of explanation. Through the lonely inventor's failures, ultimate success, and finally losing what was the most important thing, the viewer will be able to connect with the protagonist on a very personal level. "MORE" is a very provocative film, where the slightest detail could mean seeing the film from two different standpoints. It makes us think about our childhood, where all we had was carefree joy. It makes us ponder whether we let the child inside of us die through our ambition for success and wealth. Did we lose sight of what is actually important in life? I believe being happy is the one of the most important things a person can be. The protagonist was happy when he had that child-like spirit. But then he became envious and jealous of the wealthy and powerful people in his world. He strove to be like them. He sold his soul to become famous and powerful. But what did it do for him? Nothing at all. He reminiscent about his former self and regrets his decision. This is my take on the film but everyone will have a different perception.

Overall, "More" is a wonderful tale, full of heart wrenching and warming moments. It really is the whole package in a film. It is a great film, top notch. I recommend everyone watch it and find that inner child in all of us. 

Move it!

Hey hows everybody doing? I havent posted something in a while so i just wanted to get back into it by writing about one of my absolute favorite animations. "Move it!" is very smooth animation with almost no mistakes whatsoever. The motions and ideas in the film are full of artistic creativity. Definitly one the best animations on Youtube and you should definitly check out the rest of his work. It absolutely blew my mind the first time I watched and I hope it will for you. Thanks!

Move It!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz97rUgxIHk&feature=channel_page

New Animation + Timelapse

A quick animation I made just to keep practicing and as i said before i put a timelapse of me in the process of making the animation. please comment. thanks!

Strata-Cut Animation

There are many different techniques and mediums(clay, paper, metal, anything) that stop motion animation can be expressed through. One of the techniques that most people are not familiar with is the Strata-Cut technique. In this technique there is a "loaf" of clay which is placed in front of the camera. The "loaf" is then sliced and with every slice a picture is taken. The inside of the loaf is filled with clay. The clay is weaved together to create intricate patterns. The following picture shows the creation process of strata-cut animation. 

(Courtesy of Stopmotionworks)

The following article contains great information about the Strata Cut Technique:

http://www.stopmotionworks.com/stratacut.htm

Stop Motion Animation Today

Stop Motion is still being used in smaller media projects i.e. commercials, short films etc. but it is very rare now to see a feature length film using this technique. There have been a few feature films i.e. Beetle Juice, the Nightmare before Christmas, MonkeyBone, Corpse Bride, and the new film Coraline. Major stop motion works are more common outside the U.S like Aardman Animation from England which is the creator of Wallace and Gromit . With the rise of computer generated animations, stop motion has been set aside. Computer animation has replaced stop motion in the film industry for a number of reasons. The primary reason being that if the director wants a change in the animation it is very easy to go in and make the change in a computer generated animation. While in stop motion the animator would have create the entire animation over again. This would be a very time consuming process. Another reason is the time it takes to create a stop motion animation compared to a computer generated animation is very different. To create a quality animation using stop motion the animator must not be rushed but in the film industry today studios want the animations done in the shortest amount of time possible. Stop motion is just not a viable route in that enviroment because of the length of time to create a very high quality animation. 

If you want more information on this topic please click on the following link which provides more details on the subject.

Link: http://www.stopmotionworks.com/faq.htm

Western Spaghetti- Review

This animation is absolutely genius. The style of Pes, which is the name of the artist is absolutely amazing. He uses everyday items to express ideas and the end result is amazing. This specific animation, Western Spaghetti received honorable mention at the Sundance film festival. Overall I think there are no mistakes at all in this animation. The concept is great. The objects used to express the idea are very creative. The video quality and lighting is excellent. The sounds in the animation really bring it to life. Overall one of the best animations using the stop motion technique and Pes is one of the most creative artists I have ever come across. Definetly check out of his other videos. Thanks!

Western Spaghetti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBjLW5_dGAM&feature=channel_page

Pes's Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/PESfilm

Pes's Website: http://www.eatpes.com/

Test Showreel- A Stop Motion Animation

Just a few animations to get back into animating after six months of not doing it. So please leave a comment about what you think.

What is Stop Motion Animation?

Stop Motion Animation is one of the most primitive forms of animation with examples dating back to over a hundred years ago. Stop motion animation is a very simple concept. Essentially, it is a sequence of still photographs, strung together at a high frame rate to create the illusion of movement. Frame rate is the number of frames or photos projected per second. For example, most animations are on 12 frames per second i.e. Wallace and Gromit. In 12 frames per second you only need 12 motions (or 12 pictures) of the puppet or whatever your animating(stop motion animation can be done in various mediums including clay, sand, paper, latex puppets and much more), to get a full second. In 24 frames per second you need 24 motions(pictures) to get a full second. The process of making the object seem like it is moving is extremely time consuming and requires a great deal of patience. In the creation of stop motion animation the animator moves the puppet a little takes a picture, moves the puppet a little more takes another picture and repeats this process until the desired motion is achieved. While capturing the photos the camera should not be moved at all. It needs to remain stationary and secure through the duration of shooting. Also your hand should not be seen in the animation if your idea does not encompass the use of your hands. This process will take hours and out of that period of time only seconds will be produced. Besides good animation, a solid animation needs good lighting for the set or place where you will be animating. With poor lighting flickers will be produced which will degrade the quality of the animation severely. Understanding stop motion is much easier with a visual aid. So I will be creating a time lapse of myself creating an animation which will make what I tried to explain in words much easier to understand. Thanks!

Welcome to My Blog

Hello all and welcome to my blog! The subject of my blog will primarily be on the art of stop motion animation including a history of stop motion, notable artists, cool videos, and the process of creating an animation among other things. I will also be posting videos of my own work just to put it out there and see what people think. So follow me if you like what I am blogging about and also check out my youtube account, danclemanimations. I currently do not have any videos up because I just recently set up an account but videos will be up shortly. Thanks!