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!