In this motion design module, we learned and demonstrated the skills and techniques needed to produce our own stop motion animation with effective audio and animated text.
Reading and Writing
In Chapter 7 of Animated Storytelling by Liz Blazer, the value of our audio and story working together is emphasized. The author challenges us to lead with sound, meaning to use it to help direct and strengthen our story. The concepts of “diegetic” sound (when the sound source is visible on-screen) and “non-diegetic” sound (when the sound source is not visible or connected to the universe or film) are introduced.
With these concepts in mind, the elements of sound in animation and motion graphics—sound effects, music, and dialogue—are considered. Blazer warns us that when it comes to endless possibilities of sound effects, restraint is key because they should be placed in to enhance our story, not diminish it. She also points out that the skilled use of sound effects must be guided by our inner poet like metaphors used for expression. Moreover, let’s not forget that in some cases music can be more effective than actual sound effects. Now, moving on to the use of music as part of the soundtrack to our project. Find or create a song that encompasses the theme and tone you want to set for the story. You may even want to consider integrating a silent score or score against into your project to elevate the emotion in a scene. Last but not least, when it comes to creating dialogue, there are a few steps you should take. First, match every line to the personality of your character. Second, keep it as natural as possible like using subtext. Third, use dialogue to set the mood of your scene. Finally, when it comes to motion graphics with a running time, lock your script and audio before animation begins. Keep it visual but also write briefly and clearly. To wrap it all up, Blazer reminds us that “timing is everything” and includes the sound design of our animation.
In Chapter 8, the world building and environmental design process for animations is discussed. The golden rule of “Yes, and…” is brought up again as the most important rule for building the world for our stories. Once we introduce our world and its rules, we must commit to them or we risk losing our audience. But first, before designing the rules of your new world, don’t forget the importance of influences and inspiration for our story. Also, don’t forget to look around because our world can be inspiring as well. Next, when it comes to designing the rules of your animated world, establish the time and place. Choose a time that will help to elevate your story’s conflict. Similarly, the place or setting of your story should provide obstacles for your character when it comes to reaching their goal. Then, define the physical, social, and visual laws that exist there to provide a consistent foundation. For your world’s physical order, don’t do it because it seems cool, do it because it’s meaningful to the telling your story. For your world’s social order, look into world history for inspiration and create a new set of social laws and norms for your story. Lastly, your world’s visual order and tone will heavily impact the success of your story. Also, remember to make consistent and mindful visual choices. The chapter ends by talking about how most motion graphics are branded products and therefore, it’s important for us to explore brand values and create distinct visual laws to capture an audience’s attention.
Research to Inform
For inspiration, we had to find a few examples of projects that showcased effective audio and animated text. To start, I chose to explore creative lyric videos for examples of animated text because there are so many incredible ones. Here are the fun and creative lyric videos I found:
I chose this lyric video of Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay because I remember seeing this for the first time and loving the simple but extremely creative way the lyrics and illustrations were animated to tell the narrative.
The lyric video of Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift is both creative and fun in the way it plays out. The aesthetic is captivating but the cleverly animated lyrics and their incorporation into the visuals is masterful.
An impactful cutscene from Stray, a third-person cat adventure game, that effectively combines ambient audio and sound effects to not only immerse us in the narrative but also to illustrate the murky environment. It’s hard not to be captivated by this heartbreaking scene.
There are so many examples of projects with a clever and effective use of audio, from ambience to music. Because of this, it’s always hard to think of examples to showcase. I decided to turn to one of the standout scenes of my favorite TV series. For context, diverse groups of people are packed into a bunker for 5 years to survive the radiation wave. One of them decides to take the farm, where the food is, by force and lock everyone else out to starve.
In this intense but pivotal scene, Octavia is forced to step up and control the 1,200 people in unending conflict with each other through fear. Music, ambience, dialogue, and sound effects are used to enhance the overall scene. There are even moments where the serious audio subsides, and the dialogue is the focus. When to use and not to use audio is exemplified here. Also, sound effects like swords and a heartbeat are used to immerse us in the moment.
Create
“The Mischievous Ghost” stop motion animation using paper, nanoblocks, Adobe programs. I hope you enjoy this short stop motion animation as this was the first time I’ve ever produced one.
Join two unlikely heroes on a daring quest through the secluded parts of the forest to rescue their friend from the clutches of a mischievous foe.