In this module, we learned and demonstrated the planning methods of pre-production and the skills and techniques needed to create our own stop motion animation.
Reading and Writing
In Chapter 5 of Animated Storytelling by Liz Blazer, the power of color in animation and its ability to enhance storytelling is emphasized. The chapter begins with a discussion of essential color vocabulary, including hue (common color name), saturation (intensity of purity of a color), and value (relative lightness or darkness of a color), providing readers with a foundation for understanding color theory. Blazer highlights the importance of creating a color script, a visual roadmap that emphasizes key moments in the story through color choices. Throughout the chapter, the significance of designing for movement and limiting one’s color palette to create visual cohesion is emphasized. Blazer advises animators to use saturation mindfully, ensuring that colors support rather than upstage the main subject. She also suggests incorporating surprise colors strategically to punctuate important elements of the narrative. A key takeaway from this chapter is the importance of selecting thematic and accent colors that contribute to the overall mood and message of the story. Blazer encourages animators to establish their own rules regarding color usage, as long as they remain consistent to achieve unity within their work.
In Chapter 6 “Weird Science,” Blazer encourages animators to embrace experimentation as a means of pushing creative boundaries and refining their craft. The chapter advocates for breaking away from conventional norms and venturing into uncharted territory, urging artists to free themselves from the fear of producing “bad art.” She also emphasizes the value of personal experimentation by urging animators to create the work they aspire to be hired for and recommends dedicating time to personal projects as a means of honing skills and exploring new techniques. Central to the chapter is the concept of creating an experimental list for animation projects, outlining areas for exploration such as transitions and movement. Overall, Blazer encourages animators to embrace unconventional approaches and push the limits of their abilities, ultimately fostering innovation and growth within the field.
Research to Inform
To help us gain inspiration, we had to find examples of stop motion animations that speak to us on some level. Here are the stop motion animations that I selected:
When Nintendo uploaded this short and cute stop motion animation on their YouTube channel, I remember being in awe of the creativity and all the work that was put into this 42 second piece. I not only love Yoshi but also different styles of art and animation, so this really stuck with me.
An incredible stop motion animation created by Genshin Impact for their second anniversary. A game that will always stick with me even though I don’t play it as much anymore. When this came out, the community was enthralled by not only the work put into it but the fact that it really captured the essence of the game.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio on Netflix is a stop motion film of a classic tale directed by an Academy Award-winning filmmaker. How could you not be intrigued?
While scrolling through Netflix as many of us do, I was very surprised one day to find this new and adorable Pokémon series. It’s not only short and sweet, but a stop motion animation series. A unique but delightful find.
Another beautiful and heartwarming stop motion animation by Genshin Impact, but this time for the Lantern Rite, an event in the game to celebrate the new year. It’s not only cute but introduced us to a long-awaited character.
Create
Linear Story Idea: The Mischievous Ghost
Why this story and format? The linear format allows for clear story progression, so I used the structure of exposition, complication, and resolution to help me come up with an idea. With this and the world of Pokémon in mind, I decided that a character being captured and the quest to rescue them was an interesting way to fit the linear format.
What challenges? A challenge I might face is ensuring smooth and understandable animation transitions, especially during an action sequence like the final battle. Also, character movements and expressions with nanoblocks will be difficult. Therefore, I was thinking that using various sound effects will help me tell this story.
Non-linear Story Idea: Wild Encounters
Why this story and format? This non-linear format provides an opportunity to showcase a series of wild encounters, keeping viewers engaged until the end. The idea behind the non-linear story format of the countdown allowed me to write a story that would hopefully uniquely capture the essence of Pokémon battles in stop motion.
What challenges? Maintaining a consistent upward build in drama throughout the stop motion animation will be a challenge, as it requires careful pacing and escalation of tension in each encounter. Additionally, ensuring each mini battle feels unique and engaging while keeping the technicality and constraints of the runtime will require creative storytelling solutions.
Test Animation
As expected, creating a short test animation using stop motion techniques was quite tedious. Meticulous planning of not only the story elements but the technicality of telling that story through stop motion will be crucial. I already knew going into this, that it was, and is going to be hard to execute.
From my short test, along with the technical aspect of creating a stop motion in general, achieving both optimal and consistent lighting will require a lot of experimentation and work. I know the lighting for my demo isn’t the best. I will improve this for the final project.