Stop Motion Animation - A Creative Way to Animate!
Stop motion animation is probably one of the easiest and most fun ways to bring alive an inanimate object and can really produce some impressive effects. There is limitless creativity in stop motion animation. Lots of creative ways you can do stop motion animation.
Every piece of art/animation/video ever created started out as an creative idea in someone's head. Your idea can be a grand vision or a very small detail (the way a tiger licks its paw), the most important thing about your idea is that you think its cool and want to make something out of it. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas from some interesting animations. There is huge creative world of stop motion animation available with lots of sources, good software and guidelines to get you started and enjoying animation.
Stop Motion Animation is a very interesting hobby. Whether you are a little experienced or a complete beginner, the art of studying and creating with stop motion animation is endless. By using stop motion your imagination is the only limit. Have you ever drawn on the corner of a book and drawn slightly different pictures on each page and then flicked the pages producing what looks like a moving man or face or whatever you draw?
What you need to make an animation
€ A Camera
€ A computer with some animation software on it
€ Some materials that you will animate, this could just be paper and pencil or any number of materials like clay, pipe
cleaners, LEGO minifigures or even just yourself.
Stop Motion Animation is the art of taking a series of images and then splicing them together in a series.
Here Are The Some Creative Techniques For Stop Motion Animation:
€ Use Text - Write out words to explain or tell your story - a story line.
€ Draw a Background - It can be easy or complex and it doesn't have to move
€ Use simple motion - You plainly draw an object, take a picture, erase it and draw it in a new spot so motion is simulated or in the case of physical objects you move them slightly from snapshot to snapshot.
€ Add funny voices and sounds - keep on adding more images in your time line and things will grow
€ Express like a human - Use human or animal like shapes to express emotions, actions, thoughts
€ Multiple Things Happening - This can be real interesting to look at if more than one thing is happening at a time
€ Tell a story with creative ideas! This is the real point of any animation. What is the exact story? The viewer has to be engaged. They must get drawn in by the story. They want to know what is going to happen next.
Should I animate with 2D or 3D objects?
Animating with drawn objects on paper or board is referred to sometimes as 2D animation. All those popular animations like €The Simpsons€ or €Family Guy€ are 2D drawn animation. Sometime they are called cel animation, hand drawn animation or classical animation. They are all just a form of stop motion. If you are comfortable and like drawing then maybe this is the way to go.
Advantage of 2D animation:
€ Very little resources required - a pen and paper or drawing board
€ Low space requirement - a desktop and a lamp
Disadvantage of 2D animation:
€ Can be slow - each frame has to be sketched which can be slow depending on your expertise as an artist
€ Relies on the artists drawing skills - if you are not a good sketcher then it can be distracting to the viewer
On the other hand animating 3D objects can also be an option better suited to you. The things (objects) you can animate are limitless. Anything you see around you that can be moved can be animated, from a paper clip to a table!
Advantages of 3D animation:
€ Any object to hand can be used in your story - from a lego minifig to a shoe
€ The objects are ready made and do not have to be reproduced for each frame unlike 2D animation
€ Objects have more depth of field - 2D animation can sometimes appear flat and without depth
€ 3D animation can be very satisfying - tangible characters on a set can from the outset have life and atmosphere.
Disadvantages of 3D animation:
€ Objects have to be controlled carefully - between frames your objects have to moved under control. You have to be careful not to knock over your objects accidentally from frame to frame.
€ Space is required - unless you are animating very small objects you will require a set and some extra space
€ Lighting your objects is important - Care has to be taken to light your objects and set correctly in order to control shadows and lighting changes which may introduce light flicker between frames
Every piece of art/animation/video ever created started out as an creative idea in someone's head. Your idea can be a grand vision or a very small detail (the way a tiger licks its paw), the most important thing about your idea is that you think its cool and want to make something out of it. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas from some interesting animations. There is huge creative world of stop motion animation available with lots of sources, good software and guidelines to get you started and enjoying animation.
Stop Motion Animation is a very interesting hobby. Whether you are a little experienced or a complete beginner, the art of studying and creating with stop motion animation is endless. By using stop motion your imagination is the only limit. Have you ever drawn on the corner of a book and drawn slightly different pictures on each page and then flicked the pages producing what looks like a moving man or face or whatever you draw?
What you need to make an animation
€ A Camera
€ A computer with some animation software on it
€ Some materials that you will animate, this could just be paper and pencil or any number of materials like clay, pipe
cleaners, LEGO minifigures or even just yourself.
Stop Motion Animation is the art of taking a series of images and then splicing them together in a series.
Here Are The Some Creative Techniques For Stop Motion Animation:
€ Use Text - Write out words to explain or tell your story - a story line.
€ Draw a Background - It can be easy or complex and it doesn't have to move
€ Use simple motion - You plainly draw an object, take a picture, erase it and draw it in a new spot so motion is simulated or in the case of physical objects you move them slightly from snapshot to snapshot.
€ Add funny voices and sounds - keep on adding more images in your time line and things will grow
€ Express like a human - Use human or animal like shapes to express emotions, actions, thoughts
€ Multiple Things Happening - This can be real interesting to look at if more than one thing is happening at a time
€ Tell a story with creative ideas! This is the real point of any animation. What is the exact story? The viewer has to be engaged. They must get drawn in by the story. They want to know what is going to happen next.
Should I animate with 2D or 3D objects?
Animating with drawn objects on paper or board is referred to sometimes as 2D animation. All those popular animations like €The Simpsons€ or €Family Guy€ are 2D drawn animation. Sometime they are called cel animation, hand drawn animation or classical animation. They are all just a form of stop motion. If you are comfortable and like drawing then maybe this is the way to go.
Advantage of 2D animation:
€ Very little resources required - a pen and paper or drawing board
€ Low space requirement - a desktop and a lamp
Disadvantage of 2D animation:
€ Can be slow - each frame has to be sketched which can be slow depending on your expertise as an artist
€ Relies on the artists drawing skills - if you are not a good sketcher then it can be distracting to the viewer
On the other hand animating 3D objects can also be an option better suited to you. The things (objects) you can animate are limitless. Anything you see around you that can be moved can be animated, from a paper clip to a table!
Advantages of 3D animation:
€ Any object to hand can be used in your story - from a lego minifig to a shoe
€ The objects are ready made and do not have to be reproduced for each frame unlike 2D animation
€ Objects have more depth of field - 2D animation can sometimes appear flat and without depth
€ 3D animation can be very satisfying - tangible characters on a set can from the outset have life and atmosphere.
Disadvantages of 3D animation:
€ Objects have to be controlled carefully - between frames your objects have to moved under control. You have to be careful not to knock over your objects accidentally from frame to frame.
€ Space is required - unless you are animating very small objects you will require a set and some extra space
€ Lighting your objects is important - Care has to be taken to light your objects and set correctly in order to control shadows and lighting changes which may introduce light flicker between frames
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