2009 Summer Camp Stop Motion

Monday is the start of a week long stop motion claymation animation workshop. I will be teaching a second workshop later in July as well. The children will be using black box stages made from cardboard boxes. Lights from IKEA are attached to ceiling of stage and to floor of stage. A dowel is hung from the ceiling so objects can be suspended across the stage. I have made two stages so that I can have two groups of three children filming at the same time.

1. They will be making shadow puppet set elements to attach behind the shadow screen.
   
2. They will created set elements for mid stage that can be fixed or slide on and off stage.
3. They will create elements that suspend from the ceiling
4. They will be able to place different colored celophanes to create different light effects.

SAMPLE SET LIGHTING AND PROPS (Created by my 5 year old)
The children will be able to play with different types of stage lighting to create different moods for their stories.
Front lit stage:


















Back lit stage:


















Front and back lit stage:


















If you want see some inspiring set design mock-ups check out these sites:
Erik Flatmo (Amazing San Francisco based set designer)
John Lee Beatty
Han Feng she does costuming for opera (I had to include her...so inspiring)
Also, for amazing San Francisco based shadow puppet organization check out this website (I have blogged about them before):
ShadowLight.

The children will start with a blank set.
BLANK SET


















The back of the box was cut out of these to create a shadow screen that can be incorporated into the set design. White cotton muslin is the screen hot melted to the back edge of the box opening.


















Below: Tracks (painted chopsticks) in the floor and slots in the side of the box can be used to slide sets on and off the stage.




















Below: My stage design helpers.


















WORKSHOP SCHEDULE (sample inspiration animations will be viewed throughout day):
Monday: Storyboarding, Camera Angles and begin characters. Lots of movie watching.
The children will watch:
Sound of Color
Peter and the Wolf
Last Time in Clerkenville
for variations on a story:
The book The Stonecutter and the following two videos
The Stonecutter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MOcLtEUD4A&feature=related
for storyboard: Joust
for camera angles and mood and props: I Lived on the Moon
Tuesday: Props and Figures, refine storyboard
Beringer, Making of a Video
Wednesday: Film
Child
Thursday: Sound record voices and music. Field trip to De Anza College's Animation Department
Friday: Edit in Premiere Elements, create invite for screening and create take home shadow boxes for clay figures and set elements, end credits filming