Rudolph WIP: Yippy!

Animation gets underway with this clip a girl jumping through Christmas presents.  It will be finished in crayon to look like a child's drawing.

Something for Christmas

This is an animation project I'm working on this year, hopefully finishing in time for Christmas.  I took a recording of my kids singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and am making an animated music video out of it.  All segments are in progress, be it blocking, pencil test, pop-through, or layout.  The idea is to utilized many different animation mediums including CG, stop motion/clay animation, After Effects, hand drawn, and cutouts.

I'm seeing if I can do this on a budget of next to nothing, utilizing what I have on hand from previous projects.  For example, the lightbox I am using for hand-drawn animation is an old Light-Brite with a plastic picture frame glued on the top and a peg board taped on.  It's actually working.  I suspect others have to work like this, so perhaps I will be able to pass on some tips and tricks as I go along.

My plan is to post individual shots as I move forward with them, and providing what I hope will be some useful insights into how they were created.  I would appreciate any feedback, critiques and better ideas at any stage.

Let's see if this can really get done by Christmas.

A Startup Guide

Getting back to basics this time. This tutorial gets you started with the right camera, software, and tools. But from the very beginning you can go further than just making things move around by exploring the principles of timing in animation.

Montrial Stop Motion Film Festival

There is still time to submit your work for this year's edition of the Montreal Stop Motion Film Festival. The submission deadline is September 21st, and the festival itself will run on October 19th - 21st. 

Special guest Laika's Mark Shapiro will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Paranorman.  More special guests and judges will be announced later this month.

Visit their website for more information.

Stop Motion Tutorial: Facial Animation

Okay, more like clay animation, but the techniques and principles apply to a stop motion rig.  This tutorial is about getting the illusion of life into the face through subtle movement when possible, and believable timing.

Puppet Making Tutorial

Foam latex is generally the material of choice for a flexible stop-motion puppet, but some of us can’t go and bake toxic chemicals in the kitchen stove.  Rubber latex isn’t as flexible, but it is an expectable alternative.  This tutorial covers the steps for creating a stop motion puppet with a rubber latex head.

Here is the list of tools and materials, excluding what is needed for the armature, eyes, and costume:

Tools

Sculpting tools

Assorted brushes

Hot glue gun

Hair dryer

Bowls

Stir stick

Fan

Scissors

Screw driver

Materials

Plastalina or Roma Clay

Sculpey 

Floral tape

Aluminum foil

Rubbing Alcohol

Hot glue

Wood board

Foam board

Mold release

Petroleum jelly

Hydrocal plaster

Water

Rubber latex

PaintAluminum armature wire

Plumber’s epoxy putty

An Armature We Can All Afford

Of course a ball-and-socket armature is ideal for a stop-motion puppet, and there are some nice kits out there.  But a wire armature is an effective low-budget alternative, and can be a good option for secondary characters as well.  This tutorial goes through every step of creating a wire armature.  It is a method I taught at the Academy of Art, and observed some common mistakes made by beginners.  So as a bonus, here are some additional tips:

• Make your puppet as light-weight as possible.  Choose light-weight material.  If the puppet is going to walk, it needs to stand up on one foot.
• Clay puppets must not be top-heavy.  Design must take this into account.  The head and chest can have a lighter material at the core.
• Clay puppets will also stand better if they have big feet.
• Shop for the right stuff.  Especially the armature wire.
• Have wipes or a wash cloth standing by while working with epoxy putty.
• The wire will eventually break.  Greater space between bones will spread out the bending point and reduce breakage.
• Practice fitting the bolt into the bottom of the foot through the platform before animating.  It’s tricky.