The idea

What (who) I know most… What I love most…

How ‘me’ became ‘us’

Exploring movement and portrayal
http://www.rollanet.org/~anderson/instructionsclay.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Clay-People
http://vividlayers.blogspot.com/2010/07/clay-camp-for-kids-
week-four-clay.html
http://www.unicef.org/turkey/ag1/ag1i.html
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-3836431-child-s-
crayon-drawing-box-of-crayons.php
http://familyinternet.about.com/od/projects/ss/stopmotion_2.htm
If it's your first attempt, especially if you're working with kids,
choose the "actors" for the film first. In this case, the actors are
inanimate objects that you'll be using to create your movie. Your
best bet is to start off with just one or two actors, but there's no limit
to what you can use:ïstuffed animals
ïLEGO figures
ïorigami creations
ïclay sculptures
ïaction figures
ïfood (vegetables, cereal, macaroni, candy, etc.)
Ïrocks
ïfashion dolls
ïrefrigerator magnets
ïdie cast cars
ïChristmas ornaments

There are no rules here, but I have a few guidelines to make your life
easier.
Choose objects that:
1.are easily moved
2.can stand on their own (you don't want to have to hold them up
while you're trying to take a picture of them)
http://www.printeresting.org/tag/print-ephemera/
http://gymnasticscoaching.com/new/2010/09/flipbook-
gymnastics-social-network/
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blog/list?tag=drawing
http://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/stepbystep
drawinglessons/stepbystepdrawinglessons/inde
x.php?cat=431&paged=2
http://www.toonboom.com/products/digitalpro/eL
earning/tipsTricks/morphing.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiAx59t19nU
http://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/stepbystepdrawinglessons/2010/12/how-to-draw-cartoon-
people-figures-moving-in-different-movements-and-actions-drawing-lesson/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJlqQSMifqk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHf3G2z-Kc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFuuTUGSJsU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KQy_0cS7MM
http://www.animationforum.net/tip-of-the-week-arcs/
Add audio to give emotion and connect the
story

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-

school.com/5-tips-for-making-a-stop-motion-
video#ixzz1NpB20tFw
Try being creative, move your props not just
your actors

Read more: http://quazen.com/arts/animation/10-

tips-on-how-to-make-a-stop-motion-
animation/#ixzz1NpCTMhdI
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=aoQVa86EvPA&feature=rel
ated
This time, it’s personal…
http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/stories/tv50-anniversary-of-
television-in-australia/7162/this-is-your-life-book/
http://www.photobookaustralia.com.au/
 http://www.vangoghmus
eum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?la
ng=en

Life, passion, self-reflection, introspection

"To try to understand the real significance of what the great artists, the serious masters, tell us
in their masterpieces, that leads to God; one man wrote or told it in a book; another, in a
picture.”

Vincent Van Gogh

Problem:
I tried shooting inside but had problems with shadows as my SD card
wasn’t good enough to support my flash properly. As per
recommendations, a cheaper digital camera may have been a better
solution (but I didn’t have one!). So I decided to shoot outside
instead.
I had originally considered
drawing the whole
animation, making no
attempt to pass my drawings
off as good, and instead
making it a bit fun. It didn’t
take me long to dismiss that
idea, but I decided to keep
elements of it for my final
product, to add a little bit of
comedy.
Take: one
I don’t know too many people who walk like this…
Time to take another look at my movement research!
 Take: one

Still figuring
Pre tripod out fluidity of
movement
Ohhh! So that’s why they say don’t work with children or animals…
Bought a tripod today - life instantly became easier!
A Time for Reflection
 What I love about the animation
Overall, I’m really happy with the animation. What a lovely way to
finish my degree. The first time I watched it through with the music
added, I turned into a big sooky pregnant lady and cried!

I really loved this sequence,

and finishing with this shot.
My camera has a continuous
shot setting and once I set
up the tripod, my mum
who’s even less technically
minded than myself was
able to take them.

I also like the way it

contrasts with the drawings
and ‘clothes people’
Music
For me, the music makes this
animation really special. It’s a
song that Dave has strummed to
Xavia since she was a small babe,
and occasionally adds words to. I
asked him if he would record it
onto the computer, and write
some words to come in once
Xavia was introduced into it. It
brings the animation to another to
a deeper, more personal level.
And I think the beat and softness
compliment it.
 Technique

I’m really happy with this idea of transitioning from one scene
to another with the zoom in ---> zoom out. I think that it was
quite effective.
 Photos

I’m really happy with the decision to splice the animation with
our photos. At first I wasn’t sure, as I thought it might break
the animation up too much, but now I feel it accentuates the
story makes it more heartfelt, and sometimes, a little funny.
 What I could have done differently

It’s in my nature to constantly want to alter and improve my work

so eventually I had to just step back and say “that’s enough now”.

Tarp/thicker material to prevent creases. I needed to use some kind

of material, though, as I shot at a few different locations to
accommodate for people who helped/babysitters!
White on white…not a great idea
 Lighting

While I was happier with my outside shots than the few shots I
originally did inside, I still had quite a few lighting problems. One
way I could have minimised this would have been to opt for a
different top. The leather in this jacket reflected the light quite a
bit, it would have been better to opt for a material that absorbed it.
Although, After looking at this clip a little more closely, I noticed the
same thing happened in it with the lighting (due to shooting near a
window). It makes me feel a little better that this person makes
money from their work and still has the same problem!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KQy_0cS7MM
Just a silly little thing, but it really annoys me that I
didn’t put ‘Dave’s hand’ on the outside of ‘my belly’ in
this shot!
 Sign needs to be darker, thicker and held for longer in this scene

Light coming through the hedge at certain

times of the day, and onto the sheet
Some of the timing could have been better
What I learnt for next time/Tips for others

Use a tripod from the

beginning!
 Don’t make the movements too big, they will look strange
when you put them in the animation.
It’s also worth researching movement for a better result

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJlqQSMifqk
It’s worth experimenting with different speeds for the
scenes, as well as camera techniques to add interest
Music by Dave
Animation (and dancing) by Pia