The Moral of the Story

CEL ANIMATION with Cut-Paper or Figures

For this project you MUST work in groups of two or three people, not by yourself please.

Project Overview

Create a short animation using Stop Motion.  Your project should tell a story that has a moral.  Include a soundtrack that has music, sound effects and any needed dialogue.

Stop motion is a powerful animation technique that makes static objects appear to be moving. Creating stop motion draws attention to placement, framing, direction and speed of movement. There are many types of stop motion techniques, in both 2-D and 3-D media, such as: hand drawing, cel, cut-paper, sand, and Claymation.

This project will give students a chance to combine traditional art and music skills in a digital format. Visual art provides primarily visual and tactile/kinesthetic experiences. GarageBand adds auditory stimulation in a way that is both interesting and

motivating for students. This project also provides an opportunity

for career exploration.

Example of Clay Annimation Watch Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Examples of cut-paper animation

Here are a couple examples of a cut-paper project.

http://www.teachanimation.org/cutpaper1.html

http://www.teachanimation.org/cutpaper2.html

Conceptualization

The best projects result from strong ideas. Go online and view examples of animation, then brainstorm and conceptualize your ideas on paper.  Even if you get your initial idea from something you see be sure to make it your own and give it something of yourself.

Scripting

After you brainstorm ideas you need to write down your thoughts to determine what interaction and action will take place. Most people prefer to start with scripts, a storyboard that is completely textual. Writing descriptions of the action helps to determine how and in what order every shot will become animated later in the process.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is a major component to any animation project because it ensures that ideas are well developed before production, and saves time by anticipating problems. The purpose of the storyboard is to visually plan out the entire animation. Here is where you should begin to think about the “camera work” by showing every shot or important transition in the animation. Storyboards are required and will be assessed as part of the project.

Set-up

Stop motion requires a camera or video device to expose single or multiple frames of images that, when run at normal speed, appear to represent continuous movement. You can set up by connecting a computer to video camcorder, digital still camera, or a webcam. When using a video recording device to compose shots, keep the camera steady by using a tripod or animation stand. Your computer needs current software that supports single frame capture.

Online Resources and Links

For online instructional videos on how to set up and use the iStopMotion software go HERE .

For more help online check out these HELPFUL LINKS

Stop Motion Tips:

    * The quality of the art in storyboards isn’t very important, but a well-executed storyboard is the best of all planning devices. Use arrows to indicate motion of the camera or motion of the characters within the storyboard drawings.

    * Anything that detracts the viewer’s attention from what is being animated works against the movie. For this reason, backgrounds should be simple and steady.

    * Using a copy stand for animation requires one to work upside down because of the camera mount. This can be inconvenient or confusing for students.

    * Improvise - don’t give up when your story calls for something to happen that seems impossible to achieve with the techniques.

    * Remind students that since stop motion filming is very time consuming, students need to take turns in responsibilities and use of equipment.

Example Steps

1. 1. Bring to school small plastic figures that you can use for the characters of your movie.  They can be human figures or animals.  Anything will do.  You may also want to bring any other props, (small cars, trees, etc).  You can make or purchase whatever you can’t find at home.
   

2. 2. Create a story that ends with a moral.   A “Moral is a lesson, esp. one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience : the moral of the story was that one music see the beauty in what one has.  For more morals go online and do some research. 
   

3. 3.Create a storyboard of the scenes and any dialogue your characters will say.  This will guide you through the action in your animation.  It will act as a blueprint for the entire project.  The storyboard should include key frame drawings that outline the action sequence and preliminary timeline. You can download a story board sheet from the Media Technology homepage at www.yismusic.net
   

4. 4.You can add effects on your voice in GarageBand to make them sound different.
   

5. 5.Create a scene or set from boxes and colored paper that you can use as a backdrop for your project.
   

6. 6.First create your iStopMotion video. 
   

7. 7.Next export it to GarageBand and create an original soundtrack.  It should include the dialogue plus and music or sound effects. 
   

8. 8.You will be assessed on your organization, video, soundtrack, dialogue, and above all your creativity.
   

9. 9.Include credits
   

10. 10.Convert to a QuickTime Movie
    

11. 11.Finished work should be put in your dropbox with your name on it.
    

   Assessment

Download Rubric.pdf

  Please put a quicktime version of your finished work in your drop box for final assessment.  Name the file:  Your Name/Moral of Story

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