Wielding the Power of the Animation Gods...

Last week's assignment for the Stop-Motion Project went really well.  It was a completely new experience that involved a lot of creativity and patience.  The class was extended by one hour, but if we didn't have that extra time, then I doubt we would have pulled it off the way we did.  One of the main things that I learned from this project is that it takes detail and a different mindset in order to create a fluid animation.  

My group consisted of Debi, Clay and I, and one of the first things that we decided was the background to use.  We decided to go with a simple neon green background, because we found that it contrasted well with the colors of the other objects and as an added factor it wouldn't be a hassle to move around if the shots called for it to.  Luckily, I brought my Jabba the Hutt action figure, it became one of the main characters in the animation.  Since he had movable limbs, it made the motion less corny, more realistic (But seriously, how realistic can you get with a plastic replica of a Gangster in a galaxy far, far away...?).  Clay brought a crazy Cat Action Figure that looked sweet to battle Jabba, so Debi, Clay and I started pondering how they can duke it out in a unique way.  Using some of the art objects Debi brought, we found the perfect projectiles, and with the added bonus of having 3 lizard figures, we made a bloody spectacle out of Jabba the Hutt (Pretty Gnarly I must say...)  One of the cool and innovative ideas that came out of the shot was the uses of the fuzzy pipe cleaners and making them become lasers and explode with star shapes.  They could be easily manipulated into any shape and fit well within our scheme for the shots.  

For the frame rate with the 8mm camera, for some shots we shot three frames and for others we used two shots or one.  This unevenness made it more realistic for separate actions.  I really liked using the 8mm camera and I wish I could have had the opportunity to experiment with it more, but hopefully in the future I will be able to.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Animation Project.  My group members were fantastic and I thought the process was sweet.  I am excited to see how the footage came out.  

WOO!