The Young Minds Digital Times Competition is BACK!

Registration in the 2010-2011 Young Minds Digital Times Competition is now open at www.youngmindsdigitaltimes.com. The Third Annual Competition presented by KidThrive.org and encourages students in grades 6-12, for free, to create short films, documentaries, and public service announcements. Last year we had over 1100 student register, and we are back to do it again.

“The competition is a way to honor the amazing work kids are generating in the digital creative arts,” says Jaclyn Bell, Competition Director, “This is the next wave of digital education; not just knowing the tools, but being able to use them well and manipulate their boundaries to produce something relevant, meaningful, and in our opinion, beautiful. Plus, we have some surprises and further opportunities coming up for students once registration is underway.”

The competition features two tracks: Young Filmmakers “Doing Good” and Young Filmmakers Freeform. In the “Doing Good” Track, students are invited to create public service announcements relating to social issues the public should be informed of, or relating to an organization that works towards social good. In the Freeform Track, students can enter films on any topic into six different categories: documentary, short film, animation, music video, non-moving movie, and comedic creation.

A Grand Prize Winner from each track receives a prize package to attend the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. First place winners in each category and age division (6-8 grades and 9-12 grades) take home $200 and Judges Choice honorees receive $100. The school with the most student film entries that make it pass the Public Voting Stage will also win $1000.

The chance for the public vote will end March 30th, and the films that make it to the second round will be viewed and critiqued by industry directors, actors, filmmakers and producers.

The competition registration runs from October 4th, 2010 to February 18, 2011, with films due by March, 19, 2011. Films enter a three tiered voting process, beginning with public voting March 22-30, 2011. Winner announcements will be posted May 20, 2011 on the Young Minds Digital Times website. Plus, we are pleased to announce that there will be a lot of surprises in store in this year’s competition, so REGISTER TODAY!

Registration in the 2010-2011 Young Minds Digital Times Competition is Open

The Third Annual Young Minds Digital Times Competition presented by KidThrive.org, encourages students in grades 6-12, for free, to create short films, documentaries, and public service announcements. Registration is now open!

“The competition is a way to honor the amazing work kids are generating in the digital creative arts,” says Jaclyn Bell, Competition Director, “This is the next wave of digital education; not just knowing the tools, but being able to use them well and manipulate their boundaries to produce something relevant, meaningful, and in our opinion, beautiful. Plus, we have some surprises and further opportunities coming up for students once registration is underway.”

The competition features two tracks: Young Filmmakers “Doing Good” and Young Filmmakers Freeform. In the “Doing Good” Track, students are invited to create public service announcements relating to social issues the public should be informed of, or relating to an organization that works towards social good. In the Freeform Track, students can enter films on any topic into six different categories: documentary, short film, animation, music video, non-moving movie, and comedic creation.

A Grand Prize Winner from each track receives a prize package to attend the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. First place winners in each category and age division (6-8 grades and 9-12 grades) take home $200 and Judges Choice honorees receive $100. The school with the most student film entries that make it pass the Public Voting Stage will also win $1000.

The chance for the public vote will end March 30th, and the films that make it to the second round will be viewed and critiqued by industry directors, actors, filmmakers and producers.

Competition registration runs from October 4th, 2010 to February 18, 2011, with films due by March, 19, 2011. Films enter a three tiered voting process, beginning with public voting March 22-30, 2010. Winner announcements will be posted May 20, 2011 on the Young Minds Digital Times website.

Choosing the Finalists:”It’s amazing how… this competition has blown up!”

The Grand Prize judging for the 2nd Annual Young Minds Digital Times competition is currently underway. The contest has seen so many fantastic films from all over the country and choosing who will walk away with the coveted prize is no easy task.

Our expert judges have viewed, critiques, and weighed in on their choices, but who are these judges? What do they know that makes them perfect for this task? It comes down to experience and the desire to give encouragement to these young filmmakers.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of our judges – they come from all areas in the field and have different points of view on what makes a film great….

Dano Johnson – Dano Johnson began his love of creating educational and entertaining content while at the University of Texas at Austin’s Student Television Station. His career includes an internship at Sesame Workshop, and creating his own production company, Collection Agency Films, developing animated content. In fact, you can vote for one of his animation NOW to get on Sesame Street (your change to vote ends May 10th).

His web cartoon ads for “Kinky Friedman” earned a Telly advertising award, while his short film ‘Tall Tales & Other Big Lies’ won runner-up for best animation at SXSW 2006. His music video for the New York Dolls song, “Dance Like a Monkey,” won best music video at the 2006 Bradford Animation Festival. He most recently co-directed and animated ‘Flatland: The Movie‘, starring Martin Sheen, Michael York, and Kristen Bell.

Ivy Koehler – During her years in college, Ivy began to explore the growing world of video blogging by creating projects that would be an outlet for creativity and a true form of art that had the potential to reach the masses. She also performed in several plays and musicals which led to a job with i Entertainment, an inventive event company that houses an improv and murder mystery team. Currently, Ivy works at the Music Hall at Fair Park in their public relations and marketing departments as well as living the life of a “starving” actor. Through benefit concerts and performance-based fundraisers, Ivy believes that philanthropic opportunities are around every corner and loves to take part in socially conscience organizations. “[This competition] looks like the most incredible opportunity for kids not only to do something outside of the classroom to stay busy, but to truly learn what it means to create something. Speaking of creativity! These are so professionally done! Oh my gosh. Unbelievable. “

Lodge McCammon – Dr. Lodge McCammon is a Specialist in Curriculum and Contemporary Media at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. He developed a teaching and professional development process called FIZZ which encourages and models best practices in implementing user-generated video in the classroom to enhance standards- based lessons. He is also a studio composer and musician who writes standards-based songs, with supporting materials, about advanced curriculum for K-12 classrooms. “[Filmmaking] is exceptionally difficult to do … so kudos to all for the attempt.”

Laura Nemesi – Laura Nemesi has made a name for herself as a Art Department Assistant and Costumer on such shows as HBO’s “Sex in the City”, “Lipstick Jungle” and the upcoming drama series “Boardwalk Empire”. “I liked the very different styles chosen by the different students and differing approaches.  It was nice as well to hear from students on the subject of their own education.”

Meredith Sires – Meredith Sires is the Managing Editor of Ypulse.com, an award-winning blog for youth media and marketing professionals that has been featured in several leading publications including USA Today, Business Week, Forbes and Fast Company. Previously, Meredith worked as an associate at a New York-based book publishing consulting firm where she worked with a range of clients from traditional publishing houses to transmedia studios. It was there that she began researching the media habits of teens and tweens and the potential for extending the reading experience online. “I loved how all [of these films] do something completely different with their storytelling. Although there were different degrees of success with using both elements to show  and tell a story at the same time,  it seems like it allowed each to take their films to a fun, new place.”

Raynor Herrera – With his Freeform Music Video, Wake Up, Raynor Herrera of Miami Coral Park Senior High, Miami, Florida claimed the Young Minds Digital Times Grand Prize in 2008.  Herrera utilized stop-motion filmmaking to create his intriguing visuals which made the other judges stand up and take attention. “Being the grand prize winner for the competition last year and a young filmmaker myself I can definitely say that I am very impressed by the amount of talent and work that all these videos displayed. It’s amazing how in its second year this competition has blown up to include so many talented kids from so many schools. I wish them all good luck!”

We all wish every student the best of luck in the competition, and are eager to see the results. Thanks to our many judges, some of which are highlighted above, more creative opportunities are opening up for our youth. Thank you judges!

YMDT Film Competition Sees Over 500% Increase!!

Posted by co-founders Beth Carls and Amy Looper

The Second Annual Young Minds Digital Times Student Film Competition judging is underway. We had 727 students register to be a part of the contest this year and we are excited to announce that the contest has shown over a 500% increase in films submitted and represents students from 62 schools in 23 states. We also tracked over 10,000 hits to our web site from interested people in 42 countries during the time registration began September 28 until today! After our Tier I Public Voting segment and Tier II Judging segment, we are now into our Final and Grand Prize voting round. We have painstakingly narrowed our 262 film entries down to approximately 40 films for the Finals.

These films represent each of our categories:

Freeform Category: The sky is the limit in this category. Students were given an opportunity to create an original film in one or more of the following film styles:

• Animation : Students created original digital, drawn, and stop motion film.

• Comedic Creation: Designed to get the biggest laugh, students created original comedy films.

• Documentary: Student created news features, historical narrative, and important topics.

• Music Video: Students’ original music is showcased and captured on film to tell a story.

• Non-Moving: Original automated power points and class presentations created by students.

• Short Film: Student’s original fictional films.

Doing Good Category: Students were asked to create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that responded to, or incorporated, the Students’ Education Proclamation. The Education Proclamation’s goal is to help students’ perspectives become acknowledged — to grab the attention of our public and elected officials, and have them hear what students have to say about their rights to a 21st-century education.

Who will make it to the Grand Prize Round!?!  To view the films yourself, check out our Young Minds Digital Times Film Site!

A big thank you to those of you who participated as judges. And, thanks to our YMDT Director, Jaclyn Bell, for an awesome job this year!

Why Is This Important? In addition to giving kids a creative way to share their voice, the YMDT Film Competition success shows the next round of investors that we can create communities of kids, quickly and inexpensively, who will then become members of the PlumbBrain community once the social network is launched. Already, we’ve seen huge results with a VC who made this very point and is excited about this progress in a short period of time.

The Semi-Finals are On!

The Second Annual Young Minds Digital Times Student Film Competition is underway. We had 727 students register to be a part of the contest – some submitted films while others registered in order to participate in the public voting. Yet, this year we are excited to announce that  the contest has shown a 500% increase from last year and represents students from 62 schools in 23 states.

After our extensive Public Voting we are now into our Semi-Final round. We have narrowed our 262 film entries down to approximately 68 films. These films represent each of our categories:

Freeform Category: The sky is the limit in this category. Students were given an opportunity to create an original film in one or more of the following film styles:

Animation : original digital, drawn, and stop motion creations.
Comedic Creation: Designed to get the biggest laugh, students created original comedy films.
Documentary: Student created news features, historical narrative, and important topics.
One Take Wonder: A single take created without the use of editing.

Music Video: Students’ original music is showcased and captured on film to tell a story.
Non-Moving: Original automated power points and class presentations.
Short Film: Any original fictional films created by the students.

Doing Good Category -Students were asked to create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that responded to, or incorporated, the Students’ Education Proclamation. The Education Proclamation’s goal is to help students’ perspectives become acknowledged — to grab the attention of our public and elected officials, and have them hear what students have to say about their rights to a 21st-century education.

All the pieces are in place and the judges are ready: Who will make it to the Finals and our Grand Prize Round!?! To view the films yourself, check out our Young Minds Digital Times Film Site!

Creating the Perfect PSA

What do you want the world to know? That’s the central question asked when you are creating a public service announcement (PSA), which is any message promoting programs, activities or services of federal, state or local governments or the programs, activities or services of non-profit organizations.

Often in the form of commercials and print ads, PSAs are created to persuade an audience to take a favorable action. PSAs can create awareness, show the importance of a problem or issue, convey information, or promote a behavioral change. Whether you have a cause of your own or you are an educator, PSAs create a forum for learners to actively participate in a project that allows them to become stewards of — and advocates for — social change.

PSAs came into being with the entry of the United States into World War II. Radio broadcasters and advertising agencies created a council that offered their skills and facilities to the war effort, creating messages such as, “Loose lips sink ships,” “Keep ‘em Rolling” and a variety of exhortations to buy War Bonds.

Today that same council, the Advertising Council, now serves as a facilitating agency and clearing house for nationwide campaigns that have become a familiar part of daily life. “Smokey the Bear” was invented by the Ad Council to personify its “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” campaign; “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste” raised millions for the United Negro College Fund; the American Cancer Society’s “Fight Cancer with a Checkup and a Check” raised public awareness as well as funds for research and patient services.

Yet the most recognized PSA consisted of only an egg, a frying pan and these 15 words: “This is your brain. This is drugs. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?”

This PSA, created in 1987, went on to be named one of the top one hundred television advertisements of all time. Its message could be seen printed on t-shirts, being  parodied on television and in films, and it even spun  a sequel nearly a decade  later staring actress, Rachel Lee Cook. This only goes to show the massive impact PSAs have on our culture and our society. You can make an impact too!

Getting Started

1. Choose your topic. Pick a subject that is important to you, as well as one you can visualize. Keep your focus narrow and to the point. More than one idea confuses your audience, so have one main idea per PSA.
2. Time for some research – you need to know your stuff! Try to get the most current and up to date facts on your topic. Statistics and references can add to a PSA. You want to be convincing and accurate.
3. Consider your audience. Are you targeting parents, teens, teachers or some other social group? Consider your target audience’s needs, preferences, as well as the things that might turn them off. They are the ones you want to rally to action. The action suggested by the PSA can be almost anything. It can be spelled out or implied in your PSA, just make sure that message is clear.
4. Grab your audience’s attention. You might use visual effects, an emotional response, humor, or surprise to catch your target audience. Be careful, however, of using scare tactics. Attention getters are needed, but they must be carefully selected. For example, when filming a PSA about controlling anger, a glass-framed picture of a family can be shattered on camera. This was dramatic, but not melodramatic. Staging a scene between two angry people to convey the same idea is more difficult to do effectively.
5. Create a script and keep your script to a few simple statements. A 30-second PSA will typically require about 5 to 7 concise assertions. Highlight the major and minor points that you want to make. Be sure the information presented in the PSA is based on up-to-date, accurate research, findings and/or data.
6. Storyboard your script.
7. Film your footage and edit your PSA.
8. Find your audience and get their reaction. How do they respond and is it in the way you expected? Your goal is to call your audience to action. Are they inspired?

Through a Public Service Announcement you can bring your community together around a subject that is important to you. Will your PSA be on education, poverty, drunk driving, or maybe even Haiti disaster relief? For ideas and examples, check out the Ad Council and the Ad Council Gallery. Keep your message clear and simple, and target your intended audience. Take advantage of your interests, and practice important critical thinking and literacy skills because you will be spreading important social, economic, and political topics.

Create Your Own Documentaries

Documentary films differ from the typical Hollywood movies due to one clear reason.

While movies tend to be fictional stories that are acted, documentaries are non-fictional stories about real people and real events unfolding, often, in front of the camera. Your goal is not to develop a fictional story, but to essentially to tell a realistic and true story by presenting facts and interviews.

Types of Documentaries

First things first: You need to decide what kind of documentary you would like to pursue. There are many different kinds, the most common of which are expository, observational and participatory.

Expository documentaries speak directly to the viewer, often in the form of an authoritative commentary employing voiceovers or titles, proposing a strong argument and point of view. This style of documentary is often biographical or historical in subject. Examples of expository documentaries are TV shows and films like “A&E Biography,” “America’s Most Wanted,” science and nature documentaries, or Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” (1990).

Observational documentaries attempt to simply and spontaneously observe lived life. Becoming popular first in the 1960s, this mode of film focuses on individual human characters in ordinary life situations. Think of all the un-scripted “reality” television that is popular today. Shows like MTV’s “Made,” slice of life programs like “Little People Big World” and “Deadliest Catch” are all examples of this “fly-on-the-wall” type of documentary making. The filmmaker is the one who observes but tries not to influence or alter the events being captured on camera.

Participatory documentaries believe that it is impossible for the act of filmmaking to not influence or alter the events being captured. Not only is the filmmaker part of the film, but the viewer also gets a sense of how situations in the film are affected or altered by the filmmaker’s presence. For example, Morgan Spurlock’s film “Super Size Me” put the filmmaker himself in front of the camera to tell the story about what could happen to the human body when it is sustaining itself on fast food alone. The filmmaker’s experiences are incorporated into the film, and the creator is the center of the story. The encounter between filmmaker and subject becomes a critical element of the film in order to find a “truth” through the encounter.

Researching

The key to documentaries is research and interviews. Ideally, you as the filmmaker will learn as much about your topic, or more, than your audience. This is why people like Ken Burns make documentaries about things they know absolutely nothing about: to educate themselves. Otherwise, you are not making a documentary, you are going to end up with a commercial for your beliefs.
Unlike the typical short film process, however, most documentary filmmakers come up with their narrative, point, structure and storyboard in the editing process, not pre-production. As a documentary filmmaker, you will need to change your approach to creating your film; otherwise you may end up influencing what you shoot with your own opinions.

Start by writing a proposal on what you want to do, how you go about doing it and what kind of research (library, living people, photos, etc.) to include in your documentary. Create a rough outline of the shots you think you will want to have in your documentary and send invitations to those experts you want to interview in advance.

Interviewing

When you are interviewing people, or gathering data, you have to ask questions that do not introduce personal bias/propaganda into the documentary. This can be very difficult. Keep the questions general and just let them talk. You never know what you might get. Select people who have knowledge of or are interested in your topic. If you get many interviews you will have a more diverse and interesting piece.

When filming, do not chat up the subjects off-camera. Off camera they might give you all their perfect, natural sound bites and you’ll wish you’d been rolling. The same bites will be forced or flat if you have your interviewer repeat them for the camera. Also, make sure they know that you are going to edit what you are shooting. They will get much more comfortable once they know you are going to edit.

Filming

Mix up your shots to keep things interesting. For example, if everything you film is a medium shot of people walking, your edits will be incredibly boring. Get wide shots to establish location and get tight shots if the situation allows. Extreme close ups of the subjects are excellent if they are discussing something with passion. Get cutaways like legs walking, hands writing, etc. These types of shots are called B-Roll footage. B-Roll footage helps back up your narration with visuals and helps tell the story.

Get lots of shots. Vary using the camera as a handheld and with a tripod. Plan on getting many more shots than you can imagine you will need. You will need them and may even wish you had more.

Editing

Once you get to post production, your job is to tell a story. Throw out any footage, no matter how lovely the shot, that doesn’t advance the story. Be sure to use your B-Roll footage effectively and add in captions and graphics as needed. Plus, remember to put the name of those you interviewed on the screen with the subject. Include their full name and their title, just like they do in news programs. Your end product should tie all the information and interviews, footage, etc. together in an interesting way.

Documentaries are a unique film genre that can persuade, educate, and entertain. Is there a story out there you want to document? Is there a moment in time you want to capture? Is there a message you want to convey to the masses? Decide on your purpose, research and grab a camera. Just be sure to keep it entertaining, informative and factual. Only then does it appear to be much more realistic and believable.

http://www.amw.com/

Only Two Days Left

Two days remain to register for the Young Minds Digital Times Student Film Contest! We are very excited about our competition this year and have over 600 registered students from around the country! Register today, don’t miss out! www.youngmindsdigitaltimes.com

Creating Your Own Music Video

In the last 25 years the invigorating art form the music video has grown to be one of the most influential and individually stylistic modes of production in the industry. Music Videos began by bands filming themselves singing their hit songs until technology and big budgets showed up to create what we see in the medium today. But don’t be fooled, you don’t need a big budget to create your own music video, (the band OK GO created their music video “Here It Goes Again” in one take and after posting it on YouTube walked away with a Grammy 6 months later). Production companies charge a fortune for even the simplest promo video, but you can easily do it yourself.

Step 1: Music
First things first, however; you have to choose your song. A simple idea well executed is often more effective than a complex idea done badly. Songs that tell a story work well, though non-narrative approaches can also be arresting.

Music videos do not need to cost a fortune and can be made very simply. You just need a good idea. How many videos have you seen on MTV that consist of the band playing in a club, with the lights flashing whilst the audience jumps up and down? Exactly. Try and think of something different when you make your video. Be creative and have fun.

Step 2: Planning
Brainstorm ideas for how you’d like to illustrate the song. Do not feel you have to be too literal; many of the greatest videos represent the emotion or theme of a song, not just its lyrics. Also, filming a music video can take a lot longer than you think, so plan to create a video for the 3 to 4 min song and allow plenty of time for shooting. Start by creating a storyboard for each shot. Planning shots ahead of time will make things run much more smoothly. Also, make a list of your crew, performers and props you’ll need for each shot.

Step 3: Style
Maybe you want to shoot entirely in black and white, or maybe you want to use stop-motion animation. It’s better to decide now than halfway through the actual shoot what “style” will best fit the song. Don’t forget to consult the band, as well. Some bands will want to be featured in the video, some will want to have footage of them playing spliced into the video, and some won’t want to appear at all.

Step 4: Shooting
Shooting the actual elements of the video is the fun part. Since the only sound in most videos is the song, you don’t have to worry about audio. If you’re going to have shots of someone singing or rapping, play the song in the background of a shot to make sure their lips are perfectly synchronized. Do multiple takes of each shot, and don’t be afraid to mix things up if a new idea comes to you. The more footage you end up with, the easier the editing will be and the better the video will look.

You’ll have your plan and storyboard to follow, but remember that some of the best moments in a video can be unplanned. Keep the camera rolling.

Step 5: Editing
Your footage might be great, but it’ll only become a great video through editing. Load all of your raw footage into an editing system. Upload the song first and match the footage to the audio. To do a good job you’ll need patience, time and more patience. You’ll need to decide the ‘feel’ and pace of the video. Will it be made up of long sweeping shots, or quick sharp edits? Do you want to

follow the mood of the song and edit to the music or do you want the video to contrast with the track?

Great videos feel like visual versions of the songs they represent. Make sure your edits reflect that —they should flow with the music. For example, a bunch of quick, sharp cuts during a lazy bass solo is probably going to look awful. Consider also adding

in effects and transitions to put the finishing touches on the video. Blur scenes, add slow motion, correct colors—this is just as much a part of the video as the shots themselves.

You can spice up your video by adding some stock footage, but you need to be aware that, like music, almost video foot

age is subject to strict copyright law. Making use of footage without the copyright holders express permission is illegal. Fear not, however, there are free royalty free footage – footage that’s in the public domain.

However, there are source of footage that you can legally use. Royalty free footage is footage you can re-use in any setting, without asking permission or paying the copyright holder a fee each time you use it. Some sites where you can download public domain footage for free are:

• The British Film Institute
• Google’s collection of National Archives
• For black holes and other treats from outer space try the European Space Agency

From the first frame to the last, music videos serve as a blank canvas to your mind’s eye, a place to show the world what you can really do when let loose with a camera. But, if you let your creative juices drown your common sense approach to production, your music video masterpiece could wind up a public-access catastrophe. Keep your song choice always in your mind – it will drive your ideas and the shots in your film. Take your time in the planning process but don’t be afraid to experiment. Have fun! And who knows, maybe your music video will be the next YouTube hit.

Stop Motion Animation

In this day and age where everything entertainment seems to be wrapped in CGI (computer-generated imagery), it is easy for audiences to forget how film special effects found their start — Stop Motion Animation.

Stop Motion, or what was first known as “object manipulation” dating all the way back to 1889, involves photographing an armature, (a pose-able puppet), or inanimate object in order to bring it to life on screen by breaking up the figure’s motion into increments and filming one frame of film at a time. Although this technique is time consuming, stop motion animation is simple and fun for all ages. You are only five simple steps away from creating your own Stop Motion Animation and no expensive equipment is required. All you need is a digital camera, some creativity and a story to tell.

Step 1: Develop an idea

When thinking of creating a stop motion animation, keep it simple. What will the characters/objects be doing? Write out a script with action in a story line and storyboard your ideas. Limit yourself to one or two objects/ characters to move if you are a beginner. Plan well. It is important to have the motions worked out in advance.

Step 2: Create an armature*

An armature forms the skeleton of the characters you can create for your stop motion animation. Armatures were perfected by stop motion animator Willis O’Brien, a pioneer in the special effects industry. He began using models with wire frame skeletons and movable joints. The wire and joints made the figures easy to move. Then O’Brien covered the frame with clay and paint to create lifelike models, his most famous being his iconic King Kong from the 1933 classic film. King Kong was a challenge for O’Brien. He brought the giant gorilla to life on film using eighteen inch high models constructed on metal skeletons with ball-and-socket joints, padded with foam rubber and cotton, and covered with rabbit skins to simulate the beast’s fur.

To create your armature, use light weight wire or strong pipe cleaners. Be sure to twist your armature materials together tightly in order to make your character have a strong frame. Any part you want to move on your character should be easy to bend. Add tin foil to the armature to give it mass and shape. Then, use a thin layer of non-drying modeling clay over the structure to add details and decoration.

* Armatures are optional and used when creating figurines you want to animate. Other good choices include clay, wire, Legos or similar building block figures, small dolls with a lot of flexibility, etc. Even household objects and people are great! Be imaginative in the types of objects and figures that might work for your movie.

Step 3: Create your background/set

If you are using armature models, consider creating a setting for them. Use a shoebox or cut a display board into halves. You can even use a cookie sheet as the floor of the set (consider putting magnets in the clay armature’s feet so it will easily stand). You can even use elements from the outdoors to create your scene. As for lighting, use continuous, direct light from desk lamps. Finally, color and paint the background or use printed pictures. Finish off your set by creating accessories or use small toys.

Step 4: Film your scene

Place your camera in front of the “set” and your characters/objects. Check that the camera can view the entire frame. It is very important to support the camera or place it so that it is sitting steadily and cannot shake as you take the photos. Otherwise, the end result will appear chaotic and lack continuity. Keep in mind that the more photos, the smoother the video results. If you do not have a tripod, good alternatives include balancing on solid books, poster tack on the surface of the set or a piece of solid furniture at the same height. Now, begin the movement sequence. Move the figure/object bit by bit – very small movements each time. Take a picture after every movement and repeat the movement sequence until your action step is completed.

You can even use stop motion without models. Think “Bewitched” and “Wizards of Waverly Place”, where magic happens at the snap of a finger or a twitch of the nose. For example, an elephant appears in the room. The camera filming the scene would be stopped and the actors would “freeze” until the pachyderm was in place, then filming would resume. The result is an elephant that “magically” appears in an instant. Consider how you can use Stop Motion in live action scenes as well.

Step 5: Make your movie

Import your pictures into the desired program, such as Stop Motion Animator, Frame Thief, iStop Motion, Stop Motion Pro, Video Blender, or any video software editor you might have available. Make sure the pictures are at a very small duration so they flow very fast, start at a rate of .5 seconds. Adjust the film speed rate if it needs to move slower or faster. Add audio, titles and credits if you would like: sound effects and music will add to your story.

Movies, TV, and even music videos have all found a place for stop motion thanks to animators like O’Brien, Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts ), Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit ), Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, (Robot Chicken) and Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach). They have brought this unique style of animation to the masses, and now you can do it too. Stop-motion animation is one of the simplest, most fun animation techniques. With creativity and some patience you can create something truly unique.