Articles

Get Animated!

The beauty of exploring animation in the Media classroom lies in the fact that there are so many forms and styles of animation out there - from the simple flip book images to the most advanced computer generated pictures. No matter what style you choose to explore in your classroom, you will find animation to be a highly interactive and hands-on activity that students can really sink their teeth into. Teaching the principles behind animation also provide students with an excellent understanding of how moving images are made.

Clay animation is a personal favourite of mine, as it can be completed as either an individual or group task, making it a great learning opportunity in the Media classroom.

What is clay animation and how does it work?

Clay animation has been made famous by films and series such as Pingu, Gumby, Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit. If you or your students aren’t familiar with these, you can check out selected clips of them all on You Tube.

It follows the similar rules to other stop-motion forms of animation, making use of a series of individual pictures that, with some speed applied, appear to move. This is due to a principle known as the persistence of vision – the pictures move so quickly that our eye can’t tell that they are separate and fills in ‘the gaps’, joining the pictures together. For a really great (and student friendly) explanation of this concept, check out http://www.privatelessons.net/2d/sample/m01_03.html There’s even a great little moving diagram showing the difference between an image moving at 5fps (frames per second) and 12 fps.

The one main difference about clay animation as opposed to other forms of animation such as cell animation or 3D animation is that the characters are created with clay (or plasticine!)…which is great if your drawing or computer skills are limited.

Why try clay animation?

• Clay animation is easy, fun and a great way to engage your students in their learning. It’s suitable for all ages - from primary students to those studying Media at VCE level (yes…it’s a viable medium for students to explore for their Year 12 SAT and comes with a whole lot less ‘actor’ issues!)
• The range of topics and stories you can explore via clay animation is limited only by your imagination. Remember, your ‘characters’ don’t have to be people….they can be ‘blobs’, animals, aliens etc.
• Its hands-on nature makes it a wonderful way to actively learn about the technical processes behind animation.
• It’s a great way to learn how to use a digital or video camera creatively, whilst still working inside the classroom.

What will I need?

Clay animation doesn’t have to be expensive. The following materials are suggestions – use as many of as few as you like. Many of these are readily available and can be purchased from either a supermarket or an art and craft shop.

Creative Requirements

To make the characters:

• ‘Little People’ Wooden Block Dolls for the inner armature of human characters (available from Bunnings, Spotlight or Zart Art)
• Plasticine
• Aluminium Foil
• Eyes
• Wool
• Florist / Armature Wire
• Stick on eyes
• Dolls clothing (optional)

To make the set:

• Large Boxes
• Coloured Cardboard
• Textas, Pastels, Crayons, Pencils or Pens
• Doll house (such as Barbie) furniture and accessories

Technical Requirements

• Video camera with a time lapse or animation function (such as 1/4 second advance) OR a digital (photo) camera
• Tripod
• Lights (even a few simple desk lamps will do)

Making a Character

When creating a character, it is best to use an armature as a ‘skeleton’. This way, your character will be easier to move. It will also mean you use less plasticine.

For creating human characters, a block doll is great for this (although it doesn’t give you the flexibility of ‘removable heads’ for different facial expressions – see next section).

For non-human characters, use could make use of a range of objects as a base. Cotton reels, Lego blocks and wire are all good for this.

Wire and foil are also helpful in creating any ‘additions’ to an armature. For example, if you were creating an angel, a basic block doll could be used for the body and foil (which is then covered in plasticine) could be used for the wings.

Tools of the Trade

Most professional clay animators use oil based clay. In the classroom, plasticine works fine. It’s a cheaper alternative and doesn’t need to be melted and moulded the way oil based clay does.

Sculpting tools allow you to shape the clay. There are plenty of sites on the Internet where you can purchase such things if you wish. In the classroom, the best (and cheapest) tools to use are your fingers! Plastic knives, rulers and spoons are also useful.

Removable Heads

Creating a character with a ‘removable head’ allows you to change facial expressions easily. Simply make a number of ‘heads’ for one character – each with a different expression. Put it onto the body as you require.

Making a Set

A large cardboard box with the top and front cut off it make an excellent set. Put this on a table-top or bench. A clever addition to a set is removable walls; this means that the camera angles you are able to film from are greater.

Use cardboard, textas and any other material to decorate your set - the more colourful and textured, the better. Try to ensure that you use contrasting colours in your set, so that your characters don’t ‘blend’ in to it.

Be creative in your set design – try using doll house furniture which is in proportion to your characters. ‘Barbie’ furniture and cars, as well as Lego can be fantastic for this. You can also make use of wrapping paper for ‘wall paper’ and pieces of towelling for ‘carpet’ or ‘fake grass’.

The Camera

Professional clay animators use film cameras that have a one-frame advance. Unfortunately, the availability of such cameras in schools is low, mainly due to the cost of film.

There are some video cameras on the market that have a time lapse or animation function. These cameras allow short pictures (e.g. 1/4 second long) to be recorded, which is suitable for clay animation. Some schools make use of basic digital photo cameras, taking a series of pictures that can later be linked together.

Whether you use a digital camera or a video camera with an animation function, trying to make your characters move fluidly is perhaps the most important part of animation.

The key to doing this is to use small movements. This takes patience, but it ensures that your characters move naturally rather than jumping all over the place. Remember, you don’t have to move all the characters all the time!

If you want a character to move slowly, then use more shots. If you want a character to move quickly, then use less shots.

It is necessary to use the camera on a tripod. If you don’t have one, make use of a table or bench to rest your camera on instead. Avoid moving the camera too much – this will create an ‘uneven’ clay animation.

Until you’re a skilled clay animator, try to avoid having characters ‘speak’ as this will involve lip synching. This is really difficult and best left up to the professionals. It’s easy enough to make up a story that doesn’t require dialogue. Try using a voiceover narration or a soundtrack to get your message across instead.

Lighting

Try to control the lighting situation in the room you are filming in. Changes in light (even if they are subtle) will make the picture appear to ‘flash’.

Lights that are too high in wattage will ‘heat’ your characters and melt the plasticine, making them excessively flexible. Two or three small desk lamps make for suitable lighting.

Editing Programs

You don’t have to edit your clay animation although it does allow you to create a more ‘polished’ final product.

Video editing programs such as Apple’s iMovie or Adobe Premiere give you the opportunity to add titles, music, voiceover and transitions to your clay animation. You can also speed up your footage on these programs if you feel the character’s movements are too slow or jerky.

There are some good animation software programs on the market, such as Stop Motion Pro (http://www.stopmotionpro.com/). These are useful but may be a little costly for some school budgets.

Six easy steps to making your own clay animation

1. Think up a story and develop a storyboard for your own animation

• Simple short stories with a beginning, middle and end work best. Plan these out visually, using a storyboard.
• This can be done in pair or small groups, with the class voting for the best storyboard to then create.

2. Develop character designs

• Once you know your story, decide what characters will need to be created.
• Draw up designs of each character. Sometimes doing this in ‘caricature’ works best, as it accentuates features.
• Keep in mind the materials available to later create the characters.

3. Create the characters

• If using clay, use the tips mentioned earlier to build your characters. Don’t forget to use an armature (or their limbs will become very long!)

4. Design and create a set/s

• Once the story and characters have been developed, decide on the set/s you will need.
• Use the tips mentioned earlier to create your set.
• Try to use contrasting colours to the characters so that they don’t blend in.

5. Film and edit the production

• Set up your camera equipment in an area where it will not be moved or knocked. Don’t forget to use a tripod.
• Try to control the lighting in the area you are filming in.
• Take your time when filming – make slow movements with the characters to avoid ‘jerkiness’.
• If available, use a software program to polish your production.

6. Organise a screening

• Share your work with an audience.
• Accompany the screening with a presentation about clay animation and how it is done.

How can I make the clay animation experience into a “more gutsy” unit of work on animation in general?

• Begin by exploring the principles behind animation. Understanding the persistence of vision is important. Create ‘old fashioned’ flip books or spinning disks to do this. You can find some old fashioned drawn versions of these on the net which you can cut and colour (http://www.rossonhousemuseum.org/body_optical_toys_-_flip_books.html) and model your own versions on.
• Explore the different forms of animation that exist today and where we see them used. Have students brainstorm or research where they see animation used (i.e. films, website advertising, flip books). Provide some examples of different types of animation.
• For Primary or lower Secondary students, you can’t go past the ABC Kids RollerMache site (http://www.abc.net.au/rollercoaster/rollermache/). It’s will teach students how animation is done, as well as provide the chance to create and upload their own work to an online gallery.
• Explore how hand drawn animations, 3D animations and 2D animations are created. Have students explore this is in groups and then present their their findings back to the class, either orally or in a hands-on workshop. The Pixar Animation Studios website (http://www.pixar.com/) is fantastic for information on computer generated animation and includes a “how we do it” link which is very educational.
• Check out Pivot Stick Figure Animator, which is freeware software (http://www.snapfiles.com/GeT/sTiCkFiGuRe.html). It allows you to create stick figure animations. A simple and fun way of taking your drawings to a more sophisticated medium (and a great way to incorporate technology in the classroom!)
• Take a look at some professional clay animated clips available on the Internet. You Tube, Pixar Studios and Aardman Animations (http://www.aardman.com/) are great places to start. Also check out the work of Australian clay animator Adam Elliot. The Harvie Krumpet DVD contains his “Uncle”, “Cousin” and “Brother” short films that are simplistic but touching clay animations that would suit a senior secondary classroom really well.