Video & Sound Production / Final Project: Stop-Motion

 22/04/2024 - 04/08/2024 (Week 5 - Week 14)

Isabel Tan Xen Wern/ 0355602/ Bachelors of design in creative media/ Taylors University

Video & Sound Production/ VSP60104

Final Project: Stop Motion (Solo)

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JUMPLINKS

Introduction

Progress

Final Submission

Reflection

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INTRODUCTION

Figure 1.1

MIB (22/04/24)

Idea

Visual Inspiration:

Figure 1.2

Bench - Stop Motion Animated Short film by Waaber

Figure 1.3

Under the Winter Sun - Award Winning stop - motion short film produces by Grace Barnes

Figure 1.4

Short Film - Archie Produced by Cristopher Young

• I would prefer to do a clay stop motion

Title: Unexpected friends

Rationale: 

A snowman on in the winter season makes friends with a campfire. As the firewood goes out, the fire slowly disappears, but the snowman brings it more firewood then they become friends.

• meaning behind it is that, you can be friends with anybody you like but you would have to work for it but doing kind gestures even if the other person doesn't show it. Its more about giving than getting. especially during Christmas, hence the characters.

Making Process:

Figure 1.5

Story Board (20/07/24)

Figure 1.6

Story Board (20/07/24)

Figure 1.7

Making Characters (24/07/24)

Figure 1.8

set up background (24/07/24)

Figure 1.9

set up tripod (24/07/24)

Figure 2.1

adjusting photos (30/07/24)

Figure 2.2

first result (30/07/24)

• Then I duplicated some photos that i felt needed more time and was going to fast because of the less frames.

Figure 2.3

adjusting photos (30/07/24)

Figure 2.4

adjusting photos (30/07/24)

Figure 2.5

second result (30/07/24)

• decided it needs to be slower so i edited the second result to the speed 0.2.

Figure 2.6

Final Raw video (31/07/24)

Editing in premiere pro:

Figure 2.7

Adjusting the midtones, highlights and shadows (31/07/24)

Figure 2.8

 adjusted midtones, highlights and shadows (31/07/24)

Figure 2.9

Looking for sounds effects (31/07/24)

Figure 3.1

Spreadsheet organizing (31/07/24)

• spreadsheet link : CLICK HERE

Figure 3.2

Inserting sounds (31/07/24)

FINAL SUBMISSION

Youtube link : CLICK HERE

Google Drive : CLICK HERE

Figure 3.3

Final Submission (31/07/24)

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REFLECTION

Experience

This clay stop-motion project was incredibly frustrating, especially when adjusting the characters, as they often wouldn't stand properly or maintain their position while changing expressions. The process required meticulous attention to detail and patience to ensure that each frame was set up correctly. However, the editing part was relatively straightforward, thanks to the skills I developed throughout the module, allowing me to focus on storytelling and character development.

Observation

I observed that precision and stability are crucial in stop-motion animation, as even the slightest misalignment could disrupt the flow and necessitate reshooting. Changing the expressions of the clay characters was particularly challenging, requiring fine motor skills and patience to maintain consistency across frames. These observations highlighted the meticulous care needed to create smooth and believable animations.

Findings

This project taught me the importance of attention to detail and meticulous planning in stop-motion animation. Despite the frustrations, I gained a greater appreciation for the art form and the effort involved in creating even short sequences. Additionally, the experience reinforced the value of my editing skills and strengthened my problem-solving abilities and perseverance, which will be beneficial in future animation projects.