![]() This type of clay animation is only used for certain scenes or frames of the movie. If you’re curious to see this type of animation technique in action, check out Will Vinton’s Closed Mondays (1974): Some of the scenes where characters’ faces melt must be shot quickly.Īlso, if the temperature changes on set, it can alter the clay figurine’s facial expressions and body shape so everything has to be redone and that takes a lot of work! When making this kind of stop motion movie, the filming area is called a hot set because everything is temperature and time-sensitive. As it drips and melts away, the animation camera is set up on the time-lapse setting and it films the entire process slowly. Clay meltingĪs you can tell, there are several types of stop motion animation techniques featuring clay.įor a clay melting animation, the animators use a heat source to melt the clay from the side or underneath. Therefore, the end result is a clay painting, that mimics the style of traditional oil-painted artworks. It is a combination between traditional stop motion animation and an older style called flat animation.įor this technique, clay is placed onto a flat surface and the animator manipulates and moves it around this flat surface as if he or she were painting with wet oil. There is another clay animation stop motion technique called clay painting. ![]() Other times, character clay animation can be constant which means that the characters keep a recognizable “face” during an entire shot, without changing the clay.Ī good example of this can be seen in the stop motion films of Will Vinton. Sometimes the characters don’t retain the same shape.Įli Noyes is a famous animator who used this stop motion technique in his feature films. In this animation technique, the clay’s shape changes drastically during the progress of the animation. Eyes, made from white beads, can be moved using a needle inserted through the hole.When it comes to making stop motion animation feature films, clay, plasticine, and play-doh characters are easy to use because you can manipulate them into almost any shape or form.įor some films, like The Neverhood, the animators used a metal armature (skeleton) and then placed the clay on top to make the puppets sturdier. For example a minor character at a desk, might not need legs that move, or possibly might not need legs at all!įacial expressions are possible, but it takes patience and plasticine faces can easily become distorted. And, as with all animation, it is important to have a clear idea worked out in a storyboard. Whatever approach you take to stabilising the characters, try it out before commencing detailed modelling. At a more specialist level, engineered armatures are used to achieve both stability and articulation. A pinboard or thick polystyrene set base will let you push dress pins through the feet to maintain stability.Īnother technique is to use a metal base with magnets positioned under the base to attract metal nuts or plates concealed in the soles of the characters' feet. A skeleton of soft aluminium wire (more expensive but far superior to ordinary wire) can be twisted together with the feet exaggerated to provide stability. Puppets should be as light as possible and certainly not top heavy. Pay particular attention to how the character will stand and move, it is important to establish this before actual modelling takes place. ![]() On the other hand, large puppets can be unwieldy. The latter will give a good demonstration of the possibilities, and is a useful demonstration in its own right.Īlthough any size of character is feasible: small puppets can be difficult to manipulate, and close-ups on faces might not work. Stop-motion animation can involve a range of techniques, from carefully crafted plasticine characters on lavish sets, to random objects of almost any description moved about on a table. (animating on the floor is a great last choice) Push it up against the wall, hot glue it down, clamp it to a radiator, lug something more solid across the school - it is worth it. Seek out the sturdiest surface you can find: built in desks are ideal, fold away tables can be a nightmare. Mark positions on the floor with camera tape. (Be especially careful if using angle poise lamps).
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