Stop-Motion 101

 "The predominance of ideologies in our culture tends to mean that, unless marked
as high art, many avowed non-realistic genres are viewed as frivolously escapist,
as 'mere fantasy,' and thus as suitable only for children or for 'mindless,'
"irresponsible adults."
                                                                                     - Steven Neale, Film Historian

Hey - this guy just wrote our epitaph!

We get quite a few inquiries addressing the stop-motion animation we've posted. Mostly from quite young folks. We've no intention of divulging a few techniques we've adapted that were derived from a bit of frustrating trial-and-error on our part. Techniques that we have yet to note in any of the endless reading and research that we invest into the process. Quite a few we feel to be a bit more simplistic than those of the acknowledged "experts" (who more often than not happen to have a cash interest attached to their expertise). However, it's tough to brush off a ten year old kid seeking a bit of assistance when we can help. If not mindless, we tend to be a bit responsible:

Stuff we've needed:

An (at least basic) understanding of the following ancillary disciplines are suggested:
Photography/filmmaking
Studio lighting
Video editing
Drawing/sketching
Clay sculpture/mold making
Scale model building
Scale model painting including airbrushing and weathering techniques

Can't hurt:
Woodworking
Metalworking
Stone Carving
MIG/Flux core welding

Software:
Photoshop
DragonFrame
Pagemaker

Some crucial materials (we inserted the manufacturer brand for stuff we've been using):
'Monster Maker' brand Monster Clay (medium)
'Sculpy' brand polymer clay
'JXE JXO' brand thermoplastic (beads)
Soft clay
'Monster' Liquid Latex
UltraCal 30 plaster
'Jack Richeson' brand armature wire - 1/16" and 1/8"

Most important, don't forget that ya' gotta' start with a script. Former NYU professor of film Haig Manoogian wouldn't let ya' touch a camera without first handing him a film script.

We started out machining our own armature ball and socket and hinge joints. We later adapted to using aluminum wire armatures. It got to be a chore building a small hex key access into the body of the props at each joint location for periodic re-tightening of the joints which always came loose. Have yet to have a problem with any breaking wires. Besides, we've built quite a few of the mechanical joints should we need them for a more "heavy duty" animation schedule.

We're typically shooting at distances between 1ft to 6ft. Focal lengths between 30mm to 80mm at medium apertures. So Depth of Field (DoF) is always tight. A few near-far focus targets occasionally come in handy. 

Other than creatures, we'll use kits for props if we find 'em. The 1/72 and 1/144 diving bells are built from scratch. The trawler is a scale model kit. 

The Sperm Whale was a hybrid. We cut the head off of a model whale we found on Amazon then added a wired foam and latex body/tail/fins for animating. A side cut drill came in handy for notching 'em a plywood animation track.

We modified this model tank into a Nazi 'Sonic Cannon' for a scene just to use a cool sound effect we found. But wound up not using it. 

This unfinished 'Giganto' was built for a (maybe not) abandoned project.

1/144 scale Nazi Haunebu "flying saucer"

Nazi saucer on an animation track.

A micro-scale saucer emerging from the "ocean".

A 1/350 scale Type VII U-boat for some depth to this shot. We played around with building styrofoam rocks for the shoreline for several days before the lightbulb lit - hey, just go out in the woods and grab a few rocks. We spray painted a bit of "snow" on the peaks then keyed in a background of more rocks.

Same set with a micro-scale U-boat. The very shallow DoF blurred the FG and BG shoreline a bit to make it look a bit more realistic. Generated a bit of a fog effect.

1/72 scale Type VII U-boat on set w/ animation track.

Another miniature built but not used. We were gonna' have the 'Gravity Bell' chain-tethered to this "Fly Trap" structure. It was to then be animated bounding about above the structure, confined to the length of the chains.

Nazi crater base (T) and base landing pad (B).

Sheet plywood Diving Bell interior "port hole" prop under construction. All the hardware we obtained from the local recycling scrap yard - hydraulic gauges and levers salvaged from a scrapped fire truck.

Our ingeniously designed "Shake-R" camera mount.

A saucer on the paint booth turntable.

The mechanical-jointed AI 'Jagganath'. We built one of these then switched to wire for the smaller units. We solved the issue of maintaining loosening joints by just leaving the mechanics exposed. He's a mechanical robot anyway. We camouflaged the exposed hex nuts with some cut aluminum tubing.

The smaller scale, wire armature 'Battle AI's'

Lighting the Battle AI's.

AI "laser test".

The 'Stone Colossus' - wire/foam/latex.

Assorted polymer clay heads sculpted for the Colossus.

Colossus on miniature set.

'Thompson Island' - air dry polymer clay sculpture

The 'Pteranodon' on set.

Wire/foam/latex construction.

The giant 'Brittle Star' snatches the 1/350 scale U-boat. The giant brittle stars of ancient lore were said to be bioluminescent, emitting an "eerie bluish glow". So we painted 'em with neon-glow acrylic blacklight paint, then lit 'em with a spot blacklight.

The effect was excellent. However, after final color balancing and correcting it's not as perceptible in the final mute-balanced print. That "sea floor" is air-dry polymer clay, textured for a sandy bottom.

Preview...

We're takin' a break from the Nazi's temporarily. These are three under construction 'Alien Soldiers' from a new project we're developing. Now back at it after our own summer break.