Toolset: Dragonframe, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Stop Motion Studio
While studying Film and Animation at RIT, I had the privilege of learning from talented animators including Tom Gasek (Wallace & Gromit, Coraline) and Stephanie Maxwell (Ocean) who introduced me to several motion mediums. Stop motion in particular stole my heart, with its hands-on nature where much of the magic happens before you shoot a single frame. I also loved how it rewards both careful planning and creative improvisation. Later on, as a teacher, I took this fascination and used it to develop lessons on the principles of animation with stop motion as the primary medium. Below you’ll first find two examples of my stop motion creations, then some of my students’ work.
The following were created by two students of mine. The first is from a summer series on movie making, and the second is from a junior high course in animation. Notice the leaves on the tree in #2!