Animation research

Before starting the new film opening, we researched into the most effective methods of animating. We chose to use Lego as it is the simplest way to animate, rather than making our own models.

There are many tutorials on Lego animation online:



There are also internet guides from Wikihow on stop motion:

Get objects and figures to use in your movie. Some good choices include clay, wire, Legos or similar building block figures. Be imaginative in the types of objects and figures that might work for your movie. For amateurs, it's best to use a toy rather than making a figure, as it is easier to animate.

Set up the figures (characters) in a particular position and within the "set."

Place your camera in front of the "set" that you are going to take photos of. Make sure that it can view the entire frame. It is very important to support the camera or place it so that it is sitting steadily and cannot shake as you take the photos. Otherwise, the end result will appear chaotic and lack continuity.

Set up a good source of lighting. It might be a lamp or a flashlight. If your light is flickering, you need to shut off other sources of light like blinds or curtains.

Take a single photo of the figure in the selected position.

Begin the movement sequence. Move the figure bit by bit, in very small movements each time. It may be the entire body if the figure is walking, or it may just be an arm, head or leg. If you are moving only one body part and you find that the figure is tilting or threatening to fall over, make use of poster tack under the feet or other area touching part of the set.

Repeat the movement sequence until your action step is completed, or your camera's memory is full.

Save the pictures on to your computer in an easy to remember place.

Use your movie-making software as instructed (or see two popular software methods below). There are a few key steps regardless of what movie-making software you use.

Import the pictures into the desired program. Make sure the pictures are at a very small duration so they flow fast. If you are disappointed by the speed at which your program can animate, try exporting the project as a video file (before adding audio), then importing it again and using a speed effect on it such as double speed (these effects only work on video clips).

Then, if the resulting speed is sufficient, you may add your audio. Add titles and credits if you would like. You can also add effects or transitions, if desired. Make sure you like the end result of your stop motion animation. Keep going if you need to complete more actions to create a story.

Save the video. If you plan on having multiple stop motion segments, save each segment as a separate movie. Once the entire group of segments is completed, you can import all the segments into the final movie. This will make it will look much better and it will be easier to finalize.