{Stop Motion II}

READING & WRITING

When creating a stop motion animation, there is so much to consider, from color to lighting to medium and now sound. In this post, I am picking up from last week’s blog post, where I started working on my first stop motion animation. Last week, I worked on a few storyboards, color theory, and I created a test animation. Now I am focusing on the importance of sound in animation and the world a story can live in. 

Incorporating Sound

Sound alone can paint a vivid picture and can propel a story forward on a blank screen.

Liz Blazer

The sounds used in an animated story can have a significant impact on the final production. If the timing of a phone ringing or the smash of a glass dropping is off, the audience can lose sight of the story and find it less believable. Sounds add depth to a story and move it forward; this is why it’s essential to think about the music and sound of a story as it’s created. In the book Animated Storytelling, Liz Blazer lists some important elements to consider when adding sound to animation. Here are a few that resonated most with me: 

• Make a list of the sound effects you’d like incorporated in the story, then cut the list in half. It’s important not to overuse sound effects
• Instead of sound effects, try using a music score. Using music to emphasize a key moment feels more natural.
• Try unexpected music. For example, use a sound that feels the opposite of the situation, like happy, upbeat music when a poor cat is being given a bath.
• When there is dialogue on screen, make sure it’s expressed visually and make sure it captures the personality of the character.
• Finally, your timing needs to be perfect. If the sound is off, it will confuse the audience and detract from the story. 

The World Around

In addition to sound, consider the setting of the story. Will it take place present-day here on earth, or will it be in a new, wild, and fantastical world? This is one of the beauties of animation. You are not limited to the normal laws of physics; instead, you can create a fantasy land filled with mythical creatures located galaxies away. 

However, according to Blazer, there are some important rules to consider when creating a new world. If you decide the ground will be made of marshmallows, make sure there is a bounce to each character’s step. Additionally, while creating this new world, be sure to consider the character. “Find a place that will bring the most organic roadblocks to your character.” This will add depth to the story and make it more interesting. 

RESEARCH TO INFORM

After digesting Blazer’s advice on sound and creating new worlds, I began to research some examples of animation that use audio very effectively. Then I studied unique title sequences. Below are examples of some of my favorites and why.

Effective Audio

In the title sequence for Westworld the sound and the visual align together perfectly. In the beginning, you hear a delicate strings playing when the robots are being formed. Then, I especially love how the skeletal fingers play the piano exactly at the moment when the piano plays in the score. The music intensifies as the robots gain their unique and dangerous personalities. Finally the sequence ends when the piano begins to speed up and become ominous and a robot disappears into strange white liquid.

Some of the best sound effects are found in classic cartoons. This clip of Pink Panther has so many great bangs, clangs, and whooshes. It is interesting how the cars in the animation are still, yet we hear angry car horns blaring and we know there are annoyed people stuck in traffic. Also when the white character is featured, ominous music plays and we know he’s the bad guy. When the pink panther appears we hear his smooth, cool jazz riff and we know he has everything taken care of.

Effective Title Animation

It’s interesting to watch the elements being drawn interact with text. I like how the colors used to make the drawing are the same that fill the text. The text and the drawings also enlarge together in subtle way.

This fun animation brings the word “Playground” to life as an actually playground. The top left circles acts like a ball bouncing on each letter to activate it and make it animate into a piece of equipment.

CREATE

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Only a person who is passionate about stop motion can create these types of animations; it is truly a labor of love. 

At the beginning stage of creating my stop motions animation, I enjoyed making my paper figurines and their props. I made clay figurines as well, but they did not make it into my animation. Then, once I set up my background and lighting, shooting the stills was not a problem. The challenge came in creating realistic movements with paper dolls. I wasn’t sure how to move the characters’ arms, so as a result when they walk, they look they are flossing. At one point, when my blue-hair character moves his arms, it’s very awkward and scarecrow-like. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to make adjustments.

After I finished shooting and reviewed my work, I made one major change to the end of my script. I scrapped my original idea of using clay figurines because I couldn’t get the clay figures to move their arms in a natural way and I wanted a more 3 dimensional look. Instead, I opted for real kids, and I’m pleased with the result. I think the idea of a significant transformation is even more prominent because of this shift. 

Creating this animation took me many days and nights, and I have gained a great appreciation for all animators out there. I can’t even fathom the amount of time and the number of people it took to create the stunning animations examples I posted above. Kudos to all animators out there.