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Hot Stop Motion How-Tos

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How To: Make an armature out of clay and foil for stopmotion

This video demonstration series shows the process of creating an armature for stop motion animation, claymation specifically, out of aluminum foil and polymer clay. Armatures need to be flexible to withstand the positioning and repositioning required to make stop motion animation, but still secure enough so that the material won't break. For this reason, a tin foil skeleton provides a sound structure to the clay armature. Watch this video animation tutorial and learn how to sculpt an armature...

How To: Make clay look like fabric for stop motion armatures

This video animation tutorial demonstrates a technique for creating a fabric-like effect out of clay for stop motion figures, or armatures. Instead of smooth clay, try to give a more authentic finish to clay that will be used to create clothing. This technique will also create patterned fabrics. You'll need to chop the clay up first in a food processor, and then put it through a pasta machine. Watch this instructional video and learn how to make clay look like fabric for claymation armature c...

How To: Sculpt the face of a polymer clay stop motion armature

This video animation tutorial demonstrates the process of sculpting a human face out of polymer clay as part of an armature for stop motion animation. The demonstrator begins by molding a piece of polymer clay into the general shape of a human skull and neck, and impresses the more finite features with the aid of a flexible sculpting tool. Watch this instructional video and learn how to sculpt the face of a polymer clay stop motion armature.

HowTo: Create a Six-Frame Animation with a Single Sheet of Paper

Pioneered by Rufus Butler Seder in his popular children's picture book Gallop!, and ably demonstrated by WonderHowTo favorite brusspup in the video below, "scanimation" refers to a novel (but distinctly old-timey) technique for cramming multi-frame animations onto a single sheet of paper by a process of superimposition and selective interference. Interested in creating your own scanimations? It's easier than you'd think. In the following clip, Paul Overton of Dude Craft presents a complete ov...

How To: Create a 3D cartoon character with Xtranormal

This video will show you how to create a 3D cartoon character using a website called Xtranormal. In the program, you should first pick the scene where you want your action to occur as well as the 3D character which you would like to be present in the scene. You can then type a script and choose a voice for the character to speak. The website will be able to read your script and your character will say whatever you have typed. Next, you can add additional sounds and add actions to the cartoons...

How To: Make video clips into animated gifs

In this video, we learn how to make video clips into animated gifts. First, open Windows Movie maker and import a video file. Now, shorten the video to four seconds or less and save it. Now, go to the website gif ninja. Once on this site, you will see a section that says "tools", then click the button to convert your image to GIF. Once on this, you can browse and upload the file that you just created. Next, click "make my gif!" and a status bar will load on the bottom. When this is done loadi...

How To: Make eyes for clay animation puppets

In this tutorial, we learn how to make eyes for clay animation puppets. First, drill a hole inside of a block of wood, then insert a bull so it fits snug inside of the hole. After you have done this, use a drill to make a hole that goes half way down through the pupil. Now, use paint to fill in the hole where the pupil would be at. Push the balls into clay to hold them in place while painting. Make sure the dots you have on both eyes are even. When finished, paint a black circle around them, ...

How To: Create your own episode of South Park using Flash CS4

In this super cool tutorial, learn how to create your very own episode of South Park using Flash CS4 and a couple of images you can download on the web. This tutorial is for any super fans who wish to spend some extra quality time with their characters, or for anyone interested in animation. These famous, foul mouthed, 2D characters are fun to move around and will do anything you need them to do once you get started! Get your fan fiction minds turning with this video!

How To: Make Lego figures fly using stop-motion animation

Stop-motion animation is somewhat out of favor in the digital age, but there will always be a demand for its timeless look. This video will teach you one important technique for making stop-motion animation out of Legos: how to make them fly. Or at least appear to by flying in your movie. It features detailed instructions on what to do in your digital photo editing software on each frame to erase the support structures you've used to elevate your Lego minifigures, leaving you with seamless im...

How To: Use Bafran computer program to animate flying Legos

As many of you stop-motion animation practitioners out there have probably realized, Legos are a great material for that medium, allowing for great diversity while being relatively easy to work with. Can they fly though? This video features a British boy explaining how to use a free computer program called Bafran to make Lego characters appear to be flying in an animated video.

How To: Make a LEGO stop-motion movie

In this how to video, you will learn how to make a LEGO stop motion movie. First, you must create your set. The base plate must be taped down to the table or a hard surface. To create the animation, move the LEGO man's leg and take a picture. Move it again and take another picture. Keep on doing this until he reaches the destination you want. The more pictures you take the smoother the video will be. To edit the animation, import it to your computer and open up your movie editing program of c...

How To: Create a flipbook animation

Flip book animation is a very cool video effect that is relatively easy to make. Check out this tutorial and learn how to make your flip book come alive as an actual cartoon! In this video, graphic designer and author, Alan Lastufka, shows you how to make your very own mini animated film using paper, pencil and some fancy editing technique. If you have a couple of hours to kill, why not make a flip book cartoon and impress your friends?

How To: Make a claymation video

In this Film and Theater video tutorial you will learn how to make a claymation animation video. This is a Zappos how to video. The equipments that you will need for this are a camera on a tripod, a trigger so that your camera stays steady, constant source of light and clay. Make some animation characters with the clay. Start moving your characters around and take a picture of the movement. When you are editing, each picture will take up two frames. If you want to be in slow motion, then put ...

How To: Shoot a stop-motion animated film

This video will show you how to make a stop motion film using an editing program called Windows Movie Maker. Find a place to film your stop motion movie. Preferably a well lit area where the light source is constant. Set your camera on a tripod and position at the angle you prefer. Place the object you want to use in your film outside of the camera's view, and take a picture. Move your object slightly into the camera's view and take another picture. Repeat this many times, until your object i...

How To: Make a moving gif from Myspace using GifNinja

The first thing you have to do make a movie is to click on Start and go to windows Movie Maker. And then click on Import media to edit the video which you want. And then drag the selected video to Time line at the bottom. If you want to make your movie for less than a five seconds or so click on the Trim and drag it to your left hand side. When your done with that click on file menu and click on publish movie. You can name your file and can also choose the destination you want and then click ...

How To: Create a stop-motion Lego fire

Add some flames to your brickfilms! A little fire always helps light up a scene, especially in your legomation creation. Check out this video tutorial to learn how to create a stop-motion Lego fire. This Lego animation technique will show you how to start the fire and keep the fire going. It's perfect for your next brick film masterpiece.

How To: Make claymation

There's something magical about stop-motion animation made with clay, it's an ideal medium for depicting strange transformations. In this short tutorial you'll learn how to make a simple claymation movie of your own. The video introduces you to some of the materials you'll need, shows you a little about animating and takes you through some of the steps to upload your animation onto your computer for editing.

How To: Make realistic claymation characters

As a beginning stop-motion animator, there's a lot of trial and error. What tools and materials do you use? How do you sculpt realistic clay figures? This video tutorial walks you through some of the essential materials, and demonstrates sculpting a torso out of Super Sculpey.

How To: Make a Lego man walking animation

If you're planning on being the next Ridley Scott of brickfilms, then maybe you need to start off with a few basics, like in this video tutorial about how to make a Lego man walking animation. Creating a world of moving legos for your "legomation" masterpiece starts with the simplest things... walking.

How To: Make your own animated flip book

Why make a flip book? Because all animation – even stick-figure Flash animation and multilayered, highly technical 3-D effects – is built on, and can benefit from, the basics of the craft first developed by artists working at the beginning of the last century. And while fancy computer programs are nice, you can teach yourself these basics using nothing more than a pad of paper and a pen, and replay them over and over without any extra technology needed.

How To: Make stop-motion animation with Windows Movie Maker

Watch this video tutorial to see how to make stop-motion animation with Windows Movie Maker. First, you'll have to take all of the pictures for your animation, with your action figures, Legos... dolls. Import all of your pictures onto the timeline in Windows Movie Maker. Now, just learn how to edit it and time it out right in the software program. Before you know it... one sweet ass animated video.

How To: Create and animate a stop motion LEGO brickfilm

Create and animate a stop motion LEGO brickfilm! Yes, that's right... you can make your very own animated brickfilm, but wait... what exactly is a brickfilm? Brickfilms are animated films using LEGO, Mega Bloks, or other plastic construction building block toys. Most are stop motion, but some brickfilms are even made with CGI, traditional animation and live action.

How To: Make an animated movie

Hey, want to make an animated movie, but you don't know how to start? First of all, you need a good idea. Good ideas are hard to find, but you could always steal one from someone more talented than you. Found a good idea? Very good. Now take good care of it, over time that idea will turn into a story almost by itself.

How To: Add sound to stop motion films with iKITMovie

iKITMovie is stop motion animation software for PC's running Windows XP or Vista. All you need is a computer and a USB webcam or USB streaming camcorder and you are ready to make your own brickfilms or clay animation (claymation) movies. If you wish, you can simply import your JPG images (640x480) that you have already taken with your camcorder or digital still camera for simple editing.

How To: Animate stop motion films with iKITMovie

iKITMovie is stop motion animation software for PC's running Windows XP or Vista. All you need is a computer and a USB webcam or USB streaming camcorder and you are ready to make your own brickfilms or clay animation (claymation) movies. If you wish, you can simply import your JPG images (640x480) that you have already taken with your camcorder or digital still camera for simple editing.

How To: Install the iKITMovie stop motion animation software

iKITMovie is stop motion animation software for PC's running Windows XP or Vista. All you need is a computer and a USB webcam or USB streaming camcorder and you are ready to make your own brickfilms or clay animation (claymation) movies. If you wish, you can simply import your JPG images (640x480) that you have already taken with your camcorder or digital still camera for simple editing.

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