Stop-motion Animation: Frame by Frame Film-making with Puppets and Models

by Barry JC Purves

Overview

Stop-motion Animation explores how all the elements of film-making – camera work, design, colour, lighting, editing, music and storytelling - come together in this unique art form. With tips and suggestions to help you get the most out of your films, and with examples from some of the masters of the craft, Barry Purves shows how to make the most of the movement, characters and stories that typify stop-motion.

With dozens of beautiful new examples from around the world, this new edition includes a project in each chapter, with pointers on finding a story and characters, developing a script and storyboard, constructing puppets and dealing with the practicalities of film-making. These projects combine to lead you through the creation of your first one-minute stop-motion animation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501353796
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/21/2019
Series:	Basics Animation
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Barry Purves is an English animator, director and writer of puppet animation television and cinema and theatre designer and director, primarily for the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse in Manchester. Known as one of Britain's most celebrated animators on account of his six short films, each of which has been nominated for numerous international awards (including Academy Award and British Academy Film Awards nominations), he has also directed and animated for several television programs and over seventy advertisements, title sequences and animated insert sequences.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: What is Stop-Motion?
The Beginnings
The Illusion of Movement
Physicality
A Continuous Performance
Special Effects
Wholly Animated Films
Project 1: Find Your Style
Chapter 2: Focusing the Idea
Stories and Themes
Approaching the Story
A Change of Perspective
Out of the Mouths of... Talking Umbrellas?
Atmosphere and Substance
Economics
Project 2: What's the Story?
Chapter 3: The Puppets
Telling the Story with Puppets
The Physical Puppet
Telling Characteristics
Stylised Movement
Replacements
3D Printing
Eyes
Hands
Puppet Size
Clay
Other Techniques
Project 3: Find Your Leading Man (or mouse)
Chapter 4: Preparations
Working with Others
Sets
Costume
Colour
Project 4: Set the Scene
Chapter 5: Chapter Tools and Techniques
Practicalities
The Camera
Apps and other Low-Cost Options
Lighting
Sound
Dialogue
Special Effects
Editing
Project 5: Setting Up and Getting Started
Chapter 5: Movement and Performance
Animating on the Set
Lively Movement
Helping the Movement
Performance
Project 6: Make it Read!
Conclusion; A Brief History of Stop-Motion; Picture Credits; Acknowledgements

Editorial Reviews

Defined as a book for beginners, its 200 pages offer a lot more – insights, a wide variety of worthy films, cultural references, creative stimuli, love and passion for animation.” —Tsvika Oren, www.asifa.net (Association Internationale du Film d'Animation / International Animated Film Association)

“This is the must-have book for the stop-motion animator who wants to learn what it is to be a professional.” —Pike Baker, www.stopmotionmagazine.com

“If you are interested in stop-motion animation, this is where you want to begin, even by the end of the first chapter you will find yourself wanting to start experimenting with different ideas. This is not simply a book you will read once. As you grow as a film maker you will come back again and again, always finding something new to try, and always be left wanting to try more.” —www.animatormag.com

“Who better to guide us through the history of the medium, the techniques and the process of filmmaking than master animator Purves (Screen Play) himself... A good basic text book for any student of the art form, and a great read for those of us who simply enjoy watching it.” —www.cartoonbrew.com

“I wish I had a book like this when I was starting out, because what Mr. Purves writes about is not only a fine introduction to the craft, but also a compilation of the kind of wisdom and insight that one can usually only gain over a very long period of time making films. And Mr. Purves' ability to boil things down to a few essential sentences on such matters as: Point of View, The Illusion of Movement and Making It 'Read,' is why this book is an interesting read as well enlightening. To say this book is a perfect companion for anyone interested in stop-motion at any level is a tremendous understatement.” —Mark Osborne, co-director of DreamWorks Animation's Oscar-nominated Kung Fu Panda (www.awn.com)

“People who want to know about the stop-motion process would be hard pressed to find a more definitive book to answer any questions that they might have. It is a most engaging read and is imbued with a real sense of wonder at the art. I have read a number of books on this topic over my (rather lengthy) career and this avoids the trap most writers fall into; of creating a dry and technical volume that fails to inspire. This book is just the opposite of that. If you are remotely interested in stop-motion, then this would certainly be an inspirational read as Barry, with his years of experience in the field, knows intimately what it is about stop-motion that appeals to both audiences and practitioners. He elegantly and eloquently describes this in great detail.” —Michael Cusack, www.anifex.com.au

“The fundamental steps for professional production in stop motion ... [it's] an experienced guidebook from a mentor, as only Barry Purves can master.” —Luca Pulvirenti, Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo, Italy

From the Publisher