Stop motion animation is where you take a physical object and photograph it in slightly different positions to make it appear as though it is moving. You move the object slightly and photograph it, when you put all the images together it gives the illusion that the object is realistically moving on its own. In early animation they used film cameras, this came with the great disadvantage of not being able to see what your animation would look like until it was fully completed. To make the frames look realistic they tend to use a frame rate of 24 seconds. The frame rate is the amount of frames per seconds. The minimum frames you should use per seconds is 12, any slower than this the frames will be jerky and unrealistic. Persistence of vision is what allows us to see the animations in a flowing sequence. It is a phenomena inherent in human vision. This is because we see things for a further one twenty-fifth of a second than they are actually in front of us. The brain holds the image while the object is in sight, however, when it is out of sight the brain fades the image out. So when we are looking at a series of images, each with small differences, it fades the two frames together making it appear as though it is moving.
Object animation:
Object animation is when you use various objects to create a animation. To achieve the effect you take a photograph of the object, in the next frame you would move it slightly. When all the frames are played together in a sequence it appears as though the object is moving. The first example of object animation was in 1898 by Albert E Smith and J Stuart Blackton, 'Humpty Dumpty circus'. It was directed by Smith and animated by both Smith and Blackton. It was a black and white film that was relased in the USA. It is a short film aimed at younger children, shown by the objects/toys used. However as it was one of the first object animations it appealed to the majority as it was something new and exciting. He would have used this technique as it is easily accessible, also the objects are already made, no need to sculpt a figure. Compared to other techniques it is very easy, however it is harder to create an interesting story line when restricted by certain objects. Also you need to ensure you move the object in a certain way, and very slightly to avoid jerky movements.
More recently object animation has been used in various advertisements. For example Cream egg have used it in more than one of their ads. By using object animation it keeps the advertisement realistic. It features the actual product is trying to sell, and brings the product to life. I believe it is aimed at all ages, the product itself can be eaten by all and the advert does not highlight a certain age group, leaving it open for all to enjoy. They created the advert below very well. All movement is very fluid. As technology has advanced a lot it is a lot easier to look at the pictures, and alter only the frames that need it, instead of the whole film. This animation was very basic, yet it works very well and captures their product. It shows the bright and vibrant colours, attracting young children's attention. Having the eggs fly around and burst shows that they are packed with flavour, and full of goodness.
Puppet animation:
Puppet animation is created in the same way as object animation, however puppets are used instead of objects. It is said they use puppets due to their humanistic qualities. Puppets are easier to move, meaning it is easier to create different movements. They are also easier to personify and tell a narrative. 'The Humpty Dumpty Circus' has been credited as the first stop motion film that features puppets. In 1912 Russian film maker, Ladislas Starewitch created 'The cameraman's revenge' and later produced his puppet animation 'Le Roman de Renard' that translates as 'The tale of the fox'. The animator would have used puppets to give a more realistic animation. Puppets are easier to move and therefore are easier to achieve a more realistic film. Again like object animation they have to ensure they move the puppets slightly to avoid jerky movements. I believe the creator did well to achieve this. The majority of the animation is very smooth and tells the story well. However there are some parts that are jerky and therefore unrealistic. The music also fits well with the animation, at times when there is more action the music is faster and more lively. For each of the different scenes/ settings there is a different peice of music. This helps show that the scene is moving on and the flow of the story. As they couldn't show emotion, music fitted very well to indicate how we should be feeling at different parts of the animation.
Nowadays puppet animation is mainly used in children's cartoons and films. For example, Tim Burton uses a lot of puppet animation, for instance 'Corps bride', 2005. Also 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', 1993. This used 227 puppets through out the film, and 400 heads to convey the different emotions. Using puppets meant they had a lot more control over the puppet. They can make the movements more realistic, therefore creating a more interesting film. Burtons films work extremly well. Each movement flows to the next, meaning it comes across real to its younger audience. He has also captured the emotions very well, through using numerous heads for the puppet the puppet is continuously sharing different emotions with us. This allows us the viewer to feel a closer connection with the character, as we can physically see how they are feeling. All the small details are very well executed, helping the illusion that this is all real. Lastly the speech helps bring the animation to life. Each word fits well with the puppets mouth, and helps define the different characters to a younger audience.
Pixilation:
Pixilation uses the same techniques as stop animation and puppet animation. Instead of an object or puppet it uses live actors. The earliest example of pixilation is shown in a short, spanish comedy called 'El hotel electrico', 1908 by Segundo de Chomon. The actors would move slightly between each frame, thus giving the illusion of animation. The advantage of using live actors it that is very realistic. It is a lot easier to portray emotion and different movement using a person than a puppet or clay figure. In early pixilations the biggest disadvantage was that some scenes would appear jumpy if actors moved to far. Also as they would be shot on film cameras you were unable to see how the final pixilation would look untill the whole film was developed. If the final outcome was not right the whole film would have to be shot again. With this animation we can see the camera flickering. This could of been how the film was developed, or if there was dirt or hair on the camera or film, very common in old films. Overall the movement works well, the characters do flow and give the illusion of a film. However some frames jump, creating an unrealistic scene.
An example of pixilation nowadays is shown below. This video is called the Wizard of speed and time. This example of pixilation is very advanced and would have taken the creator a long time. There is a lot happening in the animation and is very fast moving. The animation is created very well, the majority of it is very clean and fluid. It does appear like a video would, however some parts of the animation, mainly at the beginning, are slightly odd and unrealistic, The movements at the start seem a bit slow and create at robotic feel. However the creator could be going for this as it gives the wizard a surreal atmosphere. When the wizard is running although it is very fast, I believe it does fit the animation, the acting is done well and put together nicely.
Claymation:
Claymation has been round since the invention of plasticine in 1987. The earliest example of this technique is 'The sculptors nightmare' a spoof of the 1908 presidential election. By using clay they were able to create more interesting objects. With this example they were able to sculpt different faces, and add lots of detail in the face. The clay moving during the animation looks realistic at times, however most of the movement doesn't flow as well as it could of. The idea of it works, but could have been a lot smoother. We can also see the camera jumping throughout the whole animation, this again ruins the illusion.
The most well known example of claymation nowadays is Nick Park's 'The incredible adventures of Wallace and Gromit'. The series is created completely out of plasticine, this meant a lot of sculpting. They have gone on to use wire skeletons or an armature in later episodes to get an idea of how the clay figure will move. For example in the 'Curse of the were-rabbit' they use wire armatures under the clay to help indicate how long the joints and bones will need to be. In this clip everything was made from plasticine. Everything within the scene looks very realistic. The way it has been created has again been done very well. All the movement is very fluid, and is very realistic. The pace or speed of each movement is perfectly timed and fits with the action. They have also worked the sound effects in well. The sound effects make the animation come to life even more, and allow us to enjoy it even more.
