Creating Characters for Animation

Stop-Motion Animation Workshop LESSON 5

• Appreciate the attention to detail and time require- Introduction ments associated with professional animation This guide will introduce you to the methods and process production; involved in the creation of sturdy clay characters for use in stop-motion animation. You will learn about armatures, • Identify the characters needed for your animated including how to construct them, and view examples of production; animated films that employ them. You will then create and build the characters needed for your stop-motion animation • Create and build stop-motion animation characters. video.

Learning Outcomes Simple Sturdy Characters Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to: Materials Required to Make a Simple Character

• Identify methods and parameters for successfully To make your own clay animation characters, here is a list of building strong and sturdy stop-motion animation clay basic materials you will need: characters; • Plasticine in a variety of colours (you can also use • Explain what an armature is and how to construct one; similar products called Sculpey and Fimo)

• Discuss various examples of animation that contain • Sculpting tools armatures; Modelling clay that is oil-based is perfect for stop-motion animation characters, as it will not dry out and crack.

1 HamiltonBuhl.com Make stop-motionpuppetwith3DPrintingPen: More ComplexCharacters HamiltonBuhl.com that character clay arma- a of skeleton An inside strong armature. the is wire ture a of building the requires mation, A Materials RequiredtoMake anArmature A video: To seehow Cr more rmatures e ati elaborate https://youtu.be/S0LoYOuC51M n g Chara characters aremade,watchthefollowing Stop-Motion AnimationWorkshop character, c t e r often (3 min18s) 3D PrintingPenCharacter: s (1 min23s) More aboutCreatingCharacters Creative Tips,Clip4: f o sd n rfsinl ani- professional in used r An imati on

2 Materials requiredtobuildanarmatureinclude: positioned inmorecomplicatedposes. joints. ball-and-socket of can that character stronger a of creation the for allows This means by usually articulate, can of thesetsorbackgrounds. intricacies de-tailed the note facial Also, movements. armature’s and features the to attention particular pay selections, look to different watch made you As outrageous. totally be be or realistic quite can armatures see, will you As armatures. containing animation NFB of examples following the Explore Stop MotionWorks’PhotoGalleryofArmatures Animation Joshua Mosley’sTutorialonBuildingArmaturesforClay The followingsiteprovidesexamplesofwirearmatures: • • • • • • while you’recuttingit) Safety glasses(tinypiecesmaysnapoffthewire Needle-nose pliers Wire cutters etc. Various bitsofhardware,wingnuts,bolts,screws, Aluminum foil Aluminum wire(orpipecleaners) stopmotionworks.com/gallery2.htm joshuamosley.com/tutorials/claymationArmature/armature.html ] ] be Subservience byPatrickBouchard(2007,8min9s) Szczerbowski (2007,17min15s) Madame Tutli-PutlibyChrisLavisandMaciek Animated FilmsUsingArmatures Synopsis: exhilarating an on world tactile imagined, viewers fully the into journey existential takes film This Synopsis: rsns h taioey f scey n t death its grades in for (Recommended society show puppet a apocalypse. a post of throes, as tragicomedy stage the center presents take servants its of utr, tia Values, Ethical Culture, Rights.) content. mature contain scenes certain armatures, puppet nature elaborate the shows effectively film this While Note: demons. (Recommended forgrades11–12.) her confronts desperate Tutli-Putli Madame a worlds, imagined and in menace real between up and adrift adventure, caught metaphysical kindness herself the Finding both strangers. faces ghosts she the and past, possessions earthly her all with night the on alone travels she As Tutli-Putli. Madame eomne ta euaos iw hs im n select and film this view scenes ofinterestbeforescreeningitfortheirstudents. educators that recommended youtu.be/P0hWYR1HNyM youtu.be/GGyLP6R4HTE ] ] Stop-Motion AnimationWorkshop orei slihes n te passivity the and selfishness Bourgeois –2 Ehc ad Religious and Ethics 9–12; Civics/Citizenship/Human f her of train t is It of of of 2 Ryan byChrisLandreth(2004,13min57s) The SandCastlebyCoHoedeman(1977,13min17s) The HungrySquidbyJohnWeldon(2002,14min35s) ie o e te iuto udr oto. (Recommend-e control. under situation the get to time r Euain n Vsa At, Health/Personal Arts, Visual Abuse/Addiction.) and and Use Sub-stance Health/Stress, Mental Development, Education and Art spiral downward 11–12; his grades for (Recommended addiction. on with with struggle light Interviews shed time. friends his Ryan’s of films most animated the of influential some produced who animator Canadian a Larkin, Ryan of life the about film animated An Synopsis: (Recom- guest. unwanted mended forgradesK–6;ArtsEducation/VisualArts.) an by interrupted be to only home, new their a of build completion the They celebrate sand. and castle of out sandman sculpts the he creatures about the film and animated short A Synopsis: Health/ Diversity/Pluralism/Identity, 5–9; Personal Development/ProblemSolving,FamilyStudies.) grades for that creatures decides Dorothy imagination, her of homework-eating figment a aren’t the that realize and home- finally town people her through rampages devours squid pet that her par- when menagerie But about absentee work. a and troubles: tale hair myriad tall bad her ents, a and spins Dorothy short young animated This Synopsis: youtu.be/hzvqmoPu2H4?listxs84cYb youtu.be/diuns1FMVeQ youtu.be/nbkBjZKBLHQ?t=8s ] ] ]

LESSON5 HamiltonBuhl.com it’s d Make stop-motionpuppetwith3DPrintingPen: More ComplexCharacters HamiltonBuhl.com that character clay arma- a of skeleton An inside strong armature. the is wire ture a of building the requires mation, A Materials RequiredtoMake anArmature A video: aremade,watchthefollowing To seehowcharacters Cr more rmatures e ati elaborate https://youtu.be/S0LoYOuC51M n g Chara Stop-Motion AnimationWorkshop character, c t e r often (3 min18s) 3D PrintingPenCharacter: s (1 min23s) More aboutCreatingCharacters Creative Tips,Clip4: f o sd n rfsinl ani- professional in used r An imati on 2 of thesetsorbackgrounds. intricacies de-tailed the note facial Also, movements. armature’s and features the to attention particular pay selections, look to different watch made you As outrageous. totally be be or realistic quite can armatures see, will you As armatures. containing animation NFB of examples following the Explore Stop MotionWorks’PhotoGalleryofArmatures Animation Joshua Mosley’sTutorialonBuildingArmaturesforClay The followingsiteprovidesexamplesofwirearmatures: Materials requiredtobuildanarmatureinclude: positioned inmorecomplicatedposes. joints. ball-and-socket of can that character stronger a of creation the for allows This means by usually articulate, can 2 • • • • • • while you’recuttingit) Safety glasses(tinypiecesmaysnapoffthewire Needle-nose pliers Wire cutters etc. Various bitsofhardware,wingnuts,bolts,screws, Aluminum foil Aluminum wire(orpipecleaners) stopmotionworks.com/gallery2.htm joshuamosley.com/tutorials/claymationArmature/armature.html ] ] be Subservience byPatrickBouchard(2007,8min9s) Szczerbowski (2007,17min15s) Madame Tutli-PutlibyChrisLavisandMaciek Animated FilmsUsingArmatures utr, tia Vle, Values, Rights.) Ethical death Culture, its grades in for (Recommended society show puppet a apocalypse. a post of throes, as tragicomedy stage the center presents take servants its of Synopsis: select and film this view scenes ofinterestbeforescreeningitfortheirstudents. educators that recommended content. mature contain scenes certain armatures, puppet nature elaborate the shows effectively film this While Note: demons. (Recommended forgrades11–12.) her confronts desperate Tutli-Putli Madame a worlds, imagined and in menace real between up and adrift adventure, caught metaphysical kindness herself the Finding both strangers. faces ghosts she the and past, possessions earthly her all with night exhilarating the on alone travels she As Tutli-Putli. Madame an on world tactile imagined, viewers fully the into journey existential takes film This Synopsis: youtu.be/P0hWYR1HNyM youtu.be/GGyLP6R4HTE ] ] Stop-Motion AnimationWorkshop orei slihes n te passivity the and selfishness Bourgeois –2 Ehc ad Religious and Ethics 9–12; Civics/Citizenship/Human f her of train t is It of of of 3 Ryan byChrisLandreth(2004,13min57s) The SandCastlebyCoHoedeman(1977,13min17s) The HungrySquidbyJohnWeldon(2002,14min35s) r Euain n Vsa At, Health/Personal Arts, Visual Abuse/Addiction.) and and Use Sub-stance Health/Stress, Mental Development, Education and Art spiral downward 11–12; his grades for (Recommended addiction. on with with struggle light Interviews shed time. friends his Ryan’s of films most animated the of influential some produced who animator Canadian a Larkin, Ryan of life the about film animated An Synopsis: (Recom- guest. unwanted mended forgradesK–6;ArtsEducation/VisualArts.) an by interrupted be to only home, new their a of build completion the They celebrate sand. and castle of out sandman sculpts the he creatures about the film and animated short A Synopsis: Health/ Diversity/Pluralism/Identity, 5–9; Personal Development/ProblemSolving,FamilyStudies.) grades (Recommend-e control. under for situation the get to time that creatures decides Dorothy imagination, her of homework-eating figment a aren’t the that realize and home- finally town people her through rampages devours squid pet that her par- when menagerie But about absentee work. a and troubles: tale hair myriad tall bad her ents, a and spins Dorothy short young animated This Synopsis: youtu.be/hzvqmoPu2H4?listxs84cYb youtu.be/diuns1FMVeQ youtu.be/nbkBjZKBLHQ?t=8s ] ] ]

LESSON5 HamiltonBuhl.com it’s d Stop-Motion Animation Workshop

Creating Characters for Animation

Glasses by Brian Duchscherer Madame Tutli-Putli Puppet Design. (2001, 22 min 32 s) [ffc 0%%iii$YjZg\WX$Vb`] http://www.nfb.ca/film/glasses] ]

Synopsis: An exploration of elementary school life and just how hard it can be when you don’t see Fantastic Mr. Fox – In the Puppet Shop with Wes & Bill things quite the way everyone else does, yet still (1 min 49 s) long to fit in. Milo would like to be invincible like his http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5pQvytHIEE comic book hero, but for a shy, nearsighted kid, the humiliations of Grade 1 know no bounds. He lives in ] a lonely, blurry world until a visit to the eye doc-tor brings things into focus. Full of new-found confi-dence, he loses sight of who his friends really are — until an accident reminds him. (Recommended for Create and] Build Your Characters grades K–6; Health/Personal/Development/Healthy Now it’s time to create the characters required for your Relationships/Bullying and Discrimination.) production.

Through My Thick Glasses by Pjotr Sapegin (2003, 12 min 31 s) Learning Activity: Create Your Characters youtu.be/fyXw51H-Oqo?t=17s] In teams, discuss the number of characters you need to Synopsis: In this animated short, an old man tells his develop for your stop-motion video, as well as who these granddaughter of his experiences during the Second characters will be. You can use this Creating Your World War in an effort to distract her while putting on Characters sheet to help you with this task. The entire her winter hat. The tale is filled with strange charac- team will be responsible for contributing to the creation of ters, surprising plot twists and a world far beyond the these characters. little girl’s comprehension. (Recommended for grades 7– 12.) For some productions, you may need only one or two characters; for others you may need more. Your team will need to decide which team members will build the character(s) required for the animated production. Each student can build Class Discussion: Armatures a maximum of one character. Discuss the above animation containing armatures. What did you think of the characters? Did you find them to be Learning Activity: Building Your Characters realistic? Did you find the armatures that could display facial expressions and eye movement portrayed emotion Now that you all know about character creation and have extremely well? Could you relate to the characters? Did decided who your characters will be, it’s time for you to start you like the characters’ imperfections? Did the building. Regardless of the above team decision, all students will characters help pull you into the story? be expected to build a character, even if it is not used in the production. Students who do not build a character for the production can build a character of their choice. Learning Activity: Investigating Puppet Armature and Set Creation

Review the following sites to get a sense of the elaborate work involved in the creation of puppet armatures and sets used in professional animation productions:

HamiltonBuhl.com 4 4 Stop-Motion Animation Workshop LESSON 5 Create Your Character ANNEX 01

It may be helpful to conduct an imaginary interview with the character you are creating. Before you begin, decide wheth-er you want your character to be male or female.

Then, ask your character to answer the following questions:

1. What is your name?

2. How old are you?

3. Where do you come from? Can you describe what it is like there?

4. What do you do there? Do you work? Can you discuss your work or studies?

5. What kinds of clothes do you like to wear?

6. Can you describe your culture?

7. What types of things do you like to do for fun?

8. Now, ask yourself: What “role” will your character play in your animation? (if applicable)

nfb.ca/stopmo 5 HamiltonBuhl.com