Stopmotion Tips

For those who are interested in using softwares like iMovie or windows movie maker, these tips are pretty useful for stopmotion production. I’ve highlighted in red these tips which definitely stood out to me because our film project definitely has similar traits.

• Keep in mind that the more photos you have, the smoother your video results will be.
• If you do not have a tripod, good alternatives include balancing on solid books, poster tack on the surface of the set or a piece of solid furniture at the same height.
• In single frame, 24 pictures equals one second of film. It’s best to take two pictures of the same shot, so you only require 12.
• Make sure your battery is fully charged.
• Stay out of the way of your light source or position it so you don’t create distracting shadows over your animation that change with each frame.
• To reduce flicker and create a smoother animation, set your camera’s white balance and exposure settings on manual mode so they don’t change with each shot.
• If you use clay as your medium, try putting wire inside the clay. This will help you move the figures more easily.
• If objects are going to be moving limbs, make sure you can keep them in that one position without holding on to them. Poster tack or looped over adhesive tape works well for this.
• If your computer is slightly slow and you try to preview your video in the editing stage, all the pictures may not play and the film will get stuck on one image. It’s okay for this to happen. When you save it, it will flow fine.
• If you do not want every frame saved on your computer, then you can delete them.
• You do not need Windows Movie Maker. There are some programs specifically for stop motion that are better. Windows Movie Maker is free though, which is often a compelling reason.
• This way of making movies can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the length. Make sure to have a lot of patience when making a movie.
• Watch other stop motion animations for inspiration. These may give you some new ideas about how to do your own animation. “Wallace and Gromit”, “Fantastic Mr Fox” and “Knox” are fresh and popular animations.
• You will become faster at moving the figures and judging the distances with more practice.
• If the frame rate (frames displayed per second) in Windows Movie Maker is too fast/slow, you can use the double (x2) speed or half (x0.5) speed effect on the video for a faster or slower frame rate. The minimum amount of frames per second required for humans to perceive motion is 24.
• When you are beginning, try shooting the sequences where characters are moving in stop motion. when they are talking, just take single shots of their faces. It speeds up the process and still looks okay.
• If you want to make a toy fly (such as a pterodactyl or a bird), attach clear string to it. Hold it up in the air for every shot that you want it to fly. Make sure you have two people working on this part.
• Make sure that your camera is compatible with any movie maker you are using. If the movie maker will not find your files, you might have to download a different software for movie making.

The Image Hunter – Vimeo

 

This was an interesting showreel I came across via my vimeo rampage. My favourite two shots i must say… Well its tough cause i pretty much loved the entire show reel and its beauty and charms. The lighting was amazing, especially in those shots where the object or/and main focus were underexposed or outlined via silhouette? Amazing. Example at 1:18, i know it’s not the best shots but I simply love how the male actor still stands out and his facial shape was really gorgeous alongside with the red dots of lights probably from external car lights of some sorts. Beautiful.

Furthermore at 2:13, I must say the immense detail of the old man’s facial features just blew my mind:) I was thinking of adapting this idea of a ECU shot of our group’s film project of “Old Fredrick”. We’ll see how it goes:)  So yeah this was my first favourite shot.

My second favourite i must say would be 2:54-2:58:) Where the female and male figures were filmed in complete darkness and only their faces could be seen. The amount of lighting was perfect in this shot and i simply love the framing of her face especially when she does a side profile:) Really pretty and you can see minor features like her collar bones and eyes. As for the male, the point that caught my attention was how he was filmed partially in the dark and as he moves down his head, his face was exposed and brought into the light. I think it really gives off a different feel as I was watching. I mean, it would definitely be different seeing his facial expressions first all entirely in the light as compared to that minute detail of hiding in the dark first. Just an opinion of mine:)

xoxo

drunkonhelium

The Artist – Silent Films reply on soundscapes:)

One of my all time favourite silent trailers. I really do think the soundscape had an immense tough job in bringing the characters and story to live. But the sounds definitely worked it:) The drum beats, the bass notes, the tempo, the taps, the short violins and trumpets. GOSH – simply mind blowing.

cinematography dummies #1

Recently I’ve been reading this book on Cinematography by Kris Malkiewicz. I just thought I could write about my learning’s. It is a pretty swell book for a filming dummy like me. Haha. Will you take on this learning journey with me? Say yes please. And keep tuning in!:)

Lesson #1:

Follow-focus:

Most cameraman (or their assistants) have a hand on the focus adjustment all the time, ready to compensate for any subject movement. If the camera to subject distance changes during the shot, the operator, looking through the viewing system, will have to readjust focus. This is called “following” or “pulling” focus. In more complex situations where the camera operator cannot pull focus himself, an assistant, called a focus puller, will do it for him following the markings made on the floor during rehearsal. A combination of fast-moving actors and a dolly or hand-held camera can require a considerable amount of agility at times.

A good focus puller will have an intimate knowledge of cinematographic and optical theory.

In addition to end this post off, I came across this quote from a blog as I was scouting for more filming techniques:) It’s kinda inspiring/interesting:) Cheers!

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. ”

Thomas E. Lawrence

Michael Williams – The crew and the precious equipment

“That movie [Lost in Translation] was done with minimal equipment. When I met Lance [Acord] I had been accustomed to
working on large-scale movies and being encumbered and enamored with all of the equipment, so much so that the humanity
can get lost. I’ve since become very interested in working light. It’s not because of the economics, but rather because it brings you closer to your subjects. So often the machinery of our industry distracts us, and we lose touch with what we are hired to do. I find it truly rewarding to be able to get the striking results we achieved on this spot with such a simple approach.”
—Michael Williams, Director

Slogan’s for the screenwriter’s wall

A director contributes not by instructing the actor but by inspiring him. A performance is wholly the creation of the actor’s imagination, of the control he has over his expressive instruments (voice, body), and even more significantly of his emotions, sensory feelings, intuitions and mental attitudes. (This is why they say once a role has been properly cast, the director has done ninety per cent of his work.) So listen. Listen hard. Observe the actor minutely. Watch closely for his body language, those subtle qualities of personality that belong utterly to this, particular individual. Imagine how these might be absorbed into the role.

 

I absolutely loved this simple par. Clarity 100% and I really do agree that finding the right actors and casting is so so so important. Many short films actually do fail not because of the plots… I think its actually the actors or actresses who just simply do not suit the role. You can have a pretty mediocre plot and still make it “WOW” if the actor can convince the audience he or she is in the moment and watching them live in action. Or in a way engage with the audience and stimulate some thoughts or common feelings:) Then again that’s my opinion:))

Character Potrayals

I think in many ways films and photography have a lot in common. Photographs can also come to life when shot in the right lighting, angle, suitable mood and color, significant props, good makeup, ideal facial expressions etc. This was a street shot i took along brunswick and the first thing that came to mind was her face – how it bursts out with radiance and she basically gives off the sweet bubbly girl next door look. Not to mention her dress and that porcelain skin? I’d definitely love to cast her for my initial film idea:) She would be my female lead and my male lead would fall in love with her amazing smile. Typical love chick flick yeah yeah:) I guess i’m just passionate about wanting to film a short indie love film but a tad of modernisation would come along with the film. I wanna make my actors stand out with colors and specific character traits instead of letting dialogue take over.

 

Clown Train

This was a short film done by previous RMIT FilmTV students. We watched it during lecture today and I must say I’m not a clown fan. But the soundscape and succinct dialogue kept my heart on edge and I did enjoy the short impact-ful film. I absolutely like the use of space and the blackouts in the film definitely added anxiety and suspense:) Good job guys!

Brief Story Idea

Scene Start:  

 

There’s always apart of our memory or past we never want to think of, reflect upon or dream about. A small part of a memory could however serve its purpose of reminding us humans, how precious life is, and we only get one life to live life to the fullest. We only have one life to strive for what we want in life, we only have one life, to perhaps hold on to something precious or someone dear. (Church Sermon Scenario)

 

Frankie and Harper were meant to be soulmates, literally to the grave.They were playmates and both grew up together in a small town of few people. At the age of 6, Frankie started to see familiar white flashes of a girl and her pretty dimpled smile. He would have dreams of her, and the girl was none other than Harper. As a kid, Frankie was joyful and felt blessed for these dreams. He prayed to God for more dreams, he smiled in his sleep, and Frankie would often daydreamed about Harper. He was her source of strength and hope. She was his source of love and joy. He knew she was the one and vowed to be with her for the rest of his life, till the end of time. He knew it was love.

Harper on the other hand could never bear to leave Frankie’s side, she held on hard; his touch and breath kept her alive every minute, every second. His thoughts and dreams of her made her feel warm and her heart would faintly beat each time Frankie thought of her. She was always on his mind and she never want to leave. Harper wished she could be real to Frankie, she desired to be real, and not just be apart of his imagination anymore.