Of late I have been trying my hand at Stop Motion animation and found it very interesting and challenging. This morning I saw this crocheted Unicorn that wifey just completed and was wondering "how can I animate this?"
I almost gave up the idea when I found that the tail was touching the ground and that gave me the idea of how to make the tail swing.
I have been using the toys and items used by my grandchild and every item has a potential of being in the stop motion video. For example this auto rickshaw can go very well with the lego toys.
One of the soft drinks that comes in the tetra pack is another item that you can play with. If the drink was in a darker colour like red or orange, the visual appeal would have been greater. To make it more appealing I stuck Mr Buster moon on the backdrop.
I wanted some heavy weight that would go into the M&M's container (so that it would not shift its position every time I rotated it). After searching high and low in the house, I found my cylindrical power bank which fitted perfectly in it.
Keeping the object back in its original position is very critical and that was a tough call for me to snip off a section of the tetra pack and keep it back after every shot.
The usual practice for any movie is to write the story line and then animate accordingly. But for me I keep changing the story as I shoot. For example this station master was waving the green flag as the engine was approaching but as the engine passed him, his flag fell down.
As I had fixed the flag delicately with a toothpick in his hand, I was in no position to refix it, as the slightest disturbance to any of the items in the scene would require reshooting the whole story from start. So I changed the story wherein he goes to his cabin to get a new flag.
Another example of changing the story was that I overlooked the blue bowl on the left side of the screen while making the M&M's video. So I included it at the end of the story by adding it in the right side of the frame.
Shooting a stop motion video is easy and any one can do it provided you have the patience. (yes patience is the key word)
You don't need any high end camera. It can be captured even with your mobile camera and with the help of the light from a reading lamp.
Some basic tips:
All non moving parts should be fixed/taped down.
If using a mobile camera, keep it on Airplane mode and the Auto lock to 'Never'
Adding the right sound effects makes a lot of difference, like the steam engine approaching or the popping sound of the lid of the M&Ms container.
I used the Stop Motion App to make these videos
I have not used any props / armature for these videos and plan to proceed this way. It is the idea that matters.
I remember
the days when I used to play with these wooden toys. I especially remember the
tram (which looked something like this) and imagined me as a tram driver, driving
all over Bombay. (yes Bombay had trams till 1964)
After all
what is a toy? I think it is just an object which, in the hands of a child
turns into the actual thing. The way a
child’s imagination soars with a toy is unimaginable. So when a child sits on
this rocking horse, he gets himself transported to faraway places, fighting
gallant wars, saving damsels in distress. . . . . . the possibilities are endless, which only a
child can imagine.
Saw the
display of these toys last week while driving down from Bangalore to the Nilgiris. On the way is a small town by the name of
Channapatna which is famous for its wooden toys dating back to many
generations.
Now they
have come up with many more fancy stuff, like these wooden flower vase which is
bound to have some international interest.
A plethora
of musical instruments
and artists
who play them
I have no
idea how an abacus works so I wonder if this is a real one as I see only nine
beads in some rows.
These
squirrels (and the penguin) with an articulate body is a work of art.
Somebody has
come up with this saving bank made of wood in a unique shape.
Are these
Flamenco dancers?
Car seat
cover with wooden beads
With a choice of so many toys, I observed a child picking up a colourful plastic toy
(made in China)
The toys of
Channapatna are made of wood and coloured with vegetable dyes. They are cost
effective and safe for children to play with, provided parents encourage them.
It is not
surprising that Michele Obama was impressed with the toys at Channapatna and
bought some to be taken back to White House as mementoes.
The next
time I pass by this town, I will make it a point to go into the interiors and
visit some factories where these toys are made.
I remember, when I was small there was a cradle which was supposed to be
my bed. Come to think of it I remember it clearly because the same cot was used
for my brother and my sister when they were born. There was this one side which
was like a “cage door’ that would slide down making it easy to pick up the
baby. I don’t know from where my dad got it, but it was made of wood and was
light.It was something similar to this
cot below.
By the way this picture of the Ashton Cot is from the site Nursery furniture.
One of the hazzles the parents face is feeding the child. It’s a real
messy affair. I found this folding high chair very practical and it looks like
a light weight one.
As we grew up the choice of the toys were also limited. Now a days the
availability of toys and its accessories are just mind boggling. So when its a
birthday (especially of a child) then we are always in a fix as to what to buy
for the child because the house is already flooded with so many toys. For
example this Chota Bheem toy basket that I found here at hooposis something that any child would
like to have.
Just that secure feeling that all his toys are safe with Bheem
while he is fast asleep.
One of the things that I liked is the organic Peggy bear wooden peg. Its
real cute and one of those things that a child would like to gaze at while
drifting off to sleep.
Some of the bathroom accessories are also eye catching like this tooth
brush holder.
