228 STOP MOTION - FLOUR SACK EMOTIONS

 

1. FLOUR SACK EMOTIONAL STATES - RACK FOCUS TEST (teams)

Create 6-10 seconds of animation equally shared by three characters with distinctly different emotional states.

 

Use rack focus to move our attention from one character, to the next, and then the next, giving each approx. 2 seconds of active screen time to cycle throgh thier emotional state.

 

Paired with the right performance, music samples can go a long way toward giving us access to each of your character's emotional states.

 

Pro tips: 

• Rack focus works best with the widest aperture setting.
• You can use painters tape and a fine sharpie to mark focus settings on lens barrel.
• Keep wipes on hand to keep your hands and shoot surface clean.
• Be intentional about keeping your clay flour sack on model.

 

A. Setting Up Your Shoot

1. Set the lens aperture ring to the widest possible aperture setting. Ironically, this will be the smallest number on the Aperture Ring (3.5 or 4).



1. Stage your characters on the sweep seperated in z-depth by extreme foreground and background positions. Two character will share either a BG or FG plane.
2. Recalibrate
3. Using the focus tool in DF, adjust camera position, focal length, and character positions to clearly establish focus settings for both FG and BG.

B. Animate Characters

1. Designate one member as camera operator and one to animate the focus while the third animates their character during "active screen time".
2. Shoot in the following order.
• Animate the first character (approx. 2 seconds)
• Animate focus barrel to next character position (6 frames)
• Animate second character (approx. 2 seconds)
• Return focus barrel to original character position (6 frames)
• Animate third character (approx. 2 seconds)

C. Wrap up Shoot

1. Export MP4 Movie and Archive Dragonframe Project.
2. Return camera to its case, clean up shoot area, and sign out workstation.
3. Have one team member add sound and sweeten image in Premiere.

 

Specs:

• Final piece should be about 10 seconds
• Sound Required
• 12 fps, 1920 x 1080, h264

 

Name: simpsonB_flandersN_flourSack_focus.mp4

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. FLOUR SACK EMOTIONAL STATES - ENSEMBLE W/ RACK FOCUS (pairs/teams)

 

Create 8-10 seconds of animation exploring the relationship between characters in contrasting emotional states. In this assignment, you will be using character performance, scene blocking and rack focus to help your viewer navigate the scene.

 

Pro tips: 

• Rack focus works best with a wide aperture setting and clearly defined foreground and background.
• Keep wipes on hand to keep your hands and your shoot surface clean.
• Be intentional about keeping your clay flour sack on model. You may need to recast your clay puppet mid production to maintain shape and texture.

 

Instructions:

1. Brainstorm a simple performance between characters.
2. Block out your scene first to establish performance, focus perameters, and rigging issues.
3. Establish focus settings for each character and use painters tape to mark focus settings on lens barrel.
4. Once the scene is set up, designate a camera operator and focus animator.
5. Animate Scene (approx. 10 seconds)
6. Export MP4 Movie and Archive Dragonframe Project
7. Add sound and sweeten images in Premiere.

 

Specs:

• Final piece should be approx. 10 seconds
• Must include a rack focus
• Sound Required
• 12 fps, 1920 x 1080, h264

 

Name: simpsonB_flandersN_flourSack_ensemble.mp4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephan Leeper Central Michigan University - 2024