Canon 40D - Stop Motion Animation

[darkdragon]

Alright, I finally got a couple of my videos re-encoded for Smugmug and off the YouTube. Thank goodness! Testing the same video it is an amazing difference. Can't wait to get the rest uploaded.

Here is a very short animation I did with my 40D and a very cheap lens (70-300 non-is). I was very pleased with how well it all went together, it is the first animation I've done about 15 years (back then I did animations by hand with a Hi-8 camcorder and in-camera edits).

I know it isn't perfect. The title I created was way too detailed to compress well and in red text...what was I thinking? Anyway, that's not really the point. It was a proof-of-concept piece and turned out well.

It's not much, but I hope you enjoy. Oh yeah, and it has sound so if you have speakers or headphones that would make it more interesting for you.

"Ambulance - Stop Motion Test"
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[BeachBill]

Cool Lisa! I have no idea how many shots you had to take, but I'm sure it was a lot. I like the stereo sound to. Very good. :thumb

[darkdragon]

Cool Lisa! I have no idea how many shots you had to take, but I'm sure it was a lot. I like the stereo sound to. Very good. :thumb


Thanks Bill, glad you liked it.

I beleive I took about 200 shots, some of those being test/setup shots. It could be done with less shots but then the motion wouldn't be as smooth. Total time to do a 3 second animation ~ 2 hours. It's fun though.

[ziggy53]

Cool, and that's just how the ambulance drivers drive around here too.

(My daughter is an EMT. Yes, I'm joking. The ambulance drivers are remarkably qualified.)

Did you have to do any "'tween" frames?

[darkdragon]

Cool, and that's just how the ambulance drivers drive around here too.

(My daughter is an EMT. Yes, I'm joking. The ambulance drivers are remarkably qualified.)

Did you have to do any "'tween" frames?

Nope, no tweening. I took each frame and dropped it into Final Cut Pro. I think if I did less frames and dropped it into Flash I could have Flash do some tweening, but I like to have full control over every frame myself.

:D

[JimM]

This is very cool!!! Nice job.

[darkdragon]

This is very cool!!! Nice job.

Hey Jim, thanks for taking a look and commenting. I'm glad you like it. I am getting ready to create a longer short in the near future (maybe 3-5 mins long).

[ziggy53]

... longer short ...

I miss George Carlin. :D

[DJKennedy]

Hey Jim, thanks for taking a look and commenting. I'm glad you like it. I am getting ready to create a longer short in the near future (maybe 3-5 mins long).
Cant wait to see the new one! The ambulance one was awesome :clap

[darkdragon]

Working on a new video, a bit more involved then the one from the top of this thread. I've been doing stop-motion since I was in highschool (a while ago), but have never animated a person! I've become very good (IMHO) at vehicles and such though.

Step 1 of my new film is to teach myself how to animate people, as people are the main characters in the new short.

Below is my first try at animation of a human figure. I even made the clothes myself (figure is about 3.5" high). This test is a bit choppy, so I'll be doing it again with more in-between movements (more shots) to get smoother motion. This very short test is 43 individual shots from my 40D. There is sound, added in the edit.

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[billtaichi]

Very cool! What software do you use to assemble your shots into a movie?

[darkdragon]

Very cool! What software do you use to assemble your shots into a movie?

Thanks billtaichi!

I actually use Final Cut Pro for the edit. A bit overkill on these tests, but I like the fine-tune control. :wink

Working on a new test tonight and will hopefully have that uploaded tonight, I think I'll just put them all on this thread so I don't clutter up the forum :D

[darkdragon]

Just wanted to share my latest animation test. This is also my first ever HD video and upload. Went fairly smooth.

There is sound, of course.

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[leaforte]

Looks like you are having a lot of fun dialing matters in. :thumb

[BeachBill]

Just wanted to share my latest animation test. This is also my first ever HD video and upload. Went fairly smooth.

Love it Lisa! :clap

[Mnemosyne]

My videos didn't have sound when I uploaded them :(

I like yours though :D

[darkdragon]

My videos didn't have sound when I uploaded them :(

I like yours though :D


If there was sound before you uploaded them, that is strange thing to happen.

Thank you for the compliment too!

[darkdragon]

Love it Lisa! :clap


Thanks Bill :D

[Julia]

Those are super cute Lisa! Love them. :D