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FilmSkool — a free film school

Stop Motion, by Hand

From King Kong and Harryhausen to Aardman and LAIKA: armatures, silicone, miniature sets, replacement faces, flicker-free light, and the timing that makes a puppet breathe.

Beginner · 7 modules · 27 lessons · 8h 13m

1. First frames

Stop-Motion Basics: Armatures — Extra Credit Studios · 18m · Beginner
Stop Motion Tutorial: Timing is Everything! — Michael Parks · 5m · Beginner
The Best Cameras for Stop-motion Animation • LEGO Brickfilming Tutorial — rioforce · 12m · Beginner
Stop Motion Bouncing Ball: The MUST DO Animation Exercise! — Learning Curve Tech · 15m · Beginner

2. How the masters did it

The Ray Harryhausen Chronicles (1998) — The JDP Channel · 58m · Advanced
Behind the Scenes - Animating 1 Frame in Real Time — Andymation · 15m · Advanced
Behind the Scenes of ParaNorman: Hand-Making Characters | LAIKA Studios — LAIKA Studios · 6m · Advanced
Designing the Stop-Motion Sets of Aardman Animation's Early Man! — Adam Savage’s Tested · 12m · Intermediate

3. Build the puppet

Adam Savage Learns How Modern Stop-Motion Puppets Are Made — Adam Savage’s Tested · 14m · Advanced
How to Make Wire Armatures for Stop Motion Puppets — Animateclay · 53m · Intermediate
How Animators Created Oscar-Winning Stop Motion In Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 13m · Advanced
Andy Gent on Crafting 1,100 Puppets for Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs | D&AD Festival 2024 — D&AD - Creative Advertising, Design and Digital · 10m · Advanced

4. Build the world

How Stop-Motion Movies Are Animated At The Studio Behind 'Missing Link' | Movies Insider — Insider · 7m · Beginner
How to REALISTICALLY Film a Miniature Set | Aputure 600D — Abandoned Miniatures · 11m · Intermediate
STAR WARS 1977 miniature effects — piercefilm productions · 13m · Intermediate
How to Film Miniature Dioramas Cinematically — Abandoned Miniatures · 7m · Beginner

5. Light it, shoot it

The Evolution of Motion Control with Christopher Covel & Steve Switaj | LAIKA Archives — LAIKA Studios · 13m · Advanced
How to Get Rid of Flicker in Stop Motion Animation — Not Triangles · 14m · Intermediate
Dragonframe 4 Tutorial - 101 Animation Overview — Dragonframe · 7m · Beginner
Avoid 7 Flicker Sources in Stop motion — edu puertas · 6m · Beginner

6. Make it move

Dragonslayer (1981) | Behind the Scenes — DVDXtras · 81m · Advanced
How Stop-Motion Movies Are Animated at Aardman | WIRED — WIRED · 8m · Beginner
Star Wars Visual Effects, from AT-ATs to Tauntauns — Star Wars · 11m · Intermediate
Aardman Animations: Creating the magic of stop-motion — CBS Sunday Morning · 7m · Beginner

7. Finish the shot

Using Visual Effects in the World of Stop Motion Animation — LAIKA Studios · 48m · Advanced
How to Remove Rigs in After Effects for Stopmotion — edu puertas · 13m · Intermediate
Sound In Your Animation and How To Maximize Its Impact — Edbound · 16m · Beginner

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