Introduction

Software

2D Stop Motion Animation
Shadow Films

Time Lapse
Reverse Video

FILM MAKING FOR KIDS

2-d animation

In my experience, children find 2-d animation easier to get going with than 3-d. There is a lot less to knock over for a start and I like it because it is easier to store away than a whole load of plasticine models. The only difficult part is positioning the camera; it requires mounting horizontally above the scene to be animated. The easiest way to do this is with a tripod (or monopod) but this can only be done if your camera has a tripod mounting (most webcams don't unfortunately). I own a couple of tripods and a monopod, but the one I prefer for 2-d animation is this. It takes up very little space and in the case of my webcam (the Microsoft Lifecam Studio) it holds it high enough to animate an area slightly larger than an A4 piece of paper which is good enough for simple projects.

An example of 2-d paper shape animation produced by 10 year olds in an ICT club

Once the camera has been positioned, any flattish object can be animated - cardboard shapes, felt, buttons, paper clips and so on.

For kids, I recommend using A4 size backgrounds with paper shapes cut from thin card. Storage is a joy; the backgrounds can be stored in plastic punched sleeves along with the figures and the whole lot fits into a ring binder.

Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog

This paper/cardboard shape kind of animation is generally referred to as cutout animation and was a method used in some animations I fondly remember from my childhood, Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog. These animations are available on DVD, are sometimes shown on the satellite channel Noggin and can be found on YouTube. It is well worth showing them to the children as examples of the technique. One thing I have noticed when watching these films is how little animation actually goes on in some of the scenes; in fact Oliver Postgate said as much himself in his autobiography. This is worth bearing in mind, because complicated animation can prove tedious, particularly for young children.

Further 2-d animations to inspire you (some of these were made by children)

The Snowman (felt shapes)
Dino pom pom (foam shapes + tiny pom poms)
Sand stop motion (sand being moved about in a tray)
Circus (fuzzy felt shapes)
Paper Doll Disco (paper shapes - Klutz)
Sand snake (sand tray - Klutz)