Claymation Workshop 1: Making Pictures Move

Claymation is an entertaining form of animation popularized by such favorites as Gumby, Wallace and Gromit and Robot Chicken. Claymation is a fun form of stop-motion animation that kids love to create. The characters are easy to form and move. Plus, you don’t need illustration talent to create successful Claymation stories. In this workshop kids from 9 – 16 will learn basics in photography, character expression, audio capture and video editing. Participants in this hands-on workshop will work closely with one or two collaborative partners to develop a short, stop-motion Claymation story.

This workshop is recommended for kids who are 9 – 16 years of age.

Workshops are held at the digiSTORY Academy, Suite 200, Connecting for Good facility at 3210 Michigan Ave., KC, MO.

The cost for all four sessions is $35.00 (plus Eventbrite fees).  (Scholarships are available for kids from families facing financial hardship).  By registering for the Session 1: Making Pictures Move session, you will automatically be registered for all four sessions.

Here’s the full Claymation workshop program:

CLAYMATION WORKSHOP 1: Making Pictures Move

Monday, March 6th: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

• Making Pictures Move: Participants will be able to explain how “key framing” establishes the illusion of movement. The student will construct a “thaumatrope,” a simple flipbook and will be able to explain how animation is affected by different frame rates. Participants will also use digiSTORY KC’s story development model to create a storyboard.

Here’s a summary of what students will learn in the follow-up sessions for this four-session series:

Tuesday, March 7th: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

• Stop-Motion Tools: Participants will be able to use a webcam and simple lighting with a laptop to capture their Claymation frames.  Students will also be able to use Zu3D animation software to create their Claymation story.       Students will work with teammates to create a story board of their Claymation story.

Wednesday, March 8th: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

• Image Capture for Claymation: Students will be able to photograph the progressive movements of the characters and props in their story at a frame rate of at least 15 frames per second (fps).

Thursday, March 9th: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

• Editing & Publishing Claymation: Students will be able to use the features of the animation software to edit images, add sound effects or voiceovers, and edit the video timeline.  Students will be able to add title frames to the beginning of their stories and crawling credits at the end of their stories.  When the Claymation production piece is final, the student will be able to publish the story to digiSTORY KC’s YouTube Channel where links can be shared with family and friends.

Students who complete the Claymation requirements will earn a Claymation badge from LRNG-KC: