Coyote Central
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VIRTUAL COYOTE

VIRTUAL COYOTE

A CREATIVE RESOURCE FOR FAMILIES.

VIRTUAL COYOTE

Here at Coyote Central, we love to think outside of the box! During lockdown, we challenged ourselves to find new ways to engage from home. We invite you to come along for the ride…

And don’t forget to share your experiences with us!

We want to see YOUR CREATIVITY IN ACTION! Send photos, completed (or not completed!) projects, or anything else that seems relevant to info@coyotecentral.org

 

Stop Motion Animation [FILMMAKING]

Have you heard of stop motion animation? You have now! Stop motion animation is a filmmaking technique that make your non-moving object appear to be moving! These can be drawings, toys, figurines, you name it. The idea is, you use tricks to make them LOOK like they’re moving on their own.

If you break it down in to steps, it makes perfect sense. You place your object or drawing in front of the camera and take a shot. Then you move the object a tiny bit and take another shot. Repeat this sequence 9,289 times and, when played back in rapid progression, your object has taken on a life of its own and appears to move fluidly across the screen!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • You’ll need a phone or an iPad for this particular project. If you don’t have your own, ask your parents if you can borrow theirs for this creative endeavor. You can promise them it’s challenging, creative activity that will be beneficial AND fun!

  • A tripod, selfie stick, or some other way to hold the phone/iPad steady and in the same position each time (I’ve seen kids use chairs as platforms to rest their filming device on — a stool or a couple of boxes would also work — get creative…that’s half the fun!)

  • A solid background (once you get some good practice in, you can graduate to more complex backgrounds, but for now, use a specific area on the floor, a piece of paper or anything that makes your background look the same for each shot)

  • Paper, pens, scissors, tape, or collections of objects to put into motion. If you’re drawing your own objects, cut them out so they’re free of borders. You can also use toys, stuffed animals, toothpicks — anything you have lying around the house that could function as a “character.”

  • A stop motion animation App. There are a lot to choose from! Stop Motion Studio for ios is a free version. Familiarize yourself with the app before you start creating.

HOW TO DO IT:

  • Set up your background…this can be the wall, the floor, or any other background you create. Just be sure it’s consistent!

  • Create and gather the characters to include in your animation.

  • Set up your phone or iPad on your homemade stand or tripod (you want to keep your characters in frame, so don’t shoot from across the room — stay close and consistent)

  • Start the Stop Motion Animation App and start creating!

  • SEND US YOUR CREATIONS! We want to see what you make! We’ll share them with our community and be wildly inspired by your remote creativity.

We have entire classes dedicated to Stop Motion Animation. Check out this compilation for some inspiration from our most recent class: 

Alex Peterson