Product Description

Stop-motion animation has long been perceived as a technical practice rather than a creative, demanding art. Though stop-motion requires considerable technical knowledge, it also involves aesthetics and artistry that go beyond the technician’s realm. Just as important as puppet mechanics are lighting, filters, lenses, camera angle and placement, and dramatic pose and movement. This manual is a complete guide to the aesthetics of stop-motion animation. Information is organized in an intuitive, easy-to-use structure, following the order an animator uses in setting up and then executing a scene. The first half concentrates on the aesthetics of lighting and cameras, a primary concern in any shot, with details of camera placement, various lenses and myriad lighting techniques. The second half deals with the process of performance art, an oft-overlooked aspect of stop-motion animation. Included is a commentary on body language, facial expression, gesture, movement and emotion—key concepts that are exemplified through the acting process. The work also offers an introduction to narrative form and a glossary of related terms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #392453 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

About the Author
Tom Brierton is an independent filmmaker/educator and the author of Stop-Motion Armature Machining: A Construction Manual (2002) and Stop-Motion Puppet Sculpting: A Manual of Foam Injection, Build-Up, and Finishing Techniques (2004). He lives in LaGrange, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Stop-Motion Filming and Performance
Like its two previous manuals, Stop-Motion Armature Machining and Stop-Motion Puppet Sculpting and Fabrication, the publisher chose to print Stop-Motion Filming and Performance on substandard paper stock, with low-quality images. This hurts the overall look of the manual, belies the content of the manual, and results in a product that is overpriced for what one gets visually.

The author had requested color photographs for the lighting portion of the manual, and was initially told by the publisher that up to 8 color images would be printed. Eventually, color photos were not used, which further impeded the manual's discussion on color lighting.

The most important aspects of filmmaking (be it live-action or animation) are the story and performances. As such, the author spent a great deal of time discussing story development and animation performance. The author would especially welcome comments from consumers of the manual on those aspects of the manual as well, and to provide more objective and fair criticism.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
I am a film student at the University of Miami. I was trying a first time stop/motion experiment and bought this awful book. The section on lighting techniques are all introductory and in no way specific to stop/motion animation. The very few pictures in the book are in b/w and extremely muddy. It is way too general, a complete waste of time, and a rip off for 50 bucks.