New Arts Summer Camp: Young Filmmakers Exploring Stop Motion Animation

With Teaching Artist Cora Hasegawa. For Ages 10-15
The class will expose students to a wide array of animation techniques and story-telling styles. Students will learn how to communicate through simple visual storytelling as they are introduced to the basic principles of animation, using an animation app they can download on their phones.
Before the start of camp, students will be asked to download an animation app as all work will be done using their phones as the camera and editing software. These apps are simple to use and will give students an introduction to the basic principles of stop-motion animation. Additionally, their phones will be easy for them to set up and rearrange, allowing them to quickly change set ups and play with different camera angles. Accessing an app on their phone will also allow students to take their work home and hopefully encourage them to continue creating after the camp is complete.
The first three days of the camp will focus on emotion, movement, and story-telling, giving students guidance as they learn about each element of animation. Each day will also include various examples from myself and other animators to inspire students and highlight what I am challenging them to do. While students will be given new prompts each day that focus on the daily subject, they will still be encouraged to make their own artistic decisions and trust their creative instincts, even if they divert from my initial goal. At the end of each class, we will gather together to watch everyone’s creations and share encouraging feedback. These sessions are intended to help students not only be inspired by the work of their peers, but also learn how to encourage others. The camp will culminate in a final screening where everyone’s creations will be shown for the students and their parents to celebrate their hard work and growth.
The first session will be primarily focused on giving students a brief history on different stop motion styles (paper cut outs, found objects, silhouette, claymation, etc.) to help them discover what most appeals to them. We will then have an overview of the animation apps they will be using for the class. Students will then begin creating their own shorts, focused on the day’s theme of emotion. I will present them with a few prompts that encourage them to explore ways that different emotions can be depicted in animation. Students can tackle one or all of the prompts, based on what they have time for.
The second session will be focused on the creation of movement in animation. Students will again be given different prompts to challenge them to create movement to their own characters. It will once again be up to students to decide how many of the prompts they will attempt and how they choose to meet them.