Before the digital era, making a convincing claymation video was painstaking work that required film-editing tools that not every household would have on hand. Today, though, anyone can be an animator with a standard digital camera and cheap or free video-editing software. This is a great ongoing project for older kids, as there are several stages to it that teach different skills: composing the story, building sets and characters, shooting the story and piecing together the animation.
Instructions
1. Come up with a storyline. Either write down some basic scenes in outline form or storyboard the movie. To make a storyboard, divide a piece of light-colored cardboard or oak tag into comic strip panels. Make simple sketches of each scene, in consecutive order, within the panels. You don't have to include a panel for every shot - just keep track of major changes, like when the action moves to a new set or when a new character is introduced.
2. Build the characters. Create as many as you want but remember, to make a good film you will have to change the all of characters' arm and leg motions, so don't go overboard in your first film. Use Playdoh or any flexible clay in bright colors. Use a material that bends easily but is rigid enough to keep the characters upright without assistance.
3. Create a background for your film. Include a few adjustable cutouts - like clouds, the sun and birds - that you can move easily from shot to shot to help create the illusion of motion.
4. Take your photographs. Remember to have a small change in every photo so that it looks like actual movements are going on. Be careful not to make any adjustments to the camera angle while you're taking photos. Shoot the movie straight on and keep the framing tight. Invest in a cheap tripod to keep shots steady.
5. Upload the photographs to your computer and import them into a video-editing program like Microsoft Movie Maker or Apple iMovie. Place the photos in the correct sequence and add music, dialogue or titles as needed.
