The Foundations of Animation

The foundations of animation is a new class at Carolina Forest High School.  Taught by Mrs. Jennifer Jones, students are able to explore animation.  One of their assigned projects was to create their own claymation movie with original materials and their imagination.

First, students create a storyboard, or a plot outline. This is where students  draw sketches and pick out details pertaining towards their characters and the set. Next, they  shape different characters and accessories using clay, following up with painting the finished mold. After that, they  paint the set or background.

“The most fun about claymation is working with different materials,” expressed Angelica Hacsi, a sophomore taking the class.

Finally, the students  start taking pictures and place them in Movie Maker. In this final phase, they must make sure to capture a picture after every nuance; if the character is walking, snap a shot of them standing still, and then lift their leg up and snap another picture. This goes on until it finishes the cycle of walking. After taking the pictures, students  place them in a program like Movie Maker, creating a mini film.

Creating an original movie is an accomplishment in its own right; it’s also an achievement to conquer obstacles in the way of the final product.

Claymation takes a lot of time and practice, so students can be easily worn out before their product is finished. Patience is a trait that holds value in a class like this, as creating an entire film and everything in it takes time.

“The biggest obstacle about claymation is the time it takes to do,” disclosed Josiah Wilson, a junior in the class.

However, that proud feeling that the students get when they complete such a big project is worth it.

That one film, no matter the amount of time it took to do, is entirely their own creation and that is a beautiful thing to acknowledge and for them to be a part of. These are their characters, their set, their movie, and to have the honor of creating something entirely their own is a truly amazing accomplishment, and they’ve definitely earned it.

“It takes a while to create,” shared Mrs. Jones, “but the end product is worth it.”

Claymation is a subject that pushes creativity to the test, so be prepared to put everything into creating something truly magnificent!