Stop-motion video / semi-OT

Question

While on vacation, and as an attempt to distract some 9-year-olds, I put a mini-DV camera on a tripod and got the kids doing stop-motion animation (The Great Kitchen Table Race Between The Mango, The Jalapeno, The Tomato And The Lemon).
So now my daughter would like to continue doing it and I need to set up some gear to support this. All we did with the video camera was hit the Start button, count one-Mississippi, then hit the stop button, and it sort of worked.
Is there a proper way to do stop-motion with a video camera? Short of that, what's the cheapest set of gear I could get my daughter into for doing this (Super-8? 16mil? A used Arriflex 16 SR3??)
I'll go over to the film production groups to ask this, but I just thought somebody here might know.
Alan Brooks

A with an Underwood
Wallet & Grimace
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Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]While on vacation, and as an attempt to distract some 9-year-olds, I put a mini-DV camera on a tripod and ... cheapest set of gear I could get my daughter into for doing this (Super-8? 16mil? A used Arriflex 16 SR3??)[/nq]
Do it with a still digital camera with a large memory card (512 MB) and load the stills in a video editing software.
jaybee

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]While on vacation, and as an attempt to distract some 9-year-olds, I put a mini-DV camera on a tripod and ... SR3??) I'll go over to the film production groups to ask this, but I just thought somebody here might know.[/nq]
My very first video camera had capability to do this in either 1/4 second, 1/2 second, or full second. It also had time-lapse. I used to do that stuff just for the **** of it. I've had three cameras since then, and none of them has these cool features. I'm surprised these features aren't more common.
Savage Lizard

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Do it with a still digital camera with a large memory card (512 MB) and load the stills in a video editing software.[/nq]
Well, if the goal was just to keep someone busy for a few months, that would certainly do it.
Hey...
Alan Brooks

A with an Underwood
That's right; 60 frames a second...
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Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Do it with a still digital camera with a large memory card (512 MB) and load the stills in a video editing software.[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, if the goal was just to keep someone busy for a few months, that would certainly do it.[/nq]
Not at all! The right software won't care whether you're loading single images or a video (composed of single images). The digital still camera makes this a very affordable solution.
jaybee

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Do it with a still digital camera with a large memory card (512 MB) and load the stills in a video editing software.[/nq]
Yup. A friend of mine works with someone on a small animated feature (artsy and stuff). They use a still digital camera, nothing fancy just download the images often enough. They import it into stuff like ACDSee for a prieview and will eventually pay for someone who knows what they're doing to get it all neat. Also they use a clay old man and a small 'balcony' and the man leaks through a hole in the wall. Artsy...

Frankly, if the Martians of H. G. Wells' book landed now we'd kick the *** out of them. nmstevens

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Well, if the goal was just to keep someone busy for a few months, that would certainly do it.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not at all! The right software won't care whether you're loading single images or a video (composed of single images). The digital still camera makes this a very affordable solution.[/nq]
I've Googled around a little and I see that people definitely do it this way as well as with film and video cameras. Guess I'll have to experiment and find out what works.
I think with the video camera you could add lots of other effects to your stop-motion, like zooming (very efficiently, on non-moving sections of your scene), panning, and rolling backgrounds... This stuff would be a lot more difficult with a still camera.
But it's a good starting point for kids doing animation...

Alan Brooks

A with an Underwood
And when you forget the lens cap,
it's all film noir.
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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I've Googled around a little and I see that people definitely do it this way as well as with film ... you could add lots of other effects to your stop-motion, like zooming (very efficiently, on non-moving sections of your scene),[/nq]
Most digital still cameras have at least a 3x optical zoom. Digital zoom is useless. But since in stop motion you're usually less than 6 feet from your subject, 3x is more than enough.
[nq:1]panning, and rolling backgrounds... This stuff would be a lot more difficult with a still camera.[/nq]
This is stop motion, remember? ;-)
Everything is done one frame at a time. the camera remains stationary, it's basically a lens that captures one image at a time, so it doesn't matter if it's a video or still camera. But the latter is definitely a more economical alternative. You can probably find a used 2 megapixel camera for $50 or less, and even that has better resolution than a camcorder.
jaybee

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Most digital still cameras have at least a 3x optical zoom. Digital zoom is useless. But since in stop motion you're usually less than 6 feet from your subject, 3x is more than enough.[/nq]
[nq:2]panning, and rolling backgrounds... This stuff would be a lot more difficult with a still camera.[/nq]
[nq:1]This is stop motion, remember? ;-) Everything is done one frame at a time. the camera remains stationary, it's basically ... probably find a used 2 megapixel camera for $50 or less, and even that has better resolution than a camcorder.[/nq]
Most animation is a combination of techniques, so if you set up a scene and want to pan across it, then stop the camera and have, say, a little claymation dog walk in the door, you're better off filming the scan part and doing stopmotion only when your claymation figures are really moving. Same with zooming. You could get a very smooth zoom off a video camera but you'd be guessing the zoom rate on a still camera.
Anyway, for my pre-adolescent animator, you're probably right that a still camera would be simpler. But I feel my pigheadedness setting in and I think I'll try to find a video camera that does this.
Alan Brooks

A with an Underwood
Just Because, Inc.
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Filtering Trolls: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Anyway, for my pre-adolescent animator, you're probably right that a still camera would be simpler. But I feel my pigheadedness setting in and I think I'll try to find a video camera that does this.[/nq]
You could find a video camera that takes still pictures... ;-)
jaybee

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Is there a proper way to do stop-motion with a video camera? Short of that, what's the cheapest set of gear I could get my daughter into for doing this (Super-8? 16mil? A used Arriflex 16 SR3??)[/nq]
I cant even think about cameras right now, but get lights (Smith Victors or Make your own with photofloods. With one lamp you can get severe shadows, with two lamps you can light evenly. Next I would think how to secure that camera like a rock. Heavy tripod, or build something sturdy to mount the camera to.
If you are editing with imovie or something, just let the dv camera roll while you move the mango, and clear frame. Then just edit out all the movement, leaving only a 1/4 second of the captive image.

I dont like the idea of hitting the little red REC button on an already tiny lightweight camera. Same thing with a digital point and shoot. Can you get a remote for it? The camera has to be secure.

And remember, its never about the camera, its all about what happens infront of the lens. Art direction, lighting. Get lights, and let the kid learn to control light. How to make scrims, cookies, and use diffusion. How to cut light, bounce it. Photofloods are ephemeral, and they get hot. So you gotta keep em off until you roll. After really working on each sequence, somebody declares "Fire up the lamps" and the whole room explodes in white light. You record the sequential captive moments. "Strike the lamps" and go back to work on the next scene.
Photolamp bulbs are like $6.00, but dont sleep on Time Lapse. Get outside and do some cloud work, and shadow work. Spend a few hours outside, and do the same thing. Record a second a few times everyminute for a few hours. Shoot the moon. Tide. Shadows on walls. Traffic.

Just make sure she hires me, when she gets her studio deal!

Oranse

Stop-motion video / semi-OT

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