Need help finding Stop Motion Animation Shorts for kids
March 26, 2015 9:25 AM Subscribe
I am teaching an animation course for children and I am looking for stop motion animation shorts to show as examples in class. I am trying (without luck!) to find good shorts that are made using things like paper and paint rather than 3D claymation and puppetry.
For this introductory class I want to show the kids some fun, inspiring, beautiful work but I'm having so much trouble sifting through google to find what I'm looking for. Does anyone have:
1. a good searchable animation site to recommend
2. favorite shorts or
3. ideas search terms so that I can hunt down some good examples?
I keep finding stuff that is too dark in subject matter or uses mostly claymation (3D and puppetry). I am looking for animations that use paper cut silhouettes, paints, some objects are fine like string etc but nothing that is modeled in clay or painstakingly constructed puppets.
For this introductory class I want to show the kids some fun, inspiring, beautiful work but I'm having so much trouble sifting through google to find what I'm looking for. Does anyone have:
1. a good searchable animation site to recommend
2. favorite shorts or
3. ideas search terms so that I can hunt down some good examples?
I keep finding stuff that is too dark in subject matter or uses mostly claymation (3D and puppetry). I am looking for animations that use paper cut silhouettes, paints, some objects are fine like string etc but nothing that is modeled in clay or painstakingly constructed puppets.
Approaching this from the side, you might like this episode of Rocko's Modern Life which documents the...er...process behind an animated cartoon, everything from storyboard to drawing to filming to editing.
posted by phunniemee at 9:34 AM on March 26, 2015
posted by phunniemee at 9:34 AM on March 26, 2015
Best answer: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Alphabet Song)?
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:40 AM on March 26, 2015
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:40 AM on March 26, 2015
Best answer: Game Over by PES is cool - household objects with some simple clay, showing various GAME OVER scenarios from classic video games.
Also, CreatureCast is a series of videos, mostly stop motion animations done with pen, paper, and ink, done by biology students at Brown University. This is a really adorable one about tardigrades with very simple stop animation.
posted by mrmanvir at 9:43 AM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, CreatureCast is a series of videos, mostly stop motion animations done with pen, paper, and ink, done by biology students at Brown University. This is a really adorable one about tardigrades with very simple stop animation.
posted by mrmanvir at 9:43 AM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: This is Where We Live 4th Estate
This one is fantastic.
posted by effluvia at 10:08 AM on March 26, 2015
This one is fantastic.
posted by effluvia at 10:08 AM on March 26, 2015
I was also thinking of PES, though I was thinking of Western Spaghetti. They're all great.
So a lot of Don Hertzfeldt's stuff is not so appropriate, but the first and last segment of Rejected (starting at 0:47 and 7:05, respectively) are pretty great for showing how line drawing animation can be very simple or very complex. (The hand-drawn stick figure banging his fist on the paper and the paper crumpling slightly with every hit at 8:15 is about my favorite little bit in animation ever.)
The Oscar nominated shorts are always great and often use a variety of mediums and subject matter, some of which are kid-friendly. If you haven't been using that as a search term, it might be another way of getting some good stuff. (A compilation of Oscar shorts is where I first saw PES' work.)
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:26 AM on March 26, 2015
So a lot of Don Hertzfeldt's stuff is not so appropriate, but the first and last segment of Rejected (starting at 0:47 and 7:05, respectively) are pretty great for showing how line drawing animation can be very simple or very complex. (The hand-drawn stick figure banging his fist on the paper and the paper crumpling slightly with every hit at 8:15 is about my favorite little bit in animation ever.)
The Oscar nominated shorts are always great and often use a variety of mediums and subject matter, some of which are kid-friendly. If you haven't been using that as a search term, it might be another way of getting some good stuff. (A compilation of Oscar shorts is where I first saw PES' work.)
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:26 AM on March 26, 2015
Searching for "paper stop motion" returns a lot of examples. Here is one and another.
Also BrainCraft uses this technique for their animations. However the content might not be what you are looking for.
posted by Shanda at 11:01 AM on March 26, 2015
Also BrainCraft uses this technique for their animations. However the content might not be what you are looking for.
posted by Shanda at 11:01 AM on March 26, 2015
I love this stop motion music video Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie, which was made with just people and stuff around the house.
posted by Mchelly at 12:02 PM on March 26, 2015
posted by Mchelly at 12:02 PM on March 26, 2015
Best answer: The National Film Board of Canada is a resource regularly used in Montreal schools and includes many documentaries and animations. Many videos are free and a few require payment. Also, as a bonus, most of the animations have no spoken language and rely on the images to tell a story (to make them french-english-bilingual).
This animator comes to mind, and is free to access.
posted by eisforcool at 12:11 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
This animator comes to mind, and is free to access.
posted by eisforcool at 12:11 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The Eagleman Stag was made using paper and foam, and there's a great behind-the-scenes/making of video here.
This music video (Shugo Tokumaru / Katachi) uses 2000 cut plastic (PVC) silhouettes (Making of video here).
Also, as an additional reference, Aardman, Tate and CBBC did this crowdsourced/collaborative children's animation called "Itch of the Golden Nit". I believe it was digitally compiled but it's an interesting process and they may have more resources about animation for children.
posted by lhall at 12:56 PM on March 26, 2015
This music video (Shugo Tokumaru / Katachi) uses 2000 cut plastic (PVC) silhouettes (Making of video here).
Also, as an additional reference, Aardman, Tate and CBBC did this crowdsourced/collaborative children's animation called "Itch of the Golden Nit". I believe it was digitally compiled but it's an interesting process and they may have more resources about animation for children.
posted by lhall at 12:56 PM on March 26, 2015
Also, the music video for "Everything Is AWESOME!!!" from the Lego Movie has a mix of CGI (film clips), stop-motion (with Lego blocks and figures) and live-action (paper on sticks).
posted by lhall at 1:04 PM on March 26, 2015
posted by lhall at 1:04 PM on March 26, 2015
Best answer: I think The Bead Game is a National Film Board of Canada offering. It's from 1977 and is exactly what you want.
posted by Rash at 1:22 PM on March 26, 2015
posted by Rash at 1:22 PM on March 26, 2015
This blog shows some stop motion made by kids, it might be nice for them to see what other kids have done. Turning Around America
posted by InkaLomax at 1:28 PM on March 26, 2015
posted by InkaLomax at 1:28 PM on March 26, 2015
You might also look for films that employ pixilation (which is not the same thing as pixelation). It is stop motion animation that uses actual people as the puppets. The latest film from PES uses this technique.
I also second searching for films from the National Film Board of Canada. A huge treasure trove of animated shorts.
posted by ocherdraco at 1:28 PM on March 26, 2015
I also second searching for films from the National Film Board of Canada. A huge treasure trove of animated shorts.
posted by ocherdraco at 1:28 PM on March 26, 2015
I am back with PostItNote Animation and Dry Erase Board Drawing animation
posted by coevals at 1:35 PM on March 26, 2015
posted by coevals at 1:35 PM on March 26, 2015
It may be more fun to actually do it with a smartphone app or two.
Most lego shorts are stop motion and can be easily found on Youtube.
posted by kschang at 2:25 PM on March 26, 2015
Most lego shorts are stop motion and can be easily found on Youtube.
posted by kschang at 2:25 PM on March 26, 2015
Best answer: Note that the National Film Board of Canada also has a great app for creating stop-motion videos (StopMo Studio; unfortunately not free). Don't know what age you are dealing with, but my 1st-grader can handle the basics of the app quite easily. The NFB has also provided a stop motion animation lesson plan, that might be helpful for you.
posted by Kabanos at 11:30 AM on March 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Kabanos at 11:30 AM on March 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Indie rock band OK Go's "Primary Colors" is a fun stop-motion music video done for Sesame Street. Although it is shot using people, it is still essentially basic blocks of color moving around (and there is some paper animation involved). It can be great for inspiration, especially if you show how other kids have re-created the same video.
posted by Kabanos at 11:58 AM on March 27, 2015
posted by Kabanos at 11:58 AM on March 27, 2015
Crashboxwas created as an educational program for kids. Lots of great animation bits.
posted by effluvia at 6:21 PM on March 27, 2015
posted by effluvia at 6:21 PM on March 27, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
Though certainly not dark or disturbing in any way it's not specifically a "kids' film" -- so if your students are too young or need a plot, they might be bored. But it's gorgeous work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMmHtgO7lfU
(Sorry can't make link active from my device)
posted by third rail at 9:29 AM on March 26, 2015