Monday, 11. July 2011
How To Build a Highly Professional Panning Device for Stop Frame Animation
Film still from the Underworld.
Often I have a certain idea for an animation, but I don't think too much how it could be done at first. It was the same with some of the scenes for my Orpheus film project: I want to do some fancy camera movements for my oncoming animated short, but I don't own a professional equipment to create those movements easily.
So I just built an animation panning device from my old-school animation stand, a miter-box, a lot of gaffer tape and also a lot of cable straps today. (Everything is held in place by loads of gaffer tape and cable straps.)
It looks crappy, but it works:
The "back-bone" of the animation stand serves as a guide for the cameras. It has scales printed on its surface which make it easy to animate fluidly. Both cameras are taped to a miter-box that is used as a slide. Altogether it's a bit shaky, but I can control the animation through the life feed within the software.
My highly professional panning in animation setup. There's a larger version of this image on my flickr photostream.
– Highly professional, as I said!
I use two cameras here: I take the high res pictures with my digital DSLR, a Pentax ist DL2 which (sadly) hasn't a video life feed. To control the movements and to rearrange things (if necessary), I use my Panasonic NV GS-90, a simply digital camcorder that is connected to the computer.
Okay, I admit: It's not a bit professional. It's all pretty semi-professional, probably.
Whatever professional means…
I think, it is okay so far because it's working, but perhaps you have another low-budget idea?
Thanks for sharing!
– Jessica
Comments
Shelley Noble wrote on Tuesday, 12. July 2011 at 01:11:
Brilliant! It's working well. I love the depth of your scene!
Pro schmoe as long as it works you are making art!
Jeff Lafferty wrote on Tuesday, 12. July 2011 at 02:22:
Great idea, looks like it will work well.
Jeff
Jessica Koppe wrote on Tuesday, 12. July 2011 at 07:34:
Hi Nils! I first thought about any kind of toy train as well, but as you said: it has some advantages but remains shaky. Did you see the lens flares? They're accidential, but only for you! ;)
Shelley, what would I do without you cheerleading me? ;)
I love the depth, too! I don't know, I somehow find it more interesting or more intense, if the puppets are moving upright through their world. With flat cut-out animation you'll achieve a different kind of depth…
Jeff, thank you!
All of you, it's great to have you here!
Jessica Koppe wrote on Tuesday, 12. July 2011 at 07:49:
A helpful suggestion from Robert Lyons on my vimeo page:
"Try getting some drawer slide at a hardware store, sandwich them between two pieces of wood and mount the camera to the upper board. Ive used this method as a cheap but smooth and incrementable camera mover for stop motion."
Sounds great to me!
Leo wrote on Thursday, 14. July 2011 at 20:07:
Use a slide rule instead of a drawer slide if you need that extra bit of precision! :)
No, really, it already looks quite perfect to me. Lighting already looks quite nice to me here– just because the lens flares are especially for Nils doesn't say I may not find some joy in them. But of course different scenes are in need of different lighting models.
Nils wrote on Friday, 15. July 2011 at 16:08:
> Did you see the lens flares?
> They're accidential, but only for you! ;)
I gave you a star on Twitter. ;)
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Nils wrote on Monday, 11. July 2011 at 23:09:
A long time ago I used my Lego train set for this issue. On the positive side you can use bends etc. but I think it's even more shaky than your solution. The test film is very good!