How To Make Eye Rigs In Stop Motion Animation

If you are anything like united states of america here at Kessler you experience that there is a special kind of magic that comes to life with finish movement filmmaking. Stop Motion captures the imagination and makes united states experience like kids again. It besides is something that tin can be challenging to practise well. So when we came beyond the work being done past the Akiyama brothers, Marc and Landon, we had to reach out and speak with them.

When speaking with Marc and Landon we learned that they piece of work both as musicians in the motion picture industry composing and recording pic scores through their studio (Akiyama Music) based out of San Diego every bit well as doing end motion and that they held a wealth of insights into the process that our audience could discover useful and interesting. We pitched to them the thought of partnering up for a series of blog posts and they were on board.

Today in office i of Stop Move Secrets we'll get to know the brothers a little bit more and dive into their setup. In the upcoming articles, we'll be covering an animation sit-in, helpful tips, and resource for creating your own stop motion films.

KU: Thanks for taking the time to conversation with us! Then permit's dive in. There's a LOT to comprehend here, but allow'due south start with your history. You are brothers who are composers and filmmakers— what drew you to end motion animation? It seems like any one of those niches could fill upwards your gratis time!

MA: Of course, nosotros are really excited about this series! Yes, we are primarily film composers and musicians, notwithstanding I've e'er been obsessed with cease motility and fabricated short films with our pets all the time growing upwards. Finish motion is so intriguing, considering it challenges y'all to be artistic in and then many different areas, such equally costuming, set pattern, cinematography, photography, acting, and it is among the only mediums where you actually get to run across the artistry and craftsmanship in the concluding product. Needless to say it was always a toss up for me if I'd become a filmmaker or musician, but I never allow go of either and at present I do both! They really do compliment each other though. One medium adds to the other and information technology's smashing beingness able to write a vocal or score and then be able to change hats and animate the scene. It'southward fun existence a one cease shop to bring ideas to life.

LA: .. I remember one time when we were little, we made a short nature film with our pet lizards. Marc had a disguised dragon and I had two leopard geckos. We dug holes tunnels in the backyard and put our lizards in the tunnels. That was probably our kickoff venture into film.

"Stop motion is and so intriguing because information technology challenges you to be creative in so many different areas..."

— Marc Akiyama

KU: How many stop movement projects do you have under your belt? Can you give u.s. a little synopsis about each? What was your favorite project?

LA: Near of my projects are Marc's projects. He's the tinkerer behind the end motion projects and I'm the more of the assistant and technical help. Filming The Legend of Willow Creek was the most interesting for me. Since that was the biggest and longest we've spend on a cease motion projection. Information technology was really just u.s. trying to stumble through the whole logistics of this project.

MA: Our get-go real venture into it was actually with the cease motion musical that nosotros characteristic in the Tutorial Series called The Legend of Willow Creek. That was my deep dive into stop motion, and even having no previous experience, I wanted to accept loftier standards regarding the quality of animation and the methods used. That one started every bit a short original musical, and is substantially a sequel to the Niggling Carmine Riding Hood story.

The story explores what would happen if we revisited her afterwards her horrible experience with the wolf. What if this is the outset fourth dimension she is returning to the forest, and what if that reason was to surprise her Grandmother with a big birthday party. It was from that charming idea and after completing the songs and the libretto, I could see the story lending itself to stop motion, with all the various animals she meets along the mode, and a beautiful snowy forest set up, and the gruesome actions of the original wolf all framed in a whimsical musical. Then once I started to strop my stop motion techniques and could see how little tweaks in my approach would make huge improvements, as far as fluidity and operation of the puppets, I was hooked.

The adjacent project I started but never quite finished was a Christmas Tree Slot Car Race. This ane was inspired past decorating the tree one yr with a Mustang and Camaro Scalextric Set. I drafted a quick storyboard of a race between these two cars and started animating, however never finished it as the tree died and turned dark-brown earlier completing all the shots. That one was a bit difficult to picture show considering the cars were just also low to the ground when I decorated, merely it led to some absurd examination shots with the slider.

I typically do a stop move project when I'm inspired by a creative thought or take something in mind that would make a nice visual to a piece of music I've written. Which I enjoy, it'south a tool I tin can pull out when I need and it definitely comes in handy, but my favorite and so far is still The Legend of Willow Creek.

KU: What practise you love nigh stop motion? How does it make you experience creating a new piece?

MA: Oh homo, I could honestly talk about cease motility for hours. There are so many things I dear about cease movement, but the main reason I'm fatigued to it is that it is a medium that is completely done by manus. I have e'er been crafty and absolutely love building things with my hands. I absolutely hate doing things in the figurer or in a virtual space. And then for me, the beauty of terminate move is that it takes skill as far equally Marc Akiyama craftsmanship and takes so many different departments/schools of thought. Y'all take the design and set stage, the actual puppet creating and costuming, and so even the animation stage is done by mitt. Yes, you capture the pictures now with a digital camera, but I also love photography and have been a photographer for a number of years so it's exciting that even that skill is tied in to finish motion.

LA: I think I love the authenticity of it. While y'all're in the process of animating it, there actually isn't much to see. It's not every bit glamorous as actors on a ready and it takes time to animate a single frame. But when you put it all together and playback your piece of work, that'southward when the magic happens.

MA: I recollect my beloved of creating something tangible comes from existence a musician. I'chiliad and so used to making music with my hands, being a pianist and percussionist, that information technology is the easiest style for me to be precise and exact. Could you animate in a estimator? Yep apparently, and most films are fabricated that way now, but there is something that comes across the animation much more vividly when it's actually been handled by the artist and to me this is true for both stop motion and traditional hand fatigued blitheness. When creating a new slice it's a mix of frustration and excitement. Information technology's ever scary because you worry that you lot won't be able to breathing what you have pictured in your head, or you too worry that if what you have pictured in your caput just doesn't end up looking equally cool or as pretty as you thought it would. And then it'due south dorsum to the cartoon board, but even the failed attempts still await and so intriguing being made by mitt

"I love the authenticity of information technology... It'due south not equally glamorous every bit actors on a set up and information technology takes time to animate a single frame.
Simply when you put information technology all together and playback your work, that's when the magic happens."

— Landon Akiyama

KU: Your choreography was something that first drew our heart to your work. It feels really organic, especially when you realize it'southward a adequately inarticulate doll you're working with. How did you lot learn to animate fluidly? And getting a little more technical hither, are you working on 1's or 2'southward with your animation?

MA: Ah aye, this is where you get me to divulged all my secrets now! There are definitely a few tricks I use to create an organic lifelike operation. Start off, I always breathing on i's. This is extremely of import to me considering my goal is to become the most believable movement possible. In that location is a quote from Glen Keane, a legendary Disney 2nd animator responsible for our favorite characters such as The Niggling Mermaid and Beast and Tarzan and one of my favorites Duet, if yous don't know Glen Keane you lot have to expect him upwards and report his work immediately. I promise information technology is then insightful as far every bit how you lot get the perfect performance out of a character and how you imbue the lifelike quirks that make the states human.

Sad, this is a long explanation already simply it is of import I promise! His quote was "Life is on i's." So on ane's and 2'due south really comes directly from paw-fatigued animation and refers to whether or not yous expose a cartoon once or twice to lengthen the amount of time it takes up. There are a number of reasons you might want this and in many cases, it does make sense. For example, if you have a really slow movement let'south say a caput tilt, you might hold that drawing for 2 exposures (or two frames) to keep the motion slow and you just don't need that much move betwixt drawings. If yous're working on 2's, which this would exist chosen, information technology effectively cuts your workload in half considering instead of having 24 unique drawings per 2nd, you hold each for 2 frames so you simply demand to depict 12. Which is a huge advantage.

Even so, you end upwardly with an blitheness that is a little more jagged and a little more than choppy, because now your eye starts to notice when the frame change. So because I was animating Red Riding Hood dancing through this baking vocal, I needed to make employ of every frame possible. So animating on 1's was the only option because it resembles life. In a live-action film, each of the 24 frames has motility. Each frame captures the next progression of whatever action is on screen, you don't concur the action for ii frames, it just looks weird. Then our eye is so used to the wait of 24 individual pictures/drawings, that anything else is noticeable, and when you're doing big one thousand sweeping gestures like in a dance, you need as many individual frames every bit possible to capture that and then your middle tin track the movement happening.

At present that doesn't mean that when the character is holding still or they deadening into a cease that you take to keep the graphic symbol moving in the adjacent few frames, in that case, yous do concord the frames because once more in real life people practise hold withal occasionally, so it'due south important to have that balance.

In that location are a few other tricks I use to get the fluid performance, even when you have a pretty inarticulate doll. I is to runway all the arcs of motion which I demonstrate in the next video, simply the other really of import one is don't be afraid to get through and delete frames that don't fit as y'all're going. So say y'all took 5 photos and number 3'southward just doesn't fit with the remainder. Perchance the arm moved a niggling too far downwards in that one or the spacing is suddenly different than it was, just delete it and see if you fifty-fifty needed it. Equally I was animative a shot, I would go through and see which photos were causing jitter or which ones were muddying up the activity, and just get rid of them. I establish that by and large, I would animate and accept too small-scale of movements in trying to get a fluid blitheness. Y'all don't need to brand as small of movements equally you think. You'd be surprised what our eyes tin actually follow, a lot of times y'all just demand the suggestion and your eye fills in the altitude travelled automatically. This process of weeding out the frames that don't work for the shot is a lot like cleanup animation for 2D, where some other creative person would draw the final line from the animator's roughs and yous'd stop up with the articulate line and action

LA: At that place's i technique that Marc talks about in the tutorial, which he learned from Aaron Blaise. You desire your puppet to motility in arcs. And so each moment should follow an arc to make information technology expect more smooth.

KU: Can you talk about your choices for working with these pre-made figures equally opposed to the more complex ball and socket or armature wire-based puppets? Practise y'all always call up y'all'll piece of work with more than complex puppetry? Maybe something with lipsync or more expressive faces?

MA: Yes, indeed nosotros are! So for TLOWC, because it was our first full film, nosotros had to use existing puppets and customize them, simply because we didn't have time to get through the development process for molding and sculpting our puppets. I do wish we spent the time to practice that at present or to develop a way that wouldn't necessarily need a total-fledged boob mold, only more than similar high-quality paper cutout puppets and exercise it more than like a multi-plane camera setup, which nosotros still might practice for ane of the more than stylized storytelling songs in the movie, where i of the characters, Jack Rabbit Johnny tells the tale of Ruddy Riding Hood to the balance of the forest animals. But aye, the determination came out of a cost and time-saving restriction. I would absolutely love to work with complex brawl and socket characters. I actually had a few designs, much like the Corpse Bride puppets, where you accept gears accessed past Allen wrenches in the ears and such to go the oral cavity movement and eyebrow articulation, but only oasis't had a chance to build them. It's actually a project on the shelf with my father, as he is a tool designer and can build pretty much whatever I tin can come upward with, which is extremely helpful.

Unfortunately, all that takes time and I haven't experimented with molds and different latex vs rubber materials to make the puppet coverings with so that would demand more inquiry equally well. Information technology probably won't happen for this flick considering the rest of the characters are animals covered with fur, which is a whole other extravaganza, merely in the future, I would love to develop a one-character story that utilizes a fully expressive face.

Replacement animation faces are another option, just those 3D printing machines are adequately loftier finish and I'1000 honestly not a big fan of being locked into a face once it's printed. Even though y'all can print every bit many expressions every bit you want and as many combinations, it yet locks you into deciding what the face should be prior to actual animation, and if I had to cede a number of expressions for more spontaneous decisions, I am happy to exercise then.

LA: Lipsync would be amazing to work with. Nosotros just don't have the technology to do it the mode we would similar to yet. I'd like to emulate something similar what Laika does with their 3D printed faces to bandy expressions.

KU: For anyone looking to go into this, what's the all-time fashion to get started?

LA: The best way to become started it to just starting time, try it and acquire from error. That's the best way to figure this out. We kind of prepare our Tutorial to assistance anyone who's interested in trying it out for their first time. Nosotros mentioned some motion apps but if you simply want the quick and dingy way, yous can employ any video editing app to import your photos into. This will accept a similar effect, only won't be equally adept as using say, Dragon Frame. Just if you're new and want to invest as little equally possible, that's the fashion to do it.

MA:…grab your favorite activeness figure, or doll, or even cutout paper, get a tripod for your telephone, and download any of the stop motion apps. At that place are a ton now, so apply what y'all have and endeavor it out! Experiment with how y'all move an object, notice things like how much you are moving that object and see what ends up looking natural to y'all…Fair alert, your first one volition look bad. It will look jagged and choppy, but use that and see what you can exercise to meliorate it. There are tons of behind the scenes videos of all these big studio stop motion films, check out some of them and see what animators say, scout how they piece of work and see what their approach is like. Everyone is going to take their dissimilar approach, it'southward going to be some combination or mix of technical, belittling, and fine art.

KU: So let's talk gear— you guys bear upon on that in this start part of your tutorial series. What is your ideal setup for end motion? What most for someone but starting out

LA: For someone just starting out, actually what you tin get your hands on is the best. At that place'south a saying amid photographers: "the all-time camera is the 1 that's with you". You lot actually don't demand much, your camera telephone, a tripod, and some video editing software similar iMovie. You can import the sequence of photos and set them to display .01 2nd or so and consign the project as a video file and there yous go! From there you lot tin can upgrade your equipment every bit you meet fit.

MA: Gear is of import for terminate motility, you really need a sturdy tripod at the very least. You need it to be able to hold the camera perfectly still, you don't desire the photographic camera to migrate or fall in the middle of animating a shot. This also goes for adventitious bumps. We use the Kessler K-Pod with a Cineslider mounted on top. The K-Pod is so rigid and heavy that in one case you place it and lock information technology all down, it isn't going to drift or move at all. The slider on top provides all the movement you really demand for smaller stop motion projects. You lot can use it to pull into your characters on a horizontal airplane, or you can position it vertically and use it to become a small scale jib shot tracking downwardly through the trees. We have the Parallax zipper with our slider and this provides an even greater range of motion. I probably overused this feature, merely it was great for my shots because it can add fifty-fifty more depth past keeping the field of study stock-still while the camera slides along an axis. So it lets y'all practise more than intricate moves. With the tripod and parallax slider, you can achieve a really wide range of shots, and they are and so well built. The automobile work is beautiful and when you take gear that is non just extremely well built, but likewise reliable, it just makes animating and so much easier. With that said, if y'all are just starting out, y'all need a rigid tripod to keep your camera stable. You also demand a camera, you can start out with your phone, but I highly recommend a mirrorless photographic camera from whatsoever of the large three companies, Nikon, Canon or Sony. The mirrorless ones are small plenty to go right in there on the miniature sets and they don't take the issue of possibly called-for in your sensor equally you practice with DSLRs. We are Nikon guys, because we love the color science they apply and their new Z series cameras have been really great for stop motility. You tin actually go down a rabbit hole with cameras though, so yous've been warned!

KU: Tin yous talk well-nigh working with the Second Shooter Pro? What does motion control practise for you every bit storytellers, and how has it helped brand you more creative filmmakers?

MA: Second Shooter Pro is so incredibly simple, and I mean that in no way as a bad thing. When I was commencement starting out, I knew stop motion studios used movement control, but it seemed like i of the more daunting things to achieve considering a lot of the behind-the-scenes showed the studios' custom devices to control these big rigs. Then I initially thought of those types of shots as luxury shots and I'd have to limit myself to less ambitious camera moves, until I establish Second Shooter. The motors are so easy to mount and set up with the controller. Information technology'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to program get-go and end points and once you have that, you can repeat these moves indefinitely, which is then freeing for terminate motion. It means that if y'all make a mistake in blitheness and need to back up a few frames, the camera tin can back up with you. It too adds a layer of camera movement with pan and tilt, which tin can get you a more than dynamic shot. And so it allowed me to storyboard more than creative scenes considering I knew I could movement the camera in a controlled way forth multiple axis points. As a side notation: we utilise a Pocket Jib for our alive picture show work as well and accept designs to convert it to use the Second Shooter motors to control it incrementally so nosotros tin can employ it for end motion work as well, just we have all the same to build that. Once nosotros do though, nosotros'll be unstoppable!

KU: What is the almost difficult lesson you learned about finish motion?

MA: Oh there are and so many, information technology seems like each animation teaches yous something new. I'd say the biggest matter I learned, and it's something I always have to remind myself is to not be afraid to make it there and move the puppet. Anytime I outset a new animation and information technology'due south fresh, no pictures taken all the same, or it'south a new puppet that I've never tried to manipulate before, I ever beginning off a lilliputian too conscientious. I don't want to move the puppet too much in case I ruin the shot and can't move the boob back in the right spot, but y'all can't worry nigh that. The boob is meant to motion and your eye can really follow more than you call back, in terms of seeing the animation stitched together, so don't be afraid to move the boob in big increments. Equally soon every bit you let become of that initial hesitation, your animation starts to loosen up and come to life. Information technology'south almost like the puppet knows where it wants to go and you lot're merely post-obit it.

LA: The near difficult lesson I learned about stop move is probably patience. You take to accept more patience than annihilation else in this industry. There's a bit of a technical background that could be helpful such as a basic knowledge of photography can help — properties of exposure, framing, and limerick. Likewise an understanding of how to edit photos to become the look you might want in the postal service process.

KU: When I delved into learning well-nigh stop movement for myself, it seemed like everyone had all sorts of adhesives, tools, rigs, and all these footling tricks to blitheness... where if you followed everyone'southward advice, you lot could end up with cartloads of equipment, clay, putties, resins, glues, wires, paints, hand tools, and random assortments of materials, etc. in order to be prepared to animate. What not-film related tools exercise you use regularly in end motion? Anything we wouldn't expect that you just ever have on mitt when animating?

MA: I exercise take a few dissimilar things that I go along nearby. A couple clay tools, blue painters tape, aluminum wire, and rubber cement. I apply the clay tools to lightly clear wearable articles, such every bit a skirt or a greatcoat. The painters tape comes in handy to tie down lose items, to perfectly frame vesture, or random things besides. Aluminum wire in example I demand to make a rig by twisting it together to assistance agree upwardly items that a puppet might hold, such as the pencil in the Stickybones animated clip in Part I, and the rubber cement in case I need to add a trivial more grip to objects, or temporarily stick them to the prepare. Nada too special really, but and then far that'southward virtually it!

KU: This is a multi-part tutorial series you lot're putting together. Tin you lot give us a petty glimpse into what all y'all program to cover in future episodes for folks to look forrard to?

LA": There's a lot that nosotros cover in the adjacent videos, but the second one is a walk through of an animation process and the third one is where to observe more than data and what inspires us.

MA: Yes! So Office I is an introduction to who nosotros are, a cursory caption of how stop motion works, the unlike types of puppets and tools used, a little about our setup and our gear, every bit well as a expect at the projection we're focusing on for the series. Part 2 is where information technology go's into the specifics of planning a shot and I take yous through an animation demo of i of the scenes in our film. Finally, Part Iii is all about various stop motion resources, and some great puppets/figures that are available to get you animating. The whole serial is a look at what works for the states and how nosotros plant ourselves in this fine art of finish motion animation.

KU: This has been great chatting with yous. We can't thanks enough for your fourth dimension, and sharing all this noesis with us. How can people follow your piece of work?

MA: Give thanks you so much, it's been a pleasure creating this series and providing a look into this elusive finish move world. Y'all can follow our film and animation piece of work at Retro Rocket Studios on YouTube and @retrorocketstudios on Instagram. Our moving picture scoring website is AkiyamaMusic.com or Akiyama Music on YouTube and Instagram as well. Feel free to reach out to united states of america if y'all have questions or comment on the YouTube serial videos and we'll be happy to chat! It'south been great talking with you and we're very excited for this series!

LA: Experience free to follow our YouTube page, Website akiyamamusic.com, and our Instagrams:

https://world wide web.instagram.com/marcakiyama/

https://www.instagram.com/landon_akiyama/