Stop Motion animation w/ HVX200 [Archive] - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

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vt2la

01-11-2008, 01:44 PM

Hey guys, I'm about to do some tests trying out some stop motion stuff with the camera here at work. Do any of you have any experience doing stop motion stuff with the HVX200? I've heard bad things as far as flicker goes and compatibility with frame grabber software. I wasn't initially planning to use frame grabber software, mostly because I hadn't heard of it, but all the online resources seem to say it's absolutely necessary.

One fairly simple question I had is how do I turn on one-shot recording? Whenever I go into the Recording Setup menu the Rec Function option is blue as are One Shot Time and Interval Time. How do I fix this?

Anyway, thanks for any advice you guys can give, I've been having trouble finding answers to these questions.

Filmbuff28

01-11-2008, 02:19 PM

Hi There,
I don't have any stop motion experience but I do know how to urn that bit on. The trick with stop motion and time lapse shooting on the HVX200 is that it can only be done when shooting 30fps or 60ifps(note: 30pn does not work). So I suggest shooting in 1080i30p if your shooting HD, since your not able to save space by shooting 720p30p. Also note that you can only use scene files 1-4 when using stop motion or time lapse functions. This should get you going, let me know if there's anything else.

vt2la

01-11-2008, 02:29 PM

Thanks a bunch! I had found info somewhere else saying that the camera had to be in 60p to do stop motion and I almost freaked, that twice as many shots to create! Good to know it works in 30. As far as the 1080i vs. 720p idea, would it not be ideal to have a progressive image when working with stills? I've pretty much always stuck to shooting 720p on the HVX. Thanks again.

Filmbuff28

01-11-2008, 02:57 PM

When using the HVX the 1080i30p is a progressive frame it is just put into a 1080i60i codec. Just so you know, the HVX shoots at 1080p and downres's to 720p and 480. You also gain a bit of res when you shoot in 1080 as well as a larger frame to work with. 720p looks great as well, almost as good as 1080. But since you are not able to utilize the 30pn mode in 720p to save some space, I would utilize the cameras full chipset and shoot in 1080 30p. But that choice is entirely yours. I've shot interval stuff on both 720p and 1080 30p and they both look great!. But I do notice less artifacts and more resolution in 1080 when I compare identical magnified shots. I don't you really need to worry about this either format will look superb. Unless your work ends up on film, in that case shoot in 1080.

Jim2000

01-11-2008, 03:03 PM

I plan to do some stop motion with the HVX, but haven't as of yet.

I would think that any flickering issues would have to do with your lights not being voltage regulated. The electricity coming from wall sockets is prone to minute fluctuations that can be very noticable when seen over time. Your lights should be on a regulated, constant power supply.

vt2la

01-14-2008, 01:33 PM

Thank you all for the advice. I'm going to shoot some test today and I'll let you know how they come out. Probably going to do one in 720 and one in 1080, depending on time constraints. Also, Jim2000, how should I solve the power supply issue, if it does turn out to cause flicker? Should I use a generator?

ksteiger

01-14-2008, 01:57 PM

There will be no flicker. (Unless you have voltage fluctuations in lighting as JIM2000 said). It looks like stop motion film. ENJOY. You'll love it.

puredrifting

01-14-2008, 03:30 PM

I have done a lot of stop motion with the HVX. I use 720/60p and the results are beautiful. If you see the Pluto pencil test animations in the Disney Treasures series DVDs with Pluto, I did all of those with the HVX. Works great and is easy. I did some more with the Oswald The Lucky Rabbit Disney Treasure Series that was released last month. Just small snippets since that is all that existed of the original pencil tests but it looked very cool to see portions of a lost Oswald cartoon come to life (cartoon doesn't exist, only a few hundred pencil test drawings). I got to be the first animator since the late 20s to animate these drawings.

Tip: trigger the camera with the wireless remote so you don't move it. I noticed no flicker.

Dan

cordvision

01-14-2008, 07:47 PM

I did a little stop motion video just for fun. I always recorded two frames before I moved my "actors" to their next position. Shot in 25p (pal camera).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZDUMJfUUSg

MDKfilms

01-16-2008, 11:32 AM

I use my HVX in conjunction with a frame grabber called Framethief. It works great. You can choose the compression level you want so if it needs to go to film that choice is there. All you use your camera for is to relay the video image to your computer you don't trigger the camera, you trigger the computer if you are using a frame grabber which I highly recommend. The frame grabber gives you the ability to see your previous moves so you can gauge how far to move the object you are animating. Check out this link, and have fun. http://www.stopmotionanimation.com/dc/dcboard.php

reticulan5

01-24-2008, 02:49 PM

reticulan5

01-24-2008, 03:12 PM

I bought a HVX200 a month ago,and I have already shot a short film called Sarah,s Jihad.The 50 fps function is great.We shot and re inacted the race riots between Australian and Muslim youths I shot at 50 and the blood and fighting looks spectacular.

As to the stop motion stuff.My 15 yr old daughter has just done some test shots using her large Corpse Bride dolls made by McFarlane .One the first day
she just had the dolls waving and turning heads.
In one week she has shot 2 to 3 characters dancing and fighting in 1 shot together.Having instant replay gives you instant gratification and learn quickly and improve your animating every few mins.Unlike in my super 8 days waiting upto 2 weeks for film and seeing were you goofed.I gave up in the end.
This is one of the reasons I bought the cam.

This is a very light sensitive cam rated at 320 asa.However I would have prefered a full raster 1920 C C D . Even if it only got me a sensitivity of around 100 asa.
Thats my 2 cents

bikefilms

01-28-2008, 02:43 PM

I did a little stop motion video just for fun. I always recorded two frames before I moved my "actors" to their next position. Shot in 25p (pal camera).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZDUMJfUUSg

That was a fun watch. I like how you have the light move around to "watch". Nice touch.

-andrew

ngr corvacho

06-28-2008, 09:07 PM

hi

has anyone recorded a painter or graffiti artist process...
i was thinkin in 720p and 30, with a 2 frame rec and 5 mins iterval,
IT HAS to be in P2 system or can b in tape?
and 1080 and 720 30p has ocupies the same space??

THX-1138

06-30-2008, 09:41 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQlHym874nc

Depending on your subject just winging the stop motion can be the best approach.

I wanted the above video to have a very indi feel so I didn't use a computer program to aid in the stop motion.

Programs that allow rotoscoping or onion skinning are great if your looking for precise motion and the ability to easily review your work as you shoot it.

jennybenny

08-10-2009, 06:34 PM

I shot some stop motion animation this weekend with the HVX200. It looks great! No flicker at all - except when I bumped some lights! I can't believe how awesome it is to instantly see what you've done! The only problem I had - and I hope it isn't major after a whole weekend of animating - is that I can't get the footage to correctly transfer into Final Cut Pro. I shot in 720p/30p. The footage plays correctly in the transfer preview window, but when I drag it to the timeline it is incomplete. For example, an 8 second clip that plays correctly in the transfer window is cut down to the very last two seconds in the timeline. But, a few clips that I shot exactly the same way played fine. I would be so grateful if anyone could offer insight on this.

Also, this is probably a really dumb question. I am used to shooting animation on film with 24fps. Since I am shooting in 30p, does that mean I have to take 30 shots to make a second?

Thanks again for any help anyone could provide!

Jen

kfrogg

08-11-2009, 03:15 PM

...Have you thought of using still camera? I tried stop-motion when I first got my HVX, then realized I would get better resolution, more flexibility with low light (long exposures), and the ability to crop/magnify for multiple angles and composition within the same shot.

Even your average consumer point and shoot should yield great results.

And you could save mileage on your HVX!

cheers

leomark

02-26-2010, 01:16 PM

I tried to use framethief and it looks very straightforward. However it could not see my HVX200. I did set the camera's 1394 setting to EXT. But no luck.

How did you set your HVX200 to make FrameThief see it and control it?

Thanks,
Erik

I use my HVX in conjunction with a frame grabber called Framethief. It works great. You can choose the compression level you want so if it needs to go to film that choice is there. All you use your camera for is to relay the video image to your computer you don't trigger the camera, you trigger the computer if you are using a frame grabber which I highly recommend. The frame grabber gives you the ability to see your previous moves so you can gauge how far to move the object you are animating. Check out this link, and have fun. http://www.stopmotionanimation.com/dc/dcboard.php