Digital Stop-Motion Claymation

A

adaml

Well-known member
I looking into the feasibility of shooting a claymation piece using a digital still camera and putting everything together on the computer, rather than using a motion-picture camera. Does anyone here know anything about this sort of thing, or where I can find resources?
Thanks,
Adam
 
Re: Digital Stop-Motion Claymation

Well this really isn't an answer to the thread, but figuered it was around the same subject so why not hijack it.

So do you all ever use the interval recording system on the DVX?
 
Re: Digital Stop-Motion Claymation

I used it for a timelapse sunset shot. The resulting footage was choppy and almost useless in post. The minimum recorded shot is .5 sec, which, when sped up in your NLE, gives a choppy/jumpy look. Granted, for really long timelapses, you don't have much of a choice, but if you're doing just a 5-10 min shot, then don't bother with the interval feature. Just record normally, capture, and speed everything up in your NLE. I did a Moonrise shot that way and it looked much better than my interval timelapsed sunset.

As far as stop-motion. I have never tried it, but what I would do is capture still frames directly from your camera (move the object, click the mouse, move the object, click the mouse), don't bother with tape. And then load them all as a sequence in Premiere. Maybe the other posts had better answers. good luck!
 
Re: Digital Stop-Motion Claymation

its totaly possible...

what you would need to get is some sort of remote shutter release, a cable with a button to trigger the shutter. once you get that it would be pretty simple. you will want a good sturdy base, something that doesnt shake. also, you will need to make sure your camera is set to full manual controls. you dont want the camera readjusting everytime the shutter is triggered. i accidently left auto focus on for a timelapse (which is very similer to stop motion) i was doing, and while it was a pretty interesting result (very stuttery focus played over as series of images) it was a lesson learned.

anyway, i bring sequences of images from my 20d in all the time to after effects. works really well, you just need to tell it what the frame rate is to play them back.
 
Re: Digital Stop-Motion Claymation

I would have to second the testamony of P.K. where doing stop motion with the DVX itself would only prove cumbersome. you end up with at least 15 frames for each shot, which would need to be sped up 15x or captured 1out of every 15 frames. It can be done, but I perfere to work with a digital SLR. I have been shooting a short where I am using live actors for part of the film, but shooting them as if they were claymation figures, one frame at a time. I have been using a Canon D10 on the lowest resolution jpg (1020x1540 or something like that) and have been getting very good results. I then bring that sequence of jpeg files into After effects and export them as a 1280x720 23.976fps progressive uncompressed avi for editing in Vegas.
 
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