Animation, Wk 3: “Coffee” Stop-Motion
So both Jonnie and missed the first class of animation, so when we heard we had to do a stop-motion assignment we decided it had to be simple and easy to execute. We came up with the idea of creating abstracted visuals for a one-minute portion of a song, so we wouldn’t have to deal with plot-lines, creating characters, etc.
However, our project wasn’t as simple as we thought. While it was easy enough to think up different visuals that could correspond to different moments in the song (we chose “Coffee” by Sylvan Esso, which Jonnie edited down to bring out the best bits of it), the timing in relation to the rhythm of the song was so impossible. First, we struggled with the relation of the frame rate to the beat of the song. Eventually, when we got into post-production we played around with the timing features and edited different clips to the correct pacing.
In terms of the animation itself, we decided to go with cut-paper and some beads and yarn. I had done a cut-paper animation with my elementary students and have always enjoyed the aesthetic of artists like Matisse. In fact, I think I accidentally was very inspired by Matisse’s shapes, particularly the yellow starts and more globule, seaweed like shapes.
It’s very playful and I think fits well with the song, which features lots of electronic bleeps and bloops. Check it out for yourself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13O2Xhn6p2E&feature=youtu.be