Thursday, March 12, 2015

Stop Motion Attempts

If anyone is familiar with Apple products you probably noticed that my last video was made with iMovie. My old phone started messing up and I had to get a new one and it came with the iMovie app. It's a lot different than Windows Movie Maker and the title options are limited but it is so neat to be able to edit movies on my phone. I also discovered another app called Stop Motion Studio and it lets you make stop motion movies on your phone as well!

Here are my attempts in a very short video:



I probably wont do much with stop motion because it took 450 photos to make a 15 second clip. I just don't have that kind of time, lol. It was fun to try though because it really is fascinating to see dolls in motion.

A behind the scenes pic of my last attempt

Thanks for watching!

44 comments:

  1. Wow, Muff, you did a really good job! The movement is very fluid, but taking that many photos to get just 15 seconds of footage -- I know I don't have that kind of patience!

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    1. Thanks, Phyllis! I actually do have that kind of patience when it comes to stuff like this, I just don't have the time.

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  2. 450???!!! (In my Chris Rock voice)...Wow! It looked amazing and I really enjoyed watching it. I got excited when I looked the app up and thought...maybe I can do this on my iPad but I don't have 450 photo time either. 😉. Loved the video, though. 👌🙌🙌🙌

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    1. Tracy, I think I spent 40 minutes doing the last version and it was the one that was 450 photos. It really didn't seem like a lot of time passed as far as taking the photos, because the app can take them for you or you can do them yourself, which is what I did. But to do all that and then it only be 15 seconds, it's like, OMG are you serious?

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  3. You did a great job and although I have the time I absolutely don't have the patience!

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  4. WOW! You did a great job! I like how she was using the book.

    It is funny, last night I was looking at some stop motion about a movie on Neen's blog. I thought it was a mistake when they said how many pictures it took. But, I guess it was right! I think you will like the post. It may inspire you to make some more! Make sure you click on the links to see the actually movie being made with mini costumes and all. Fascinating!

    http://universe-in-miniature.blogspot.com/2015/03/boxtrolls-and-its-amazing-miniatures.html

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    1. Gosh darnit, Grandmommy! You just made me spend 2 hours looking at stop motion videos! So much for not having time on my hands, lol. I got all interested/distracted and got sucked into Youtube. Thanks so much for that link. Super cool stuff.

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  5. Signing in as "Impressed."

    I wouldn't have the patience, but I applaud how you brought your Moxie Teen and Mini-Muff(?) to life. If you are still interested in playscale animation, check out Philip C. Lane. He said it took two years to complete a 35 minute movie.

    You never know ;-)

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    1. Thanks, D7ana! I guess she is my Mini-Muff. Well, if I could aspire to get my hair to grow like that, lol. More like she's my mascot since she the first doll I bought when I started collecting.

      I remember that Philip Lane post and his videos! Thanks for the revisit.

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  6. Hello from Spain: awesome video. I had not seen before moving dolls. Your phone does wonders. I liked all three attempts lot. The better the doll sitting with magazine. Wow, wow, wow... Keep in touch

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    1. Marta, every phone I get I'm always astounded at what it can do that the previous one couldn't. Technology, I swear.

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  7. WOW Muff, I LOVE IT!
    the third bit is extremely well done but 400 pictures for 15 secs of video, it takes a lot of patience!

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    1. Thanks, Billa! Yes, it's fun seeing the finished project... it would just take so long to finish, lol.

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  8. Whoa, you must worked hard on this... I wouldn't have patience to try this, but it looks neat- specialy the part with AA barbie doll (she is sooo pretty!), she really moves naturally :)

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    1. Major, I would actually have to say that it wasn't a lot of work. Maybe if I wasn't right on top of the doll or if it was a full set up and diorama or more dolls in the shot - then yeah, I can see it being a lot of work. But just practicing close up on one doll was relatively simple.

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  9. Would you believe I was in a Apple store today and will be attending the workshop next week regarding IMovie. So you said 450 photos??, I KNOW I can't even think how to make time for that, lol. You did real good, I like it!

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    1. Well color me surprised, Brini! I had no idea that Apple Stores did workshops. When you said it, I googled it and there it was... for free! I checked the availability in my area and they don't have any workshops for the iPhone or Pad, just for Macs and iCloud stuff. Bah.

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  10. Great job Muff! The third clip with Trichelle reading the magazine looks very natural. I'm actually at an artist retreat right now where I intended to work on a stop motion piece. I bought iStop Motion but there's no WiFi in my cabin and this software can only connect with my iPad over a wireless network.

    One thing I will experiment with when I get home is the automatic shutter for time lapse videos. If I can set it at an interval that gives me enough time to get my hands in and out of the frame between exposures, it will probably make shooting 12 frames per second less onerous.

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    1. An artist retreat, Limbe Dolls? Dang everyone is doing some cool stuff! That sounds delightful... except for no wifi. I actually don't know if the app I'm using can work without wifi, but since I'm on my phone it will always have data access. The Stop Motion Studio app can shoot the images for you at intervals of 5 seconds up to 90 seconds. Since I was so close to the camera and the subject, I found it easier in the last version to take the photos myself without the wait or stress of the timer. The headphones can release the shutter as well so you don't have to touch the phone.

      My phone has time lapse too and I love it! Apparently my old phone had it too and I didn't know it, lol. My phone is going to get jacked because I keep leaving it outside to catch cloud formations! That's what I'm going to do Saturday. Visit some parks and time lapse and slow motion the heck out of everything.

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    2. Hi Muff, good luck with your time lapse pieces. This retreat is up in the mountains of north Georgia so we don't get cell phone reception either. I have spent most of my time here baking.

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  11. That is amazing that it took 450 pictures...wow! Great job Muff!! I loved it! I applaud you for trying this. You definitely should do more if you ever get the time.

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    1. Bows gratefully at your applause, Georgia Girl! Thank you so much!

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  12. Wow! The third one is really convincing, but maaaaannnn... 450 photos to get there. That's a lot of work.

    It was still incredibly neat to see, though.

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    1. It is, Smaller! My hats off to people that do it consistently.

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  13. Great job! I love to do stop motion animation. You should check out my YouTube channel, Glittabomb FeFe!

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    1. Wow, Glittabomb! I enjoyed your channel. Lots of stop motion and how to's.

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  14. Too cool...by the 3rd try that doll was moving pretty smoothly! Yeah, I agree though, takes so long to make. That's great to know there is an app for it!

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    1. Farrah, I guess there's an app for everything nowadays, lol.

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  15. You did a great job. I tried Stop Motion a few years ago and it took me a week to do a 3 - 4 minute video. That is why only one of my 80+ videos is Stop Motion. Your phone app seems really cool though. I'm sure you will probably give it another go and possibly figure out how to do it quicker.

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    1. Vanessa, I can believe it takes a week to make a 3 minute video! I said it was too much trouble but then I went and bought the paid version of the app when it said you could use green screen and other stuff. Oh well, even if I don't use it, it was only 5 bucks.

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  16. Muff it was great! I am now tempted to upgrade my phone to an iphone! The last part with the doll reading the magazine looks so real, moving her hands. I can't believe it took that long but it makes sense when you look at all the stop motion movies and animation movies. The boxtrolls must have took an incredible amount of time with the animation and movements needed on the sets, I have a pinterest board called miniature set building that I pin to and refer to as I am really interested in creating a stop motion video of my doll town. 450 photos to create 15 seconds. Wow. I am impressed. thank you for the info.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! I've been trying to school myself on the basics of the craft and so far I've learned that I took too many pics, lol. I should have been doing something called ease in ease out which would have given me more fluid movement with less frames. Stop Motion is interesting to learn and see.

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  17. Very good work! It does indeed take a lot of patience. The last time I attempted stop motion video was with a Super 8 camera, which will probably tell you how long ago *that* was.

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    1. Thanks, Barb! I think I do recall using my first JVC camcorder to try and make a stop motion with my nephew's toys way back in the 90's. It didn't go well, lol.

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  18. OMG!!! That is sooooooo cool!!!! I have been wanting to do something like that, but.... I don't have that kind of time. I have a Chandra doll as well (she's one of my favorites) so it's so cool to see her come to *life*!!!!

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  19. That looks pretty cool! I've seen a lot of people make films with their dolls, and it seems like a lot of patience to get it to look right (450 photos, you say??). Maybe I should invest in a tripod and some blue tape?

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    1. Anderson, most definitely a tripod but I think my use of blue tape was overkill probably.

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  20. I never had regrets about not having a cell phone before but this made me think about it just a little bit. I thought for some that you are trying out you did a great job. I can remember seeing shows on TV by Claymation or Disney. It takes them along time too! The difference is that they are getting paid to do it. You need a PayPal button on you blog for donations. LOL! I've seen them on some blogs.

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    1. No cell phone, Ms. Leo?! I'm one of those fools who cant live without their cell phone but I will admit I rarely use it for phone calls or texting. It's my entertainment, my library, my travel guide and now my video editor!

      Hey, if someone wants to send me money, I wont stop them, but I tell you right now I'm spending it on jelly beans and sour patch kids.

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