Stop Motion

The addition of sound to movies and animations can take creations up a level.

For this project, I created an animation using a linear storyline about a couple who get off a train and need a ride to their destination. Three options come forward: the first is a dragster, the second is an airplane, and the third is a sports car.

To shoot the animation, I used two umbrella lights over a cardboard table with a tri-fold cardboard display laid flat on top, with the white side up. I setup a Nikon SB-700 flash behind the cardboard table and synched it with my Nikon D7000 DSLR camera, which was on a tripod at the front of the cardboard table, shooting the scene.

I also used a Panasonic GX85 camera on a tripod to get several close-up images and different angles.

The video was composed in Adobe Premiere Pro.

At the beginning of the process, I made a list of sounds I would need for the video. I recorded several of the sounds using a Zoom H4N audio recorder. The sounds of the plane, train, and both cars were found on Freesound.org.

Once the sound was added, my story came together.