Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Pre-Production Booklet for Animation

Name: Sam Turnbull
Order of contents (italics show areas you must add in yourself)
Assessment criteria
LO2

Mind maps of ideas

Risk assessment

Format of your animation

Subject and storyline

Character notes and profiles

Movement of characters

Moodboard

Sets/backgrounds

Audio and soundtrack

Sound table

Props list

Audience

Storyboard and script (add script to booklet)

Frame rates

Lighting design

Production schedule

Crew details

Frame Numbers

Dope Sheets

LO3

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

How to use this booklet

You will need to complete every page of this booklet, and all sections / questions
required.
Assessment criteria for Distinction grade;
LO2
Plans will show a full consideration of movement and continuity, perspective, point of view,
transitions and special effects.
Precise and workable planning of timing and synchronisation to a soundtrack will be
produced. It will be clear at this stage, from the documentation, what the finished piece will
look and sound like.
Learners will follow industry conventions and terminology used in storyboard production
correctly.
Plans for the construction of models, sets and props will be realistic and clear.
Drawings, script and storyboard will all show a creative interpretation of the idea.

LO3:
The documentation linked to the production will be full and detailed and there will be
evidence that the production management and scheduling of the project has been effective
and carried out in a professional manner. The techniques used in the production of the work
are likely to be related to an understanding of current trends in the industry.

Both LO2 and LO3

In all practical activity learners will be capable of working autonomously and effectively. They
will work on their own initiative, will not need constant support or supervision, will give the
work their full commitment, work positively and cooperatively with others, and meet
deadlines. In other words, they will have the kind of self-management skills that would be
expected of them in a professional context. Note also that this criterion should not be taken
to mean that learners do not seek advice or that they work without discussing things with
their tutor, but rather that they are not dependent upon the support of others and that when
they take advice they weigh it carefully for themselves.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Planning
Brainstorm / mind map (add extra pages if necessary)
The
Shining
Mario

Fairy
Tales

Plastercine
Wool

Iconic
characters

Wood
Materials

Cardboard

Music
Video
Location
House

Snow
Woods
The
Shining

Attach a 400-word treatment of your idea

The video is a stop-motion music video for Mystery Fish by Aesop Rock. It will recreate
Stanley Kubricks The Shining and Hansel in Gretel in roughly 3 minutes. The video will
follow Hansel and Gretel as their father dumps them in the middle of nowhere and they
follow a breadcrumb trail to The Shining hotel.
It will feature iconic moments from both stories such as the elevator filled with blood and the
breadcrumb trail as well as other fairy tales (i.e. the two girls will be replaced with two of the
three pigs, the bartender will be Pinocchio, etc.). I will be replacing Hansel with Danny, The
Witch with Jack, Gretel with Wendy and The Dad with Scatman Crothers.
It will end with the children escaping in the snow mobile and the witch left frozen in the
maze. I will make the characters out of various materials such as action figures and
plasticine. I will be filming in a variety of locations such as doll houses, shoe boxes and
outside if Im lucky enough this Christmas season. Scenes like the maze and the opening
will be shot outside and the rest of the film will be shot in shoe boxes and dolls houses. I will
have to uses either green screen or matt paintings for backdrops of mountains and the sky.
The only audio needed will be the song, the rest of the video will be silent. Im going to
recreate most shots by filming them instead of animating to save time, so shots of lake and
the car will be done out doors with no animation. I might have to films the elevator of blood
along with The Dad getting axed in the chest due to complex blood effects. I will be able to
film the elevator scene in a shoebox if I time opening the elevator doors perfectly with tipping
a few litres of dyed water through the floor. That scene will have to be shot on my phone
because my camera wont be able to shoot higher than 30 frames per second however my
phone can shoot 240 frames per second.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

How will you meet the requirements of your brief?
I will meet the requirements of the brief by including as many materials as possible. I think
if I combine plastercine with household objects such as silver wool and what not then
hopefully I will be able to meet the requirements for the brief.

Risk assessment: Are there any health and safety issues you may encounter?
Lighting rigs will be used so I should tape the wires to the ground to avoid trip hazards.
There is also the concern of filming in the snow, I should wear extra grip shoes to avoid
slipping on ice. I also need to wrap up warm because I will be in freezing conditions for
hours and hours.

Discuss any legal issues you may face. Eg; sound, plagiarism, age restrictions
My idea is copying The Shinings most notorious scenes however it is transformative
enough to avoid plagiarism. Due to violent scenes, the video will not be allowed to be
shown to children, which would be expected when remaking The Shining. The song also
features swearing so children wont be allowed to watch this.
The song is copyrighted so I must get the rights to use it, if I contact the legal department
at Rhymesayers then hopefully they will allow me to use the song.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Use of possible formats

Circle which of the following formats your animation will take;
stop-frame techniques
time lapse photography
plasticine animation
Claymation
using found objects
modelling
puppetry
combined formats

Why are you using that particular format?

I think that this format can create some bizarre visuals that match the nature of the song.

What are the different possibilities you could explore using this format?
I think a large range of possibilities are opened to me if I use this format. I can create
anything out of anything. I can make the video look cheap and professional. I can create
some bizarre realistic effects which will be even more effective when accompanied with the
cheap style.

What are the limitations of using this format? (i.e what problems/ obstacles might you
have?)
I dont really have any limitations because I can make anything out of anything. The only
limitation would be making it look great/professional, but thats the look Im going for. The
only limitation Ill find would be trying to make things. Plastercine models are also easy to
break when positioning them.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

What imaginative or inventive animations have you seen which use this format?
Add in links and screen shots of three examples of animations using this format.

This videos cheap and bizarre

look matches the style that Im
looking for. Its realistic
sculptures mixed with its cheap
background is exactly the style
Im looking for. However, the
lighting and tone is too bright
for what Im doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NgRiVb38p0

The cheap aesthetic and dark

tone matches the look Im using
for my production. The video is
more violent than my
production but the idea of
combining a film with in this
case cats helped inspire my
idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_z3EBalwI4&t=73s

This animations fast and quirky

movement combined with its
wool aesthetic is the type of
look I want for my production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPnwaNp_x80

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Subject
What will the subject of your animation be?
My animation will be a short retelling of Stanly Kubricks The Shinning interwoven with
classic fairy tales.

Storyline
Describe the storyline of your animation. What events will happen to your characters?
The video will start off with the woodcutter driving his children to the middle of nowhere to
dump them off. After being abandoned the children follow the breadcrumb trail and stop at
The Shining hotel. They are invited in by a witch which forces Gretel to do housework and
tries to fatten up Hansel. Due to the isolation of the hotel the witch goes insane and tries to
kill them both. The woodcutter comes back to save them but is axed down by the witch. The
children escape into the snow and the witch chases after them being left frozen in the snow.

Characters
What characters will be in your animation?
The Woodcutter-a muscular, poor man which makes a living from cutting wood.
The Witch-a struggling writer/witch that looks after an isolated hotel for the winter. She is old
and brittle.
Hansel and Gretel-two young children which are kicked out by their father for financial
purposes.
The Two Pigs-two little girls who previously stayed at the hotel and were killed by their
father, appears as visions from Hansel.
Pinocchio-the bartender vision from the witch, dark and disturbed. He is responsible for
setting the witch on the children.
Red Riding Hood and The Wolf-visions from Gretel as she attempts to escape the witch.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Complete the character profiles for each character in your animation

Name:
M/F:
Age
Costume:

The Witch
Female
43
Black Witch Hat, Red Jacket, Blue Checkered Shirt, Brown Chinos,
Black Witch Shoes

Occupation:
Writer, Witch
Character
Background:

Name:
M/F:
Age
Costume:

Looking after hotel for the winter, practices witchcraft.

Gretel
Female
7
Green and brown rags

Occupation:
N/A
Character
Background:

Sister of Hansel, daughter of Woodcutter

Name:
M/F:
Age
Costume:

Hansel
Male
7
Red and blue rags

Occupation:
N/A
Character
Background:

Brother of Gretel, son of Woodcutter

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Add in images and drawings/ sketches of what they will look like.

What will they be made of?

These characters will be made of plastercine, other characters of little relevance will be
made from other objects and items.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Movement of characters

How are you going to make your characters move?

The characters will have a bendable armature built inside them, they will have the ability for
slight movement frame by frame.

What is the purpose of an armature?

The armature is the skeleton of the model. It gives the model its structure and allows them to
move without destruction.

Will you use them for your characters?

I will have to use them if I want to ensure that my characters move freely and smoothly
without crumbling apart.

If so, how will you make it?

I will get some wire from a D.I.Y store and shape it into a humanoid shape. Once Ive done
that I will shape the character around the skeleton.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Mood board
Create a mood board showing what look your animation will have. Add images showing
ideas of mise-en-scene, characters, costumes and colours that will be present in the
different shots.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Sets / backgrounds
Will your set be;

A three wall set

A blue/green screen

An existing location

A Combination of two or more of the above

Draw sketches of how your sets/backgrounds will look. Add in labels to your diagrams and
details of locations / lighting etc.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Add in photographs of your sets/backgrounds.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Audio and Soundtrack

What audio will you have for your animation?

Complete the sound list, detailing what sounds you will use, where you will source them,
what equipment you will need to record them and when you will use them in your animation.
You will need to design your own soundtrack. You cannot use copyrighted music, and it
must be more than simply adding a track.

What actions will need sound effects?

Think of the scenes in your animation. Each scene should have different sounds/music to
give information about the mood / emotions of the characters.

Sound Table
Production Name: Aesop Rock Mystery Fish Music Video
Producer: Sam Turnbull

Action

Description
of Sound

Diegetic/non/diegetic

Atmosphere
created

Music

Whole
Video

Music

Non-diegetic

Bizarre,
Strange

Aesop Rock
Mystery Fish

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Props List
What props / models / furniture etc will you need to make your animation?
PROPS LIST
Production Name:
Producer: Sam Turnbull

Item

Scene

Description

Character/location Notes

Car

Opening shot

Cheap
looking, old
70s style
piece of junk

The lake

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumb
trail

Trail of
breadcrumbs
that leads our
heroes to he
hotel

The woods/The
hotel

Typewriter

Inside the
hotel

An old
typewriter with
a sheet of
paper that
reads all work
and no play
makes jack a
dull boy

The hotel

Broom

Inside the
hotel

A raged
broom used to
sweep the
hotel

Gretel

Assortment of
foods

Inside the
hotel

Assortment of
fatty foods
used to fatten
up Hansel

Hansel

Tricycle

Elevator of
blood

The tricycle
used by
Hansel when
he is
confronted by
the twin pigs

Hansel

The trail goes past

the hotel

This appears twice,

when Gretel is
cleaning and when
The Witch attacks
Gretel on the stairs

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Axe

Witch goes
crazy through
to end

A fire axe the

witch uses to
try and kill the
children and
successfully
kills the
Woodcutter
with.

Witch

Knife

Witch goes
crazy

Bread knife
that Gretel
finds to fend
the witch off
with

Gretel

Snow truck

End

A specialized
car used to
travel through
the snow

Snow maze

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Audience
Define the following characteristics of your audience;
Gender
Male and Female

Age
16+

Interests
Unique visuals, the abnormal, something different.

What forms of animation might they already watch?

Any

What images do you think they enjoy watching?

Bizarre, unique, strange, abnormal

What might they consider distasteful or offensive?

Racism, a recent terrorist attack, violence against children

How will you ensure that your animation will suit your chosen audience?
I have based it around other work from Aesop Rock so Im sure that if they appreciated
music videos that are abnormal then Im sure theyll find mine suitable.

How will they physically watch your animation? (i.e in an exhibition format, on screen,
projection, online?)
Online

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Storyboard
Complete a storyboard for your animation.
Think carefully about the shots you will be using. Consider the range of shots/angles
to give interest and perspective

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Frame Rates
What is the duration of your animation in minutes? (minimum 30 seconds)
3:12
In seconds?
192

How many frames per second for video?

16fps/24fps

There are 60 seconds in a minute. How many frames (ie. Individual photos) will you
need to take?
3072/4608

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Lighting Design

Where will you be photographing your animation?

Most of the animation will be shot in a studio in a doll house or shoebox. Most scenes will be
shot outside.

Does it have natural daylight?

Yes, but I will be using it with available lighting.

If so, you will need to block this out. Explain why.

I wont need to block out the daylight because I will use it in scenes of the video.

Do you have a constant light source(s) such as a lamp?

I will have access to studio lighting such as read heads and various lamps.

Where will you place your light source(s) to create interesting effects?
It will depend on the shot where I put the light, I will try to replicate The Shining as much as
possible so I will replicate the lighting produced in that.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

(LO3)

Frame numbers
You will need to label your images as frames
The first 24 frames will be written as;
0_1
0_2 etc etc

the following 24 will be

1_1
1_2
1_3
Ensure your clips are labeled as such. Screen shot the folder your clips are in, and copy the
image underneath.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Dope sheets
A dope sheet is an animation tool which helps a animator organise the animation shot-byshot.
This gives the camera operator instructions on each shot type and how many frames this will
be used for.
A dope sheet is usually split into 5 different sections.

To indicate what action occurs on which frame number

To see what action is happening in this shot.
To see what dialogue used in this scene.
To show what level of animation is happening.
To give camera instructions (angle).

For example;

Because you will be working with video, you will be using 30fps. You will need to complete a
dope sheet for EVERY SECOND of your animation.
i.e, if you make a 30 second animation, you will need to complete 30 dope sheets.
This will be a time-consuming task, but it will help you understand what will need to
happen in each of the shots you take. The higher marks will come from a detailed and
careful collection of dope sheets. For example, if your characters speaks, you will need to
show the mouth forming every shape in order to look effective.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Frame
0_1
0_2
0_3
0_4
0_5
0_6
0_7
0_8
0_9
0_10
0_11
0_12
0_13
0_14
0_15
0_16
0_17
0_18
0_19
0_20
0_21
0_22
0_23
0_24
0_25
0_26
0_27
0_28
0_29
0_30

Path of action

Dialogue /
Soundtrack cue

Animation

Camera
instructions

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Frame
1_1
1_2
1_3
1_4
1_5
1_6
1_7
1_8
1_9
1_10
1_11
1_12
1_13
1_14
1_15
1_16
1_17
1_18
1_19
1_20
1_21
1_22
1_23
1_24
1_25
1_26
1_27
1_28
1_29
1_30

Path of action

Dialogue /
Soundtrack cue

Animation

Camera
instructions

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Frame
2_1
2_2
2_3
2_4
2_5
2_6
2_7
2_8
2_9
2_10
2_11
2_12
2_13
2_14
2_15
2_16
2_17
2_18
2_19
2_20
2_21
2_22
2_23
2_24
2_25
2_26
2_27
2_28
2_29
2_30

Path of action

Dialogue /
Soundtrack
cue

Animation

Camera
instructions

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Copy and paste as many dope sheets as you need. Remember to change the frame
numbering so that the first number refers to the second of animation ie, 1_24 is the 24th
frame of the first second, 3_17 is the 17th frame of the 3rd second.

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Liaising with client (write notes on discussions between you and your client)