The document provides instructions for creating a claymation animation project. It outlines the 7 key steps: 1) developing a story concept, 2) creating a storyboard, 3) designing a background, 4) designing characters, 5) taking photos, 6) importing photos into animation software to add effects, and 7) sharing the finished animation. Tips are provided for each step, such as using simple storyboards for younger students and ensuring characters are the proper size. Examples of both good and bad characters and backgrounds are displayed.

1. Claymation Tips and Instructions Adapted by Sandra Hines and Mary Tune from PPT created by Stephanie Foster Little Elm ISD

2. Lunch Options 1 ½ hour lunch as planned Shorter lunch 30 min… 45 min… Come and go lunch (Instructors stay and work with anyone here)

3. Enduring Understanding Technology, when used as a natural part of an integrated lesson in the content areas, increases student motivation and allows for creative outlets.

4. Essential Questions Is the frustration of using technology worth the effort? How can technology be used to effectively assess student knowledge of a concept?

5. What is Claymation? Claymation, or Clay Animation, uses clay figures to illustrate a story or concept and computer software to animate the still photographs of the clay figures. Examples Tech4Learning Wichita State University

6. Why do an animation? An animation is a great way to assess knowledge of grade level reading, math, science, or social studies TEKS. It is fun, your students will love the project. It brings out creativeness in your students that you would not imagine.

7. Materials Needed Your imagination Storyboard Digital Cameras Materials for a background Materials for characters Computer PhotoStory3, PowerPoint or Animation and Movie Software

8. Steps to Creating an Animation Step One – Come up with a Story Concept Step Two – Create a Storyboard Step Three - Design and create the background Step Four - Design and create the characters Step Five – Take the pictures Step Six – Create the Animation Step Seven - Share

9. Step One Come up with a story or concept. Use your imagination! Examples: the water cycle, long division, fractions, a scene from a play or story you are studying Solution to a problem The story is the most important part of the claymation project! Project Planner Sheet

10. Step Two Create a storyboard. Storyboards don’t have to be detailed. They just need to show the overall concept of the animation. Storyboards can be simple pictures or words, or a combination of both. The more you include in your storyboard, the easier it will be to create your characters.

11. Storyboard Software Kidspiration or Inspiration Storyboard Pro (free software download) with tutorials

12. Storyboard Example for older students: PT3 Example and explanation

13. Storyboards for younger students: A simple piece of construction paper folded into 6 squares works perfect as a storyboard . Create a concept map or flow chart showing the sequence of the story.

14. Storyboard Example Example taken from http://library.thinkquest.org/22316/start.html

15. Step Three Design and create your background Materials needed: Construction Paper Markers or Crayons Glue Cardboard Boxes Cotton balls

16. You want your characters and their actions to be the focus of your animation, not what is behind them. Background Tip

17. Make sure your background is not so large that it makes your characters seem too small. A large size piece of construction paper is plenty big. A box that reams of paper comes in is perfect. Background Tip

18. 3-D additions to your background make your animation more appealing. A box and a downward camera angle are great ways to add depth to your animation. Pop ups on your background are also great ways to add depth. Background Tip

19. EXAMPLES of GREAT BACKGROUNDS!

27. Step Four Design and create characters Create a lightweight armature out of pipe cleaners or wire, styrofoam, and aluminum foil ( PT3 example) Cover the armature with a thin “skin” of clay TIP… put magnets in their feet and use a cookie sheet for a floor

28. Materials you will definitely need! Clay Pipe Cleaners: they allow your body to bend. Foil: wrap your character in foil to add thickness, strength, and to help the clay stick. Styrofoam Balls: great for head or feet.

29. Extra Materials Popsicle sticks Pompoms Erasers Yarn or string Toothpicks Stick on Eyes Scissors Plastic Spoons or Knives

30. Make sure that your characters are 1 and a half to three inches tall. Characters that are too tall will not stand up. Character Tip

31. Good Characters These characters are not too tall and they are very detailed. Built and designed by a third grader and a fifth grader.

32. Good Characters These characters are perfect size and very detailed. Designed and created by a 5 th grade resource student with the help of a first grader.

33. Good Characters Spongebob is a great character. The materials that he was made of caused him to be top heavy. The creator compensated by placing something behind him to support the weight.

34. Good characters

35. Not So Good Character This character is not very detailed, as you can see it has no mouth. It is also a little bit too tall.

36. Not So Good Character This character is too small. It is also not covered with clay. It is unappealing to the eye.

37. Not So Good Character This character is not very well put together. It is not completely covered in clay It appears very sloppy.

38. Step Five Take the pictures Set up your camera Use good lighting Practice Shoot

39. Make sure your camera is on the correct setting. Setting mega-pixels too low will make the pictures appear blurry or distorted. Setting mega-pixels too high will cause your animation to be too large unless you edit the picture files. Today we will be using 2 mega-pixels. Camera Tips

40. Make sure you have a stable surface for the camera to sit on, such as a tripod. It is important that your camera does not move at all during the making of your animation. Find a well lighted place in the room or mount a lamp directed toward the set. Make markings where the camera goes. Camera Tips

41. If your camera only has digital zoom, do not zoom, simply place camera for best angle and picture. If you are using a camera with floppy disk, you might need multiple disks. Number the floppy disk to keep your pictures in order. Camera Tips

42. Set up the background and characters and do a practice run before you begin taking pictures. Move the characters about a half an inch at a time. 30 to 70 pictures make a great animation. Use your run through to test this. Camera Tips

43. Elevate the camera to get the best shots of your animation. One person should be in charge of holding the camera still and taking the pictures. Another person should be in charge of moving the characters. Camera Tips

44. Camera Placement Good example

59. Not so good example Camera Placement

73. Ms. Bilbrey saves the day!!

74. She is my HERO (and favorite principal!!)

75. Retake the picture. When you start to insert pictures in PhotoStory 3 or PowerPoint, simply skip the picture you don’t want to use. Insert the good picture. What if I take a bad picture?

76. Some cameras require you to finalize the disk you are using. (Sony Mavica w/ CD) Use the Setup function of the camera to finalize the disk. Research your camera’s functions to find out the requirements needed to retrieve pictures. Camera Tips Some cameras require you to finalize the disk you are using. (Sony Mavica w/ CD) Use the Setup function of the camera to finalize the disk. Research your camera’s functions to find out the requirements needed to retrieve pictures.

77. Step Six Import your pictures into PhotoStory 3 or PowerPoint Add voice, word bubbles or different accents Set up the timing for each picture Add music if desired Sit back and watch your creation

78. Transferring Images – Camera To Computer Create a folder on your desktop. Right Click on the desktop, choose NEW and select FOLDER . Name the folder ANIMATION PICS.

79. Remove your floppy disk/ CDRW from the camera Place it in the drive on your computer. Double click on the My Computer Icon on the Desktop of your computer. Find the removable device that you are using A: drive for a floppy and D: drive for a CDRW.

80. Double-click on the disk or drive icon to open it. Then, navigate to the folder containing your images and open it.

81. From this folder click on the Edit menu and choose Select All.

82. Click Edit on the menu again and choose Copy. Close this window down Open the Animation Pics folder on your desktop . Click Edit on the menu and select Paste This will copy your pictures from your disk to your folder.

83. Importing Pictures in PowerPoint Open up PowerPoint and start with a slide that has Title and Text layout.

84. Importing Pictures in PowerPoint Click on the menu Insert, choose Picture , New Photo Album Navigate to the picture folder on the computer Select your first picture and hold down the shift key and select the last picture, then select File/Disk

85. Importing Pictures continued Move through all the pictures to make adjustments Picture Layout should be set to “Fit to Slide Select Create when ready

86. All the pictures should be in PowerPoint and sized it to fit the whole screen.

87. Adding Word Bubbles Use the Drawing Toolbar at the bottom of the screen Click on AUTOSHAPES/ CALLOUTS Point to your slide and draw on the word bubble shape

89. Setting the Timing Click on Slideshow and select Slide Transition.

90. Setting the Timing Using the Task Pane on the right, check off Automatically after Set the timing to 0 seconds or 1 second (You may want to increase the time, if you added a lot of text) Click Apply to All Slides

91. Examples of Animations! Lights Camera Action

92. NOW, LETS GET STARTED!!

93. Step One Come up with a story or concept you would like to animate. Some examples are: the water cycle, long division, fractions, a scene from a play or story you are studying Use your imagination, there are no limits to what you can come up with.

94. Step Two Create a storyboard. Storyboards don’t have to be detailed. They just need to show the overall concept of the animation. Storyboards can be simple pictures or words, or a combination of both.

95. Step Three Design and create your background.

96. Step Four Build your characters.

97. Step Five Set up your camera (remember lighting) Practice Shoot

98. Step Six Import your pictures into PhotoStory 3 Add voice or different accents Set up the timing of the animation Sit back and watch your creation

99. TIME TO SHARE Tell us what the idea of your animation was. Show your animation Tell us your likes and dislikes about your final project.

100. Tips and Tricks The first time you do an animation with your students, let them have fun with it. Don’t set to many expectations. Just let them use their imaginations.

101. Time Required Depends on how prepared you and your students are. First timers: 1 to 2 days (weeks?) Experienced animators who know exactly what they want to achieve: no longer than a day.

102. How To Create Clay Animation in 5 Easy Steps Clay Animation Made Easy The Clay Animation Station Clay GIF Animation Tech4Learning Clay Animation Contact Information Web Resources