Stop Motion Animation Preproduction Booklet

Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet
Pre-Production Booklet for Animation

Name: Ally Colquhoun
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
LO3
Frame Numbers
Dope Sheets
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.
Planning
Brainstorm / mind map (add extra pages if necessary)
Attach a 400 word treatment of your idea
My story is about one character called Ralph who is on a mission to

find his friend Jake around his hometown of bubblesville. Whilst
looking for his friend he comes across 2 separate characters that
he asks for help from, Jessie and Tom, and by the end of the story
he does find his friend Jake. The moral of the story is to use your
manners e.g your pleases and thank yous, to make people around
you happy and to get help from others when you need it. When
Ralph is looking for Jake he first comes across Tom who is just
walking down the street. Ralph asks for help from Tom however he
is very rude and does not say please or show any manners, this
upsets and angers Tom and he makes up and excuse and walks
away. This confuses Ralph but the narration that Ralph can also
hear explains that Tom is upset and dismissive is because Ralph
didnt use his manners and explains how using manners will make
people happy and willing to help you out. After learning this Ralph
goes on again to try and find his friend Jake. Whilst he is looking
again he comes across Jessie who is sat down and asks for her
help. When asking for her help he uses his manners and says
please which makes Jessie very happy and willing to help Ralph
out. Jessie gets up and goes to help Ralph out whilst the narrator
explains that Jessie is helping due to Ralph using his manners.
Ralph and Jessie search for Jake until they do find him and Ralph
thanks Jessie for all her help and this makes her very happy and
she leaves with a smile on her face. Ralph then explains to Jake
that using manners is a must and helps you out aswell as making
the people around you happy and then the credits roll onto the
screen.
How will you meet the requirements of your brief?

I am meeting the requirements of the brief by including narration throughout to help

get the message across to the characters and the audience, by using a simple
storyline so the audience of 3-8 year olds can follow it, using a soundtrack in the
background when the main character is walking and making characters that appeal to
both genders as they are fun looking plasticine models.
Risk assessment: Are there any health and safety issues you may encounter?
One thing that is a health and safety issue is the lighting I will use as it may overheat
and the wires running from it may cause a trip hazard. I will avoid this by taping all
wires to the fall and making sure anyone around is aware where the potential trip
hazards are.
Discuss any legal issues you may face. Eg; sound, plagiarism, age restrictions
The main legal issue I will face is with the music/soundtrack I will be using in the
production that is not mine my own soundtrack however I will be able to avoid this by
emailing for permission to use the audio.
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 am using this format as it allows me to create models freely that can move realistically and
look however I want.
What are the different possibilities you could explore using this format?
Using plastacine as my format for animation it opens up endless possibilities when creating
an animation.
What are the limitations of using this format? (i.e what problems/ obstacles might you
have?)
I might not be able to make the exact creation that I want due to it being rather difficult to
make but I will be able to still make it look presentable and have a professional feel. I may
also struggle
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.
One example of animation that uses the plastacine animation format is Morph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqL-ob0J5Bo
Subject
What will the subject of your animation be?
The subject for my animation is morals that children should learn, this particular animation is
about having manners for others which is important as it makes others around you feel
happy aswell as making friends and people being more willing to help you in life.
Storyline
Describe the storyline of your animation. What events will happen to your characters?
Ralph is the main character in the story who is looking for his friend Jake. Whilst he is
looking he comes across Tom who he is very rude towards and uses no manners which
makes Tom not want to help. The narrator then explains that Ralph gets no help due to him
using no manners and he carries on his journey to find Jake. He then comes across Jessie
and asks for help, this time using his manners he has just learnt and is pleasantly surprised
when Jessie willingly helps him out. With Jessies help they find Jake.
Characters
What characters will be in your animation?
There will be 4 characters in my animation:
-the main character Ralph who is searching for his friend
-an additional character Jake who is the friend that Ralph is looking for
-an additional character Tom whom Ralph asks for help from but Ralph uses no manners
with leaving Tom upset and angry after their encounter
-an additional character Jessie whom Ralph asks for help from and Ralph uses his manners
with making her willing to help and she ends up feeling happy.
Complete the character profiles for each character in your animation
Name:
Ralph
M/F:
Male
Age
Costume:
No costume but is a blue bear
Occupation:
Student at a primary school.
Hobbies:
Swimming and watching television and films.
Character
Background:
Ralph is a happy go lucky character whos best friend is Jake. He is

well liked by everyone however he has not learnt the lesson of
manners.
Name:
Jake
M/F:
Male
Age
Costume:
No costume however is a grey elephant
Occupation:
Student at a primary school
Hobbies:
Going on adventures and athletes.
Character
Background:
Jake has grown up with Ralph always being his best friend. He is a
happy person who cares for everyone and is liked by all.

Name:
Tom
M/F:
Male
Age
17
Costume:
No costume however is a green and brown turtle
Occupation:
Student at a high school
Hobbies:
Playing games
Character
Background:
Tom is a great guy and easy to get along with however, like most
people, however he gets very easily offended if someone is rude to
him.
Name:
Jessie
M/F:
Female
Age
17
Costume:
No costume however the character is all orange
Occupation:
Student at a high school
Hobbies:
Charity work
Character
Background:
Jessie is everyones best friend and always puts others needs

before her own, she does a lot of charity work and will help teach
people new things if there is an opportunity to.

Add in images and drawings/ sketches of what they will look like.
What will they be made of?

The characters for my production are all going to be made of plasticine.
Movement of characters
How are you going to make your characters move?

I am going to make the characters move simply by moving and reshaping the plastacine I
have aswell as using an armature as its skeleton.
What is the purpose of an armature?

An armature is used as a skeleton for the characters that are made to make them have a
realistic feel to their movements and gives them a structure to their body.
Will you use them for your characters?

I will use an armature for all my models as it isnt much effort or hard to make and it gives off
a more professional result and keeps the plastacine and models more steady and secure
when shooting.
If so, how will you make it?

I will make the armature by using armature wire and making a skeleton stick man with it and
then modelling the plastacine around the armature.
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.
Ralph
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.

Add in photographs of your sets/backgrounds.
Audio and Soundtrack

What audio will you have for your animation?
I will be using this music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd4j9osCNT4 for my animation
as sounds to fill silence in the background. I will also be using this music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAYA4uK44f8 for the intro of my 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:
Producer:
Shot
Action
Description
of Sound
Diegetic/non/diegetic
Atmosphere
created
All
shots
All actions
Soundtrack
for my
animation
played on a
ukulele
Non diegetic
Happy / fun
atmosphere
All
shots
All actions
Narration of
each
character
Non diegetic
Various
atmospheres
depending on
what is being
said
Shot
8
Turtle
talking to
the bear
and
walking off
screen
A trombone
which pitch
lowers and
tempo slows
Diegetic
Sad
atmosphere
for the turtle
Props List

What props / models / furniture etc will you need to make your animation?
PROPS LIST
Production Name:
Producer: Ally Colquhoun
Item
Script page
Description
Character/location
The
characters
All pages
Ralph, Tom,
Jessie and Jake
made from
plastacine.
All characters all

locations
Notes
Audience
Define the following characteristics of your audience;
Gender
Female and Male
Age
8 years and younger
Interests
The target audience will stereotypically enjoy going out with their friends, watching television
shows, in particular cartoons, and playing video games such as Mario. They will also enjoy
creating things and playing with Barbies if they are girls and Lego if they are male.
What forms of animation might they already watch?

They will already watch films that use computer animation such as all the Disney and Pixar
films. They will also watch television shots that use computer animation such as SpongeBob
and Fairy Odd Parents. Children also watch television shows that use plastacine animation
like Shaun The Sheep.
What images do you think they enjoy watching?

The audience will enjoy watching cartoons and shows with actors in, playing video games,
reading comics and magazines and watching films.
What might they consider distasteful or offensive?

The audience wont find anything offensive or distasteful as the content isnt rude and the
children are too young to take any real offense to anything. They would however get hurt is
you hurt one of the characters as they will very easily form an attachment to all characters.
How will you ensure that your animation will suit your chosen audience?
I will do this by making the characters that I am using very colourful and not too complex, by
using the set of a basic outside which is simple and repeatable to the audience and the
storyline is going have a moral in it which helps them learn aswell as entertaining them.
How will they physically watch your animation? (i.e in an exhibition format, on screen,
projection, online?)
My animation will be available on YouTube and on my website
www.cmpalexandracolquhoun.weebly.com and Viibe productions where there will be the
whole animated series.
Storyboard
Frame Rates
What is the duration of your animation in minutes? (minimum 30 seconds)
0:32 minutes
In seconds?
32.2 seconds
How many frames per second for video?

13 fps
There are 60 seconds in a minute. How many frames (ie. Individual photos) will you
need to take?
I will need to take 416 frames for my 32 second animation
Lighting Design
Where will you be photographing your animation?

In the studio
Does it have natural daylight?

No
If so, you will need to block this out. Explain why.

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

Yes I can use small lamps or larger filming lamps
Where will you place your light source(s) to create interesting effects?
I will place 2 main light sources, one pointing more towards the left of the set and the other
facing more towards the right of the set.
(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.
Dope sheets
A dope sheet is an animation tool which helps a animator organise the animation shot-by-

shot.
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.
Frame
Path of action
Dialogue /
Soundtrack cue
Animation
Camera
instructions

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
Frame
Path of action
Dialogue /
Soundtrack cue
Animation
Camera
instructions

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
Frame
Path of action
Dialogue /
Soundtrack
Animation
Camera

cue
instructions
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

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.

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

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Stop Motion Animation Pre-production Booklet

Pre-Production Booklet for Animation

Mind maps of ideas

Format of your animation

Subject and storyline

Character notes and profiles

Audio and soundtrack

Storyboard and script (add script to booklet)