19 April, 2010

Media Production in the Warmth and Comfort of Home


(making of film of a Belgium natural gas advert, the advert is shown at the end of the film)

Stop-motion animation is one of my favourite forms of filmmaking. When I was working in schools, it was the sort of project that children “get” right away. It doesn’t matter whether they are grade 2 students or grade 13 students, you explain the basics and off they go. What is so transparently unique about stop-motion is how a simple idea (e.g. warmth means wool) can be translated into a charming story.

Many children tell extremely complex stories that are often unintelligible to their listeners or readers if they are given free reign of their imagination. Stop-motion storytelling is most effective way of slicing the storyline down.



Take a look at the video above if you want to see how making a very simple stop-motion film allowed this young fellow, Pep, start creating media rather than just consuming it. This is the sort of media production educators (principals, teachers, and parents alike) should be encouraging their students to do.

For a detailed and interesting analysis of what Pep is saying in the film, please go to this post of Henry Jenkin’s Confessions of an Aca-Fan blog.

I’ve published numerous stop-motion animations in the past, so I won’t bore you with any more. If you want to know more about how to make your own stop-motion, please go to this post at makeuseof.com.

4 comments:

  1. Simply marvelous. I cheered and laughed at the magic of the ad. I was astounded at the creativity of Pep. Astounded by the reach of his brain and the amazing way he thinks of technology. I feel old.

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  2. Maggie, Pep really is part of another generation. It makes me question educators and parents who boycott the use of media rather than try to instruct youths about the constructive and creative uses of digital media.

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  3. Great stuff, indeed!! And yes, generational too. Our youngest for example became a web designer at thirteen, all on her own... sigh.

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  4. Marja-Leena, 13 and a web designer, good for her... she must have your artistic talent.

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