[Request] What equipment do I need to make a stop moton film?

[jakshep3]

What Equipment do I need to make a stop moton film??
what cameras etc. would i need?
thanks, jakshep3

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Depends on how long the film you want to make is, what you want to make it in, how you intend to view it, and how you intend to distribute it.

Got any answers for those?

[Tapewolf]

Traditionally you would use a 16mm camera, apparently Mitchell or Bolex are still the most popular.  An alternative is a C-format VTR such as the Ampex VPR-3 since they have perfect frame-advance.  IIRC, Breaking The Ice was done this way.  I don't think you can get 196 tape anymore though.  16mm stock is still readily available, however - e.g. http://www.protape.co.uk

I used to do animation with a VHS machine, but the results were less than stellar.  That said, I might put them up on youtube for people to laugh at if I can dig out the tape.

These days you could probably do well with any digital camera that can stream video into a PC and some kind of frame capture/assembly program.  You could probably use any decent video editing software.

[Fuyudenki]

To be polite and answer the question, any camera will do, provided you've got a way to move the resultant images into an animation.  I've done stop-motion animation with a webcam, and more impressively, a standard Super-8 camcorder.  You just record very, very short periods of time.

To be less polite, if you have to ask what you need, I don't think you've got the brains for it.

[Tapewolf]

I've done stop-motion animation with a webcam, and more impressively, a standard Super-8 camcorder.

Can you clarify that?  Super-8 is 8mm cine film, a camcorder is videotape... If it's not film you may have meant video-8 or Hi-8...

[Fuyudenki]

er... yes, Video-8.

The camera was several years old at the time.  It no longer exists, because it died, so I took it apart to see how it works.  Otherwise, I'd check the model number.  Sony, something.

[RobbieThe1st]

Well, all you really need is a regular digital camera, and a gif animation program. Microsoft Gif Animator, which is free, will work fine for this purpose.
Also, you need *lots* of time.
This way, its easy to change the amount of time per frame, but you are limited by 256 colors per frame.
On the up side, the output will display in just about any browser. I have seen lego animations and such done in this way.

-RobbieThe1st

[Jigsaw Forte]

Why not just do it in flash and set up the 'puppets' in that?

[RobbieThe1st]

Why not just do it in flash and set up the 'puppets' in that?

Erm... Because its a good idea? 

Also, it is probably because everyone here is bound and determined to do it the old fashioned way, as a proper stop motion film and we cannot use any of these newfangled 'digital' thingies doing that!   



-RobbieThe1st

[jakshep3]

Raist, i know what is needed to make a stop-motion film, but i want to know WHAT TYPE. i'm not stupid, i have more than enough potential to make one of these films. i believe quark express is good for animation, but it's incrdibly expensive.

[Tapewolf]

i believe quark express is good for animation, but it's incrdibly expensive.

Er, QuarkXpress is a DTP application for assembling print magazines.  To the best of my knowledge it can't handle video in any way...

[Fuyudenki]

Raist, i know what is needed to make a stop-motion film, but i want to know WHAT TYPE. i'm not stupid, i have more than enough potential to make one of these films. i believe quark express is good for animation, but it's incrdibly expensive.

knowing "what type" is part of knowing what is needed.  Also, based on Tapewolf's response, you fail.

Windows Movie Maker can be used, there are several Gif assemblers which can be used, there's VirtualDub, which is freeware, but can't open .wmv files.

Any given digital camera will do for making stop-motion.  In fact, any camera will suffice, provided you can get the images into your computer, somehow.  Using a Polaroid camera and scanning each photograph may be ugly, but it will work.