ANIMATED STORYTELLING: CHARACTERS IN STOP-MOTION
Ages 16-24
Fall 2017, JHU-MICA Film Center
In this animation workshop, fellows will learn action-based storytelling, creating characters with well-defined desires, and exploring how to set these characters in conflict with each other and with their environments. Fellows will experiment with stop-motion in claymation and pixilation as they learn to move their figures through space, exploiting real and animated settings and props. They’ll learn the principles of story design, and how to balance personal expressiveness with the demands of effective narrative. The workshop will include a brief history of animation, with short screenings of sample works. Fellows will be exposed to a variety of styles, cultures, and techniques for inspiration, but will ultimately draw from their own experiences and their own imaginations in creating their animated worlds. In a series of weekly in-class assignments, they’ll sharpen their powers of observation and their senses of timing and motion. They’ll also learn the basics of sound recording and editing. While fellows will work independently on individual projects, they’ll work together as a group to analyze screened animated films and to review and constructively critique each other’s animations. Each fellow will create a final project to be shared at a program event and on the program website. Limited to 9 student fellows.
Zoe Friedman is a multimedia installation artist. She loves to explore, travel, and collaborate, and has created art projects all over the world. She holds an MFA from MICA and is proud to call Baltimore home.
Les Gray studies Cinematic Arts at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and hopes to inspire the community that inspired her.
