by Wendy Croix
wendy.croix@animationschoolreview.com
Animation School Review Columnist

A brief history of stop motion animation would include military training films as well as early special effects for B films like It Came from Beneath the Sea or Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. The fifties fantasy spectacular brought living color to stop motion animation techniques, training audiences to expect the wonders of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad—from the one-eyed Cyclops to the snake-haired Medusa. Now the wonders are back for a whole new generation of viewers, so new generations of animation school students are learning classic stop motion techniques.

Stop Action Animation Training

If you want to create the next Chicken Run or Curse of the Were-Rabbit, then head for animation school. Your stop motion courses will teach you more than just puppet making. You’ll learn to create sets for those puppets, and you’ll learn how to make them use props. You’ll photograph your animation characters, too, so good camera training is a must. Whether you’re mold-making or sculpting, your stop motion animation school training will give you lots of hands-on experience.

An Animation School Graduate’s Story

Oscar nominated animator Shane Acker has two master’s degrees—in architecture and in animation. Like so many animation school graduates trying to break into the business, he mastered the art of the short film. Fortunately, his animation school gave him access to some of the early stop motion animated films—and it gave him the training that lead to his “post-apocalyptic” film “9,” recognition by the Academy, and a sale to Universal.

Sources:

“Cartoon Character: Shane Acker,” by Edward Carreon
InternetMovieDatabase

About the Author

Wendy Croix is a movie fanatic and former university professor who loves Ray Harryhausen movies.