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today I am putting my research into canva. this will be the research writing

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I could have been a little more focused but i accomplished my goal by getting my story board halfway done. I also learned about different shots and angles.

learning goals were learn more about camera angles and shots.

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I should use the proper types of music to bring out the specific characters or locations.

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Red=thoughts
Blue=Research

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even though today was a very focused work day, i never got bored and learned a lot more about the annotated bibliography part of our projects. i never got off topic or distracted. i tried to avoid multitasking.

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If I use Mike Doyle's techniques for adding small details, mix them with Vesa Lhetimaki's photography techniques to add a specific atmosphere for my film, and plug that into stop motion studio, how Will my projects turn out? will I have to substitute any techniques or ideas for something simpler?

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Don't be a n00b! Apply these techniques and your animated films will be better, get more likes, and amaze your audience.

Animation Flicker

A lot of stop motion films suffer from flicker issues. If you're experiencing this, check two things:

Is the camera auto-exposure turned on? This is the number-one flicker culprit. Auto-exposure automatically brightens the camera image if the environment becomes dark, which is every time your hand moves in front of the camera. When the camera tries to compensate by making the image brighter, you see flicker in the frames when they're played back. Turning the auto exposure off fixes this problem.

(Here's a video which shows how to turn off a webcam's auto exposure with the AMCAP application).

Are there lights behind you? Sometimes your shadow -- which can be almost invisible in a bright room -- becomes very visible when you're taking many pictures of it, and playing the pictures back at 15 FPS. Make sure the only lights in the room are the lights shining directly on the set.

Camera Shake

When you're animating a film with toy characters, like LEGO minifigs, you want the camera to be as still as possible, or move gracefully, like a camera does in a feature film.

What NEVER looks good, is a camera image that's constantly wobbling off-kilter, as the animator bumps it with their sleeve. The best way to avoid this problem is to fasten the camera down with tape, or apply a few rubber bands, strategically.

Some animations made with larger figures, like this Paper Mario animation get away with camera shake, because the action is happening all over the room. But as a general rule, and especially if you're making shorts with minifigs and action figures, you want the camera to stay still.

Low Frame Rate

A lot of new animators post movies they've made with still-cameras. They take a lot of pictures with the camera, then use a program like Windows Movie Maker to import the images, play them back and add sound.
Turn down the volume for this one ;-). Though the filmmaker doesn't explain how the film was made, it looks similar to many films made with still cameras.
The problem with this approach is that Movie Maker (and other applications) limit the speed at which these images are played back. As of now, the fastest frame rate Movie Maker allows is 8 frames per second, (or each frame is held for a duration of 0.125).

The easiest solution to this problem is to use a frame-grabbing application, which allows you to set the frame rate to faster speeds. Pro animators typically work in the 12-24 frames per second range.

Poor Camera Angles

Most of the amateurish films I see could be improved immediately if the camera was closer to the action! Seriously. It doesn't matter how great your camera is, if it looks like the action is happening two city blocks away.

Both of these films feature characters fishing unsuccessfully, but the second is a better film because the animator used a variety of shots to tell the story.

Take your camera off the tripod, and get eye-level with your characters.

Blurry Images

Some cameras have "fixed focus", and cannot focus on objects closer than 8-12 inches. These cameras cannot be used for stop motion, since you're typically animating something that's 3-7 inches away from the lens.

Alternatively, some cameras have automatic focus. These cannot be used (unless the feature can be turned off) because the camera will repeatedly lose focus every time your hand moves into the image.

Use cameras that can focus on objects that are close to the lens, have a manual focus ring, and be prepared to adjust focus often.

No Story
Who says it takes an hour to tell a story? Here's a story in 22 seconds.
Whether your film is one minute, or one hour in length, make sure it has a beginning, a middle and an end. Stopmotion tends to get a free ride in the story department because it JUST LOOKS COOL. Audiences love watching weird stuff come to life. However, if you're serious about filmmaking, your goal should be to create stories that stand alone on their own merits.

In conclusion, the ultimate purpose of avoiding all the mistakes in this post is to make sure the quality of your animation doesn't distract from the story you're telling.
Did you enjoy this post? Learn more about stop motion with the Stopmotion Explosion Animation Kit - a complete animation package!

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6 Stop Motion Beginner Mistakes (and how to avoid them)

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Don't be a n00b! Apply these techniques and your animated films will be better, get more likes, and amaze your audience. Animation Flicker A lot of stop motion films suffer from flicker issues. If you're experiencing this, check two things: Is the camera auto-exposure turned on? This is the number-one flicker culprit.

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Lighting is an essential tool for enhancing the video image. The subtle use of light creates atmosphere and mood, dimension, and texture. It can help to convey a plot line, enhance key elements such as set color or skin tone, and signals the difference between comedy and drama, reality and fantasy.
Hard versus Soft
All lighting falls into either "hard" with sharp and distinct shadows, or "soft" with less defined, softer shadows and fewer background images. The intensity and clarity of the bulb, or its diffusion, combines with placement to design a shooting environment.

Hard light. Aimed directly on its subject, with a brighter single-source illumination. The sun is one example. Other hard light is incandescent, ellipsoidal, and quartz.

Soft light. Diffused, created with less intense lamps that reflect or bounce light off a reflector, a ceiling, or another part of the set. Soft lighting effects are enhanced with scrims, strips, scoops, and banks.

Three-Point Production lighting involves three major lights and their positions in relation to each other (three-point lighting):

Key light. Powerful, bright light that best defines a primary, or key , person or object, creating a deep shadow. It is positioned at roughly a 45-degree angle to the subject being shot.

Fill light(s). Softer light placed at an angle to "fill" any unwanted shadows created by the key light, at about half the key's intensity. It is usually placed opposite the key light at about a 30-degree angle

Back light(s). Throwing light on the subject from behind, it's positioned behind at around a 90-degree angle; it can also be adjusted higher or lower to create other lighting moods. This helps to create an illusion of depth behind the main subject and brings it forward from the background.

High-Key versus Low-Key Lighting
Most TV talk shows, sitcoms, variety shows, musicals, and family entertainment use high-key lighting: a high ratio of key light to fill light. Low-key lighting creates a more dramatic, moody, and textured effect for dramas, documentaries, music videos, and others.
Hot and Cold Lighting
All lights have a color temperature that influences what the camera records:

Daylight (outdoor). The most powerful and brightest light. Daylight is hot and produces a blue tone on video.

Artificial (indoor). Considered cold. On video, it creates a reddish-yellow cast.

Interior and Exterior Lighting
Everything you shoot is either indoors or outdoors. Each light has its advantages and limitations.

Exterior lighting. As you shoot an exterior (outdoor) scene, you may want the spectacular intensity of the sun at high noon. Or, the scene calls for the moody waning light immediately after sunset, known as the magic hour. Each option has its own effect on an exterior scene. However, outdoor shooting can pose real challenges. Along with the sun's continual movement, its degrees of brightness can fluctuate dramatically through the shooting day. When the sun is your key light, it might need to be partially blocked out or augmented by fill lights or back lights. An exterior set can be shot at night but lit to look like daylight, or vice versa.

Interior lighting. Shooting interior (indoor) scenes poses fewer challenges as video cameras and shooting formats become more advanced and lightsensitive. A camera's iris, for example, can play with light and color and go from automatic to manual. This avoids the camera's normal tendency to focus on the best-lit object in the scene.

Both interior and exterior lighting can be adjusted by using reflectors (also called bounce cards ). These are glossy, white lightweight cards in various sizes that reflect light onto an object or actor. Large silks (squares of translucent material) can be strategically hung and positioned to filter the sunlight and maintain lighting consistency. In some cases, a light-filtering paper gel called neutral density (ND) is placed onto windows to keep outside light from being too harsh; in other situations, thick dark velvet curtain material blocks out sunlight entirely.
Excerpt from Producing for TV and New Media: A Real-World Approach for Producers, 3rd Edition by Cathrine Kellison, Dustin Morrow, and Kacey Morrow © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group. All Rights Reserved. Save 20% when ordering from www.focalpress.com. Use discount code FOC20 at checkout. Also available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
Related posts:

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Cathrine Kellison, Dustin Morrow & Kacey Morrow

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Lighting is an essential tool for enhancing the video image. The subtle use of light creates atmosphere and mood, dimension, and texture. It can help to convey a plot line, enhance key elements such as set color or skin tone, and signals the difference between comedy and drama, reality and fantasy.

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template

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template

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mentor and what I'm using to make the videos. 57% of customers gave 5 star reviews.

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main idea: different types of shots are very important.

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A storyboard is one method of planning ahead. By visualizing your shots with a storyboard, you can see how your shots fit together before you've shot a single foot of film or frame of video, which will prevent you from wasting both time and footage. A good storyboard allows you to show your crew what you have in mind, and saves you from trying to convey what you want with wordy explanations and frustrated hand gestures. When you show your Director of Photography (DP) and camera person your boards, they will immediately know what type of shot you need and how to frame the subjects.

While you were learning about filmmaking, paying your dues as a Production Assistant (PA) or other crew member, or even just searching around the Internet, you may have seen elaborately detailed storyboards by professional artists. Boards like those are nice, but you don't need to be a talented artist to storyboard effectively. Even simple stick figures can give people a good idea of what your shot sequence will look like, for example, the illustration in Figure 1.

The example above may be crude, but it's clearly a two-shot with one character closer to the camera. In other words, rudimentary art skills are perfectly fine. What you do need to know, however, is how you're going to frame the subjects of your film. A basic knowledge of camera shots, paired with a few simple perspective tricks, will enable you to map out your scene in an easy-to-read visual shorthand.

The Different Types of Shots

Let's begin with a quick rundown of basic shots and what they look like:

LONG SHOT
Generally speaking, a long shot will include the entire body of the subject or subjects.

MEDIUM SHOT
A medium shot will usually depict your subject anywhere from above the knees and up to just above the waist and up. Remember not to cut off your subjects at the knees, or any other juncture of the body - It looks awkward and poorly composed. Try to frame them just above or below the joint in question.

CLOSEUP
Closeups are where we most often see the emotional content of a scene. They allow us to see the character's faces up close, and thus their state of mind. Close ups are usually framed from the chest up. Occasionally, however, they can be framed from forehead to chin, or will even involve just the subject's eyes. We call this an extreme Closeup.

EXTREME CLOSEUP
ECUs, as they are sometimes written add drama. These shots benefit the most from having a very tight focus. For the most part, they're used sparingly, but a single ECU can add a real punch to a scene.

MASTER SHOT
A quick note about the master shot: this is a term referring to a shot that runs for the length of a scene and shows all of the characters in view. It's the most conservative way of staging a scene. Think of a master shot as being like watching a play from somewhere out in the audience. You see the entire set and where the characters are in relation to each other on the stage. In older films, and multiple-camera productions like sitcoms, scenes often begin with a master shot in order to orient the audience, and all of the rest of the shots in the scene relate back to this shot.

Most single-camera productions don't rely so heavily on the master shot; however, keeping the master shot in mind can help you plan out the rest of your shot list. For example, in a scene depicting a conversation between two people, you may decide to cut to closeups of each person talking, plus an insert shot of an item that they're talking about, and then cut back to the master shot after each one. This is a very basic way of editing a scene. There are also some special shots you might want to use in your storyboard. Here are a couple of examples.

POV
POV, or the point-of-view shot, is just that: it allows the audience to see what's going on through a character's eyes. The easiest way to indicate this is to show a character looking at something, and then cut to what they're looking at from an appropriate angle that makes it look as though the camera is in that character's place. In our storyboard example (see Figure 2), a woman is working at her desk when the family dog enters the frame (A). The woman looks down (B) and sees the dog looking up at her, wagging his tail (C). Notice how the juxtaposition of shots conveys the woman's and dog's POV to the audience.

POV shots tend to be used sparingly, although there have been some films with entire sequences shot from a character's point of view. In fact, the 1947 film noir Lady in the Lake was shot entirely from the POV of the main character.

Depicting Camera Movement

Now that we've talked about some basic shots, let's go over some important camera movements, and ways to depict them on the page:

PAN/TILT
Panning and tilting involves a sideways or up/down rotation of the camera on a tripod or pivotal point. It's one way to put the camera on another subject without cutting to a different shot. It can also be used to follow a character or characters when they're moving within the frame.

A panning shot can be storyboarded by first placing a couple of frames in order to show where the camera will start and where it will end up, and then adding arrows to describe the camera movement. In Figure 3 we see a panning shot for a simple dialogue scene.

As depicted, the camera moves first from one set of characters to the other, then back again. The arrows show the direction of movement.

TRACK
A tracking shot is another way to follow subjects. This type of shot involves moving the entire camera from one place to another, and often follows a moving subject. Tracking can involve moving the camera with tracks or on a dolly, or it can be done handheld.

In Figure 4 the camera follows the mother as she runs. Note the arrow showing the camera direction.

ZOOM
Zooming is a movement of the camera lens as opposed to a movement of the camera itself. Zooming in means adjusting the lens to frame in closer on the subject, while zooming out means the opposite: adjusting the lens to take in more of the scene. (See Figure 5).

The interior frame indicates where the shot begins. As the action proceeds, the camera pulls out, as shown by the arrows. The outside frame shows where the shot finishes - on a wide angle showing the entire room and all the characters in frame.

REVEAL
What if you don't need the camera itself to move, but want to show characters moving into, out of, or through the frame during a shot? An easy way to do this is by drawing arrows. (See Figures 6 and 7).

Arrows can also depict smaller movements within the frame, such as a head turning. Something unseen moving into a scene is called a reveal.

The 180 Degree Rule

Now that we've covered the basics, here are a couple of other things to keep in mind when setting up your shots. First, you may have heard people talk about "not crossing the line" when they're setting up a scene. They're using a slang term for the 180 degree rule or line of action, which is a very important rule of thumb for filmmaking. We'll demonstrate this rule with a simple dialogue scene. Here master shot, shows Bill and Carol seated at a table together (See Figure 8). Now imagine this scene from overhead, with a straight line running through the middle of the subjects (See Figure 9).

Keeping your camera on the same side of this line - aka the 180 degree line - will assure visual continuity and prevent your viewers from becoming disoriented.

Now we see the same diagram with a few possible camera placements. (Figure !0). Notice that cameras for A, B and C are on the same side of the line.

Let's put shots A, B, and C into a storyboard. It will end up looking like Figure 10a, 10b and 10c.

This shot sequence adheres to the 180 degree rule. Bill and Carol are having a conversation. First we have a master shot of the two of them, showing the audience where they are in the scene and where they are in relationship to each other (Figure 10a) Next is a close up of Bill (Figure 10b), and then one of Carol (Figure 10c.) When the individual shots are edited together, Bill and Carol appear to be facing each other, just as they are in the master shot.

Now let's try putting together shots A, B, and D from the diagram. The storyboard will look confusing, as in Figures 11a, 11b and 11d.

This shot sequence is disorienting because it breaks the 180 degree rule. Notice how Bill and Carol now look like they're facing the same direction, rather than looking at each other across the table? Keeping your camera on one side of the action will save you a big headache in the editing room!

Some Final Hints

Now that you're equipped with some visual references and a basic shot vocabulary, here are a couple of other things to remember. As we've just seen, a good storyboard can prevent you from directing scenes that are disorienting or visually monotonous. When you've illustrated your shots beforehand, you get a "sneak peek" at how they'll cut together. On the flip side of the coin, don't go overboard with dozens of different shots. Remember that each shot involves time to set up, which burns crew time and labor.

Finally, it always pays off to practice! You can do this even if you don't have a script of your own to work on. Get a DVD of one of your favorite movies and choose a memorable scene from it. Sit down with a pencil and some paper and go through the scene shot by shot. Copy each shot onto your paper, using the examples in this article as a reference (remember, stick figures are OK!) As you draw, think about the shot choice. How does the selection of shots contribute to the overall feel of the scene? Are there lots of emotive closeups, or does the director use wide shots to convey distance or loneliness? Does he or she stick closely to the master shot, or is the scene full of movement? Looking at the work of other directors can teach you a lot about how scenes are put together. You don't even have to pick up a camera to do it!
Jennifer Albright is a UCLA film school alumnus and Los Angeles-based illustrator whose storyboard clients include Fox Sports Marketing. Her illustration work can be seen at www.trickunicorn.com.

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How to Make a Storyboard - Storyboard Lingo & Techniques

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When you set out to make a movie, the more planning ahead you can do, the better. Figuring out exactly what you'll be doing during a shoot saves your crew time and labor, and saves you, the producer and/or director, from cost overruns and production headaches.

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main idea: different sounds make your film worthwhile to listen to.

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Bones crunching and breaking

I personally like putting things in (cooked) whole chickens and then beating the chicken with a sledge hammer or other bludgeoning device.
- Billiam Baker

This technique can yield not only bone breaks but also a variety of flesh ripping sfx: Get yourself to the fish market and buy some King Crab legs, the bigger the better. Just experiment with breaking, twisting, smashing, tearing etc and you will start to hear the possibilities. It's a great combination of the hard shell breaking with a bit of fleshy sound mixed in. I would suggest a cheap pair of leather gardening gloves as well since the crab legs are a bit prickly in spots and can be hard on the hands without protection.
- Seph Lawrence

Recently I finished a horror movie where the monster (evil spirit) was spindley and contorted-looking. It looked like an alien with its extra long thin limbs. Ended up using a bunch of different kinds of pasta to capture the different angles and sounds for this creature. I would twist, crush and break, spaghetti, elbow and linguini noodles dry. I would keep some damp (not wet) for closer shots. Gave a sense of life or fleshy bones. Worked really well.
- Rusty Dunn

Celery/Carrots/Little Gem Lettuce - try freezing them too. Jacob's melon - melon with jacob's cream crackers glued on it. Thin triple sheet plywood left to soak outside in the rain then dried in the sun and torn apart, snapped. Real Bones? Dog Chews? Branch snap + filter?
- Ben Minto

Breaking inside the body: Manicotti Pasta covered with a rag, close mic, break it slowly so you can really accentuate the crack.
- Edward Bauman

In addition to your regular mic, try using a contact mic on a slightly resonant surface, such as plywood, and crunch things with your boot. Use the contact mic material for the thick, heavy sweetener. Make sure the crunching items are hard enough to transmit vibration to the plywood. Walnuts have worked well for me.
- Kristoffer Larson

Raw corn. Get it with as much of the leafy stuff still on it as possible - good fresh corn. Works great for wet solid punches.
- Coll Anderson

I used acorns, small apples and walnuts on wooden parquet surface. Worked nice.
- Alexey Menshikov

Chris Sweetman told me a good technique for getting a really effective bone breaking noise. Chicken bones in a polystyrene cup, break and snap them together.
- Patrick Phelan

Crushing plastic drinks machine cups are meant to be good for bones breaking.
- Paul Arnold

Dried sunflower stalks.
-Charles Maynes

If you've ever wondered how to get the really over the top punch sound-effect like from old kung fu films- Beat the mess out a piece of celery with chopsticks or something similar (close mic'd) and compress it. Whip it good.
- Caleb Moore

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Bones crunching and breaking I personally like putting things in (cooked) whole chickens and then beating the chicken with a sledge hammer or other bludgeoning device. - Billiam Baker This technique can yield not only bone breaks but also a variety of flesh ripping sfx: Get yourself to the fish market and buy some King Crab legs, the bigger the better.

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Genius Hour Checklist

Lego stop motion an animation

1. Research Stop motion animation techniques

2. Research prop techniques

3. Research sound/special effects

4. Get mentor books

5. Analyze the mentors techniques and ideas

6. Research green screen effects

7. Research storyboarding

8. Practice building props

9. Practice sound/special effects

10. Practice green screen

11. Research photography techniques of vesa lehtimaki

12. Practice all things together with a fully built set and props along with voice acting and sound. Practice as long as needed.

13. Storyboard draft

14. Finalize storyboard

15. Rough draft

16. final product (after some trial and error).

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Green screen
Main idea: green screen effects only work when done right.

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Hey, who ever said riding clouds was difficult? It's not that bad. This time on tips and tricks we're gonna show you some Chroma Key favorites and recreate the process so you know how to do them, too.

A commonly known green screen favorite is the weather map used in every newscast around the world. To do this effect we simply use two green thumb tags placed at separate locations on the green screen to be used as markers to give our talent a point of reference when it came to our locations. Here you can see a massive storm is on the way with clouds looming over Videoville during the weekend, then cascading down to Camcorder Land at an alarming rate while the sun races up to Videoville. Ooh, I hope we brought umbrellas and swim trunks, 'cause that's the quickest season change ever.

While we're talking about the news, we use a picture in picture effect to give the example of an on-location cutaway or phone-in style interview. We placed our talent to the left leaving some extra room to the right of the picture for the picture box. Once we had our picture in picture, we just scaled it down to the right size and had our talent react to the conversation. For our background we simply used some cutaways of space to give the impression that the talent was talking about secret alien spy missions.

Another popular Chroma Key trick is the ability to fly. By lying the talent on top of a rolling cart and the use of a very powerful fan, we were able to sell the effect. The key here was to make sure that we cut the cart out of the frame and the background of the sky was heading in the right direction, as well as in time with the speed of the fan. When everything was in synch together the effect was easy to sell. When the background speed and the speed of the fan was off, the effect didn't look nearly as powerful.

Another popular Chroma Key trick is motion behind the talent to sell the effect of movement. This is commonly used for shots inside a vehicle or motion around a subject that is not the main focus of the shot. We used a fan and a bicycle and had our talent pedal away in front of a green screen while standing in the exact same spot. When we inserted our background, we made sure that the motion reflected the opposite direction of our bicyclist. This way we were able to sell the idea that the talent was moving forward.

To take the subjects into another environment that we couldn't normally get to, we again enlisted the help of a fan and the reaction of the talent to sell the explosion of a volcano, which of course we inserted later. After being blown away to smithereens, our talent was thrown to their doom as they fell to the ground below. To do this effect we had our subject lie on top of the green screen, adjusted our lights to face downward, and used a fan to blow their clothes upward to sell the fall down. After adding two markers, one at the beginning of the fall and one at the end of the fall, we simply scaled the talent down in size to give the impression that he was falling further and further, when in reality we were just shrinking the image more and more.

The same basic fan effect was used to add to the illusion of a tornado. We threw in some debris and had our talent react to the fan, which was placed in front of him to sell the effect of a large gush of wind. By adding the debris we were able to add to the illusion by creating what looked like more swirls from the wind, provided by the fan.

Another popular Chroma Key illusion is making select body parts disappear. By first cutting out a portion of the green screen and then taping it to the body part we want to disappear, we can add the background over the green screen and along the stomach, making it appear to have a huge hole right in the center. No wonder he was complaining of stomach pain.

This effect also works on walls or anywhere that you can cut out a specific shape and tape it to a surface. Here we cut out a brick formation and inserted a clip of surgeons working away, making it seem as if we walked by a hole in the wall exposing another room. Again by simply cutting out the design that we wanted out of the green screen and taping it to the wall, we were able to create this effect.

Well, as you can see, whether you're trying to do the weather, whether you're trying to use Chroma Key to fly, any one of these effects is all attainable. You can do it. We showed you how. Now get out there and make it happen.

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Hey, who ever said riding clouds was difficult? It's not that bad. This time on tips and tricks we're gonna show you some Chroma Key favorites and recreate the process so you know how to do them, too. A commonly known green screen favorite is the weather map used in every newscast around the world.

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character naming
Main idea: The personality of the characters need to be seen in the name.

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Choosing a character name for your novel is as pressure-filled as picking a name for a baby. It has to suit the character's personality, makes sense for the era and, most important, be super awesome (sorry friends, the awesome name of Brian A. Klems is already taken by this guy). Names like Harry Potter, Holden Caulfield and Stephanie Plum are memorable not just because of the amazing stories they navigate, but also because these names "fit" those characters so well. You need a name that "fits" your character too.

I stumbled upon these seven great rules for choosing character names offered up by popular mystery writer Elizabeth Sims (the Rita Farmer Mysteries). When developing characters -no matter what sort of characters you're pursuing-heed common sense and consider each of these tips before choosing a name.

This guest post is by bestselling author and writing authority Elizabeth Sims. She's the author of seven popular novels in two series, including The Rita Farmer Mysteries and , published by Writer's Digest Books. Click here to order now.
The Lillian Byrd Crime series. She's also the author of the excellent resource for writers, You've Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams

1. Check root meanings.

It's better to call a character Caleb, which means "faithful" or "faithful dog," than to overkill it by naming him Loyal or Goodman-unless you want that for comic/ironic purposes. Some readers will know the name's root meaning, but those who don't might sense it.

2. Get your era right.

If you need a name for an 18-year-old shopgirl in a corset store in 1930s Atlanta, you know enough not to choose Sierra or Courtney, unless such an unusual name is part of your story. Browse for names in the era you're writing. A Depression-era shopgirl who needs a quick name could go by Myrtle or Jane; it will feel right to the reader. Small public libraries will often have decades' worth of local high school yearbooks on the shelves. Those things are gold for finding name combinations from the proper era.

3. Speak them out loud.

Your novel might become an audiobook or an e-book with text-to-speech enabled. A perfectly good name on paper, such as Adam Messina, may sound unclear aloud: Adam Essina? Adah Messina?

4. Manage your crew appropriately.

Distinguish your large cast of characters by using different first initials, of course, and vary your number of syllables and places of emphasis. Grace Metalious (a great name right there) demonstrates this in her blockbuster Peyton Place, as do any of the successful epic writers like James Michener and Larry McMurtry.

Need an idea for a short story or novel?
Look no further than The Writer's Idea Thesaurus. Organized by subject, theme and situation categories, it's the perfect writing reference to break out out of any writing funk. Order now from our shop and get a discount!
5. Use alliterative initials.

Employ this strategy to call special attention to a character: Daniel Deronda, Bilbo Baggins, Ratso Rizzo, Severus Snape.

6. Think it through.

You might notice that in most crime fiction the murderer rarely has a middle name or initial. Why? Because the more you explicate the name, the more likely there's a real person out there with it. And reading your story they might become upset and try to sue you or come after you some night with a bayonet.

7. Check 'em again.
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When writing my novel The Actress, I needed a name for a Japanese-American criminal defense attorney, and the name Gary Kwan burst upon me. I loved the name and used it in the book. Only thing was, as soon as the thousands of copies of hardcovers were printed and shipped to stores, I heard from a reader who pointed out the simple fact that Kwan is a Chinese surname. I cursed loudly and decided: a) that I would ALWAYS check name origins, and b) that Gary Kwan had a Chinese grandfather who adopted a Japanese orphan who became Gary's father. Or something like that.

Naming characters just right is a challenge, but give it some time and thought, and you'll start to find the fun in it. [ Like this quote? Click here to Tweet and share it!] Study the names great authors have come up with, let your mind loose to play, do your research, and above all, trust your ear.

And if worse comes to worst, here's hoping you're like Oates and lucky enough to just bump into your character in a dream-where you can ask him yourself.

You might also like:

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How to Pick Character Names: The 7 Rules of Choosing Names for Fictional Characters

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Choosing a character name for your novel is as pressure-filled as picking a name for a baby. It has to suit the character's personality, makes sense for the era and, most important, be super awesome (sorry friends, the awesome name of Brian A. Klems is already taken by this guy).

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production "The most pervasive of mediated sounds is music. Whitaker describes background music as "so idiomatic that the average filmgoer is unconscious of its presence" (105), adding that "it is precisely because background music operates on a level other than the conscious that it can affect the audience member so subtly and strongly" (105). A clear illustration of this was provided by the 1986 Academy Award presentation when a brief film clip of Chariots of Fire without its background music. What had been the key promotional scene from the film became simply a dull clip of men running barefoot on the sand without the musical motif that marked the film. Music's strong impact, according to Patrick Marsh, is emotional: "Since the subject matter of pure music is mood rather than thought, music provides one of the quickest and surest ways of controlling the moods of its listeners" (154)."

main idea: music changes a film drastically if used right.

Article:
Kidd, Virginia V. "To Shape and Direct the Audiences Point of View: Production Appeals."  CSUS,
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/k/kiddv/productiontechniques.htm

Virginia Kidd explains the technical language and vocabulary of film. She chunks the different techniques and effects into camera angles, field of view, focus, etc..

Kidd deeply expounds on the importance of background music and/or sound effects. She explains this with a clip from the movie Chariots of Fire. She says that the whole clip is "a dull clip of men running barefoot on the sand without the musical motif that marked the film." Mr. Whitaker states, "it is precisely because background music operates on a level other than the conscious that it can affect the audience member so subtly and strongly..."

I would use this article because it has all the definitions of the different aspects of film. Even though stop motion is not a live action film, it still uses different camera angles and background music, not to mention props. I especially appreciate the ways to use camera angles and how colors and sound work on the subconscious mind.

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The study's findings illustrate that a critical thinker in today's environment needs to know about more than words. The study found that production techniques ". . . convey messages about masculine and feminine stereotypes at a level that is not easily recognized and therefore may be more influential than the more obvious content messages" (Welch et al.

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Mike Doyle. central idea: design and details are the most important parts of models (in my case, props).

Book:
Doyle, Mike, Beautiful Lego, Mike Doyle

Mike Doyle explains that in massive structures, details are where the beauty lies. every piece of a model (in my case, props) makes a difference.

Doyle expounds on this by showing his huge model Contact. In a couple of the extreme close ups of the most detailed parts of the model, you will see hundreds - or even thousands - of small and/or intricate Lego pieces that only make up a hundredth of the model.

The picture above is from https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikedoyle/contact-1-a-200000-piece-lego-masterwork

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technology & engineering / technical & manufacturing industries & trades

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technology & engineering/technical & manufacturing industries & trades

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technology & engineering / technical & manufacturing industries & trades

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technology & engineering/technical & manufacturing industries & trades

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Mix hundreds of thousands of LEGO bricks with dozens of artists, and what do you get? Beautiful LEGO, a compendium of LEGO artwork that showcases a stunning array of pieces ranging from incredibly lifelike replicas of everyday objects and famous monuments to imaginative renderings of spaceships, ...

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https://www.videomaker.com/article/c10/19329-how-to-break-down-a-script-for-production

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main idea: timing, motion arcs, and overlapping action are the top three things you need in a stop motion video.

Article:
"The Three Essential Stop Motion Concepts Every Animator Should Know." Videomaker,
https://www.videomaker.com/tutorial/the-three-essential-stop-motion-concepts-every-animator-should-know

This article gives us the top essential techniques of animators. It is broken down into timing, motion arcs, and overlapping action.

The author helps us understand that overlapping actions are key. "Staggered frames illustrate the complexity of how all parts of a body move in orchestration with each other." If one part of a body is moved without the rest in some way or another, it breaks this rule and your film looks weird.

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Stop-Motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an art form that has fascinated me since I was a kid. Watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and seeing the ghoulish visions of Tim Burtons The Nightmare before Christmas, I was in awe of how these films were created. Though CGI has taken over the industry, many high profile films are still being made with this technique. Films such as Corpse Bride and ParaNorman have started using DSLR cameras along with frame-grabbing software like Dragonframe to create Academy Award nominated films. It is easier than ever to turn your visions into a reality using the same types of equipment they did.

Stop-Motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. By capturing one frame (or photograph) at a time, slightly moving the object and then taking another photograph, you see the illusion of movement. Though the concept is simple, it takes a lot of patience and an understanding of some basic techniques to make your animations not only move, but come to life.

Timing

It is important to remember movements that are closer together will slow down the action, while movements that are farther apart will speed it up. In this example from my short film Wormholes, twenty-four frames were shot. To accomplish and understand this motion I got on the floor in the position of the puppet and acted it out to see how I would get up in real life. I then used what I learned to pose the puppet. The character starts slowly, with many subtle movements of the hands. As he starts to push himself up off the floor the movements happen quickly, utilizing his entire body.

Using different variations of movement can enhance your animation as well. Think for a minute about how you move in real life. Sometimes you move quickly or slowly. Sometimes you pause and dont move at all. Having good variation is important for the viewer. Adding a few eight to twelve frame holds is important when you want to emphasize a part of the animation and let the audience focus on one thing. At 12 frames per second, the twenty-four frames filmed in this sequence only lasted two seconds to the viewer. Because of how quickly our eyes see these frames go by, you should never add a hold for less than six frames or the audience will think it is a camera jerk or mistake.

Motion Arcs

Not all movement happens in a straight line. Think about how we walk. As we take each step our body rises up and then comes down. If it were a perfectly straight line we would appear to be floating forward. Most patterns of movement happen along a curved path of action called an arc. Using arcs in your animation will create realistic movement that is natural to our eyes. You should keep each frame properly registered for smooth transitions. In Wormholes, I used Dragonframe software to help me see in real time how my current frame related to the previous frames. I could check my work in progress by toggling back and forth on the USB keypad controller or press play to see what the final product would look like.

Overlapping Action

Movements should be staggered by a few frames to create a natural animation. This becomes crucial when dealing with complex scenes involving multiple objects moving separately, or the elaborate movement of a character. In Wormholes, while the main character is playing the organ, his head and body are moving backwards and forwards and he occasionally hunches down. His right and left arms are moving in their own rhythms, and the elbows are raising and lowering. I started moving the right hand three frames before the left.

These are a few simple stop-motion techniques that will get you started. Be patient and good luck!
Josh Funk is a Stop-Motion animator from Chico, CA. In 2013 he released "Wormholes" a Stop-Motion animated short film about a man being chased by giant monsters through different dimensions. He has also produced numerous independent short films and is currently working on two feature film projects due out in 2014.

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The Three Essential Stop Motion Concepts Every Animator Should Know

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Stop-Motion Animation Techniques are fun to create and easy to learn. Although you need a lot of patience to get you movie finished, the tools and techniques you use today are the same as those wonderful old movies from the past. Many high profile films are still being made with stop-motion techniques.

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Vesa Lehtimaki. main idea: Background lighting and effects make photos really pop.

Book:
Lhetimaki, Vesa Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy, Vesa Lehtimaki

Vesa Lehtimaki's book Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy contains many photos of lego star wars  toys being photographed as if they were real. His many techniques and ideas are inspiring and give a lot of atmosphere (something every film should have). Lehtimaki does not deny that Lego minifigures are limiting. "Seven points of articulation on a mini-figure is not a lot to work with." Even though that is the case, he still makes it work beautifully. He brings out the personality of the characters with close ups and portraits without any articulations at all. the master of first impressions picture shows that a good first impression can make the photo work amazingly well.This photo uses one of many interesting shots that make photography and film work amazingly well
I could use Lehtimaki's techniques for atmosphere  and different types of unique shots that could make my stop motion film look amazing.

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lego star wars: small scenes from a big galaxy

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television & film (children's / teenage)

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LEGO Star Wars: Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy

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LEGO® Star Wars® sets and minifigures come to life in this beautiful photography book.Created by Finnish photographer Vesa Lehtimäki using his son's favorite toys, the book features painstaking recreations of classic movie moments and hilarious new takes on fan-favorite characters ...

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Nitro Warriors: A Stop Motion Animated Film - YouTube

YouTube‎ · ‎Vanguard Pictures

main idea: take time in making stop motion videos or else they will just look like garbage.