Claymation animation is a fun way to invent your own crazy characters for a stopmotion movie. While there is expensive clay that you can buy, I suggest you buy the cheap stuff when you are beginning. Your fingers will get a little messy, perhaps, but you will have a lot of fun. Add other props -- such as googly eyes -- to the supplies.
Here are a few tips for making clay characters:
- Don't make your characters too small (too hard to film) nor too big (they fall over);
- If you need to add some stability to a clay character, use toothpicks or wire inside. Think of it like a skeleton.
- Make the bottom of your character bigger than the top. If your character is top-heavy, it might fall down in the middle of filming;
- Be creative -- clay holds many possibilities.
A tour of sixth and second graders collaborating on creating claymation characters:
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Sixth graders capture the creation of claymation characters:
And a brief tour of clay characters from a recent summer claymation camp:
Examples of Claymation Movies
The Kitchen Adventure
Considering Tolerance: A Collection of Claymation Movies
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