iStopMotion is the perfect way to help younger children make the most of their technology-driven world, but it’s not only suited for beginners. Imagine handing a high school student the tools to create a stop motion animation when they’re on the cusp of entering the next stage of their life – the possibilities are endless!
Jason Sand, a multi-media teacher in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, uses iStopMotion with his 11th and 12th grade students every day. He teaches them that animating isn’t about following one specific process. Figuring out the steps to get there is half of the fun!
Jason started using iStopMotion over a year ago when he was transitioning his animation classes to function on an iPad. During his research, he asked his peers in the Apple Distinguished Educator community about their experience with animation apps, and nearly every teacher suggested iStopMotion. He took their suggestion and found that the app was just the tool he needed to allow his students to create great animations. He’s never turned back since.
To help his students get the process down, Jason created a curriculum around iStopMotion, First, his students create a character from MDF blocks. They use wire to attach the pieces together, and it works as limbs, giving the characters the most movement possible. After that, the students are free to custom paint and design their figure.
Once they’ve made their character, the next step is developing how that character moves, talks and interacts in an environment. This involves creating a storyboard, writing a script, putting together a shot list or even doing a combination of all three. Only then is it time to capture the animation using iStopMotion. In particular, students love the instant feedback they get from watching their animation play back immediately. It gives them the chance to watch the sequencing and tweak their production as they go, letting them experience each small victory as soon as it happens.
“My students are constantly coming up with ideas that I have not given them,” Jason says. “When they choose to create their animation, they decide what they need and how they are going to create it. I support them in every way possible, and it is truly amazing to see their process as they inquire within their concepts and ideas and make them a reality for others to see.”
Recently, Jason made three sets based off of the movie Coraline, a favorite of his and his three daughters. It was a twist on the experience his students’ normal experience in the classroom, because this time, they could work through an animation without having to create the sets and characters themselves. It gave them a chance to really dive into the creative process behind generating an animation. Jason has even more exciting projects planned for the future, as he knows just how important it is for students to maximize their creativity, no matter their age.
“Technology is allowing for new realities in the classroom,” he says. “A tool such as iStopMotion on the iPad is a great example of how we can streamline production and truly transform what is possible for students today. After teaching a full set of students with the iPad and iStopMotion, I am really looking forward to seeing what they are capable of creating when they take their next animation course.”
To learn more about Jason’s work in the classroom, be sure to visit his site here!