By Tyler Christiansen
STEMIA SW Junior HIgh Options Teacher

Our Animation class recently transformed into a miniature movie studio, and the results are officially in! Our talented animators just wrapped up an intensive project that proved one thing: patience is a superpower.

Using nothing but colorful clay, a steady hand, and a whole lot of imagination, the students tackled the meticulous art of stop-motion animation.  Some students hand crafted their animations solo while others partnered up to create their masterpieces.  Over the course of a month students took hundreds of pictures, edited them into a video, and then added sound effects and background music.  Maybe the next Oscar winning animation was created during the class.  Only time will tell. 

The Big Numbers

To bring their one-minute masterpieces to life, the students had to think frame-by-frame. Here is a look at the “math” behind the magic:

• 600 individual photos taken per video.
• 10 frames per second (the sweet spot for that classic claymation jitter).
• Countless tiny adjustments to arms, legs, and googly eyes.
• 60 seconds of pure, hand-crafted cinema.

From epic clay battles to quirky dancing monsters, these videos showcase the incredible creativity and persistence of our class. We are so proud of the focus it took to capture every single click of the shutter.

Grab some popcorn and enjoy the show! Which character was your favorite?