Week 6: Animation

This week we were looking at bringing the magic of animation to the classroom by using a piece of simple software called Digital Blue.

We started by thinking of simple stories we could animate using plasticine models and simple backdrops and decided on re-creating the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk by using simple plasticine animation.

The process in creating a plasticine animation requires five frames of each still image which is altered slightly every time to give the characters movement. We worked in our group with two people moving the models, one person photographed each frame and another directed what was to be moved and by how much.

This software we were using facilitated the process as it had a simple layout that was user friendly and would be simple to use in the classroom with a tutorial from the class teacher. The process also promotes creativity as the children will be in control of how their characters move and how their short movie will look when it is finished.

Animation can also be used to reinforce other areas of the curriculum as you can see here, where a primary school in Edinburgh uses animation to promote their "Health Week".

The only problem I can see with animation being used as a lesson in the primary school is that it could take a few lessons to create a video and this could affect the quality of the work the children do as they would have to set their characters and scenery in the correct position to continue filming. Despite this, I still believe it is a valuable learning experience and would be incredibly fun if it is taught effectively.

 Dazzle 