Module 7

 Assignment 2 Project Plan: Adventure Option 4-Surrealist Stop-Motion Animation

Short Description: I plan on creating a sand animation project based on the first stanza of Robert Frost’s poem “The Grindstone.” The first stanza shows the grindstone alone in a field, commenting on how it has a wheel and legs, but it never moves from the same spot. The narrator comments on the change in seasons, noticing the grindstone sitting alone in the snow and remembering how last summer he worked hard to grind a blade. I will attempt to “draw” images to accurately depict a grindstone spinning, hands moving in and out, an axe, an apple tree, etc. I’d also like to incorporate zooming in and out. However, I’m not really this type of artist, so it may become more of an abstract art project.

I’ve read the chapter in Fluid Frames about sand animation. I’ve also watched DIY videos about how to build a lightbox and (I think) every Youtube video about sand animation. Some showed true stop motion animation, but many had artists completing sand drawings in real time, having them morph from one thing to the next. I also stumbled upon Caroline Leaf, who pioneered sand animation and later had her short (sand) animated film “The Street” nominated for an Academy Award. Not previously an artist, she took an animation class in college as an elective and was encouraged to create motion with whatever medium she could. She brought a buck of sand from a local beach and the rest is history.

Timeline: 

By 3/1/22: build lightbox 

By 3/2/22: rig overhead camera set-up, install Dragonframe software

By 3/3/22: Learn Dragonframe software

By 3/4/22: Photograph panels 1-3

By 3/5/22: Photograph panels 4-8

By 3/6/22: Photograph panels 9-14

By 3/7/22: Photograph panels 15-17

By 3/8/22: Photograph panels 18-19

By 3/9/22: Photograph panels 20

By 3/12/22: Import into Premiere and edit roughcut

By 3/13/22: Import sound tracks, Finish final cut

By 3/14/22: Submit to Link Sheet

By 5/15/22: Submit to Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival and

  New Hampshire Film Festival

By 5/23/22: Submit to Festival Angaelica

By 5/24/22: Submit to Boston Film Festival

By 6/17/22: Submit to American Documentary and Animation Film Festiva

Budget:

Poster board

.74


Dragonframe

$125


2 LED lights

$20


Sand

$4


Transparency of grindstone

$1


American Documentary and Animation Film Festival

$25

Earlybird deadline 6/17

Festival Angaelica

$6

Extended deadline 5/23

New Hampshire Film Festival

$30

Earlybird deadline 5/15

Boston Film Festival

$60

Late deadline 5/24

Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival

$40

Regular deadline 5/15

TOTAL

$311.74



Equipment/Supplies: 

DIY lightbox (box, LED lights, plexiglass, white poster board), sand, paintbrushes, chopsticks, camera, overhead set-up (tripod/mic stand), overhead transparency of grindstone, Dragonframe software, Fluid Frames 

Storyboard: I will use music from Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach from Internet Archive playing over a recitation of the poem.







Festival Plan: see above

Comments

  1. Carrah So TaurusMarch 1, 2022 at 2:27 PM

    I'm looking forward to seeing this sand stop motion with poetry. Both sand and poetry seem to be a great complement to one another.

    ReplyDelete
  2. silvashanMarch 2, 2022 at 8:15 AM

    BEAUTIFUL PLAN! Grant worthy.

    And, SAND ANIMATION! You know I'm ready to see this come to life. Excellent way to push yourself into new territory, Kim. Be sure to keep it short. 1-2 minutes max. Like I mentioned to the other animators - focus on Quality over Quantity.

    For festivals, consider expanding: Cosmic Rays, FLEX, Ann Arbor. Plus, some niche women's - Toronto and St. Johns are both good fits.

    ReplyDelete

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