NEW DEADLINE IS AUGUST 21, 2022!

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SCI-FI is the theme for STOPMO JAM 4! We're breaking out the X Files: Aliens! Spaceships! Robots!

So what is a STOPMO JAM?

It is a series of short animated ideas that all relate to the theme. We've done Spring, Run and Halloween thus far. This time, it's Sci Fi!

Puppets can be made of clay, paper, foam, wire, sand, whichever materials you can utilize to create your design but it must be stop motion animated. Sorry no LEGOs, action figures, toys, or store bought items are allowed UNLESS it is modified (painted, covered with paper or clay, etc). The goal is to make a hand-made experimental film. Stop motion puppets, 2d cutouts, sand, painting, pixelation*, all hand-made animation techniques allowed.

*animating your hand interacting with a puppet is ok

IMPORTANT: Your Jam must start and end with the camera lens obscured. See this similar idea here in this VIDEO from LAIKA (but it doesn't have to be characters fighting). You just need to cover the camera lens at the start and at the end of your shot. This will help when I edit all the Jams together.  

Once you are completely finished with your Jam, upload it to online storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer and send the link to my INBOX.

If you have any questions, post them below.

 

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Important Technical Requirements!

For your Jam to look its best, please adhere to these guidelines.

Shot Length: up to 20 seconds maximum

Frame Rate: 24 fps (not 23.96 or 30 or 29.97....24 please!) 

Aspect Ratio: 16:9 @ 1920 x 1080

Finished Animation: export to Quicktime (H264 is good)

Add your own Sound FX and/or music. Make sure you have the rights to it. Better yet, record your own! 

DEADLINE is now August 21, 2022. This may seem like a long ways away but for stop motion people, it's just around the corner. Remember, you have to build and animate everything yourself. You could easily spend months just building a puppet. Start thinking of your idea first, once you have nailed it down, get to work. If you have any questions, send me a message thru SMA.com or better yet, reply to this thread. Content must be ok for kids to watch.* I reserve the right not to include your animation if it doesn't fit into these guidelines. Ok go make something!

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  • Just finished sanding the main body of the UFO. Landing gear, cockpit interior, and character remains to be done. With this pace I'll be ready when you are out of stopmojam topics and decide to give sci-fi a rerun. Happy to see the long list of entries that made it. Here the creativity is like a constant purposeless chaotic and unguided series of explosions, with the two retarded youngsters i charge. It's a bit like playing along with Calvin and Hoppes if you cut away the philosophical part. I enjoy it tremendously but it's more like putting down rail in front of a running train (thanks gromit) than any kind of planning. So count me out this time. Eventually I'll make some that I can share with you all, but for now I'll just relax and enjoy the jam when it comes. All the best!!!
  • Sorry, but I know I maybe pushing this too hard, but is it possible to get one day extension. My low-technical skill absolutely got in the way. But still I don’t want to give up just yet.
    If not granted that’s ok too. To the least I’m having so much fun and even able to get my neighbor’s toddler kids helping me making some props. They’re delighted!
  • "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." - Leo Tolstoy
    At this point I have neither. I'm editing as fast as I can go to try and turn this train wreck into a watchable moment. I should be able to make the deadline, I just won't be a month early like my schedule says. Ha schedules, what's the point? Talk to ya again in 5 days.
  • I had really wanted to particaate in this but I got really far behind. I had been trying to get this 1965 Dodge Dart running all summer. I think it's pretty much impossible for me to finish it now but I'm going to try anyway. If I don't make it, I'll have fun trying.
  • I'll have to bow out of this one. I've been spending most of my time looking for my first post-graduate job, and it's taking more time out of my animation than I had originally anticipated.
    I do look forward to seeing everyone's work!
    • Good luck with the Job hunt!
  • Unfortunately not going to make it for this jam, life keeps getting in the way. I look forward to seeing all of the ideas and animation everyone has come up with.
    • Sorry to hear but completely understand. I am sure there will be another Jam in the Future.
  • Wow! Congrats to people who have submitted their jams!! I’m caught in delays … yes I said delays … life, work alas finally got sick with Covid. Either way, I’m such a super inexperienced newbie, after covering my armature fully I realized I did it incorrectly because now I can’t make it moving properly. Back to square one but thank God I only need to make one :)). Got more parts from the hardware store today.
    • Good luck with finishing. I think many of us can relate! (Yes me too.)
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STOPMO JAM 4 Behind the Scenes!

Post your behind the scenes photos here. I took a couple of snaps from the Robot Dance Title sequence. I made the puppet out of Sculpey and Armature wire in about a week. Animation took 5 days and Rig removal took about the same. It was very last minute as I was extended on Pinocchio by 6 weeks which cut into my time a bit, but I got 'er done! Please feel free to post your pics and share your experience.

Read more…
41 Replies · Reply by Steve Copeland Dec 22, 2022

15 Weeks Left to finish your Stopmo Jam

It's been a little quiet, so I thought I'd check in to see how everyone's progress is going? Need more time or is July 10 still doeable? I am in the final weeks of Animation on Wendell and Wild, so I haven't had time to work on mine, although I usually do the Titles. Anyway, let me know how it's going or if you have any questions.

Read more…
24 Replies · Reply by Emily Myers Jun 9, 2022