Animation is an extremely diverse art form, and while this might be fairly obvious from a stylistic point of view, one should also be aware that the same holds true when it comes to the techniques and tools for its creation. There really is no "proper way" to go about it, as in the end it all comes down to individual preference, skills, and resources. The following is therefore not a comprehensive list of possibilities, but rather a more modest checklist of elements which were used in the creation of the Shroud of Silence short, a stop motion puppet animation.
Puppet creation
. Pliers
. Electric drill (optional)
. Aluminium wire
. Ball-and-socket armature(s) (optional) ♡
. Gardening wire (optional)
. Plumber's epoxy (optional) ♡
. Nuts and bolts
. Masking tape
. Liquid latex ♡
. Acrylic modelling paste (optional) ♡
. Polymer clay ♡
. Oven
. Clay modelling tools (optional) ♡
. Scissors, craft knife (optional)
. Aluminium foil
. Fabrics for costumes (optional)
. Doll hair (optional)
. Universal glue (optional)
. Acrylic paints
. Paintbrushes
Animation
. Animation table (or DIY substitute) ♡
. Strong magnets or threaded rod tie-downs ♡
. Rigging system (optional) ♡
Shooting
. A place with controlled lighting (e.g. bedroom with blackout blinds)
. One or more lamps (the more the merrier, but you'll generally want a minimum of 2-3)
. Light blenders and bounces (optional)
. Sturdy camera tripod
. Camera with manual exposure controls (preferably SLR with multiple lenses)
. Cable or system to connect camera to computer/tablet (optional)
. Grey cards for setting white balance (optional)
. Chromakey (greenscreen) backdrop (optional)
Software
. Stop motion capture software (optional) ♡
. Video editing software such as Sony Vegas, Windows Movie maker, etc.
. RAW editing software if you're capturing RAW images (optional) ♡
. Image editing software such as GIMP or Photoshop (optional) ♡
. 2D animation software such as Adobe Flash (optional)
I will be addressing all of these individually in the following pages, but for now suffice it to say that viable alternatives exist for pretty much everything which I have listed. Also, while my particular choice of products has worked for me in the past, you may find the alternatives to be more desirable; so shop around, see what's available, and try things out to see what suits you.
