Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
/Animating on a budget: The motley crew of characters I found around the house.
Over the years, I’ve taken on many creative projects. However, this stop-motion venture sparked something new inside of me. I’m not sure how to describe the feeling, but I know that this isn’t the end of the animation road for me, even though this particular project is coming to an end. This started as an experiment, something I didn’t want to take too seriously. I was in it to have some fun. I’m a huge fan of stop-motion animation movies and wanted to try it out for myself. I had no idea that it would turn into something I’m considering pursuing as a new hobby. Something I want to get better at until I create something that I’m proud of.
In the last few weeks, I've learned how to tap into my visually creative side. I've learned to think outside the box when it comes to animation techniques, especially when attempting to animate with no formal training. You’re not always going to get the perfect shot on the first try, or even the third or fourth one, but you have to keep trying and maybe you’ll get it the eighth time, even if your knees hurt from the hardwood floor and your hands are beginning to shake.
Most importantly, I learned something that I’ve been struggling with for as long as I can remember: Patience. I’m the least patient person I know, but boy, do you need a lot of it when you’re doing stop-motion animation. A 30-second clip took me three hours to film and it wasn’t even spectacular. But I loved what I was doing, so I stuck it out and my patience was eventually rewarded. Even if I had to painstakingly take over 300 pictures for a short clip, I was patient, because I knew how cool the finished product would look.
Working on my patience was one of the biggest rewards that came out of doing this project. Despite the fact that stop-motion takes up so much time, is difficult, and sometimes even painful, I’m determined to keep at it. I even created a YouTube channel where I plan to post my work as I learn and (hopefully) improve.
In this post, I’m including the new video I enjoyed making, featuring old army men figures, a Spiderman toy that's seen better days and a Green Arrow toy from a Happy Meal. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more in the future, nothing can stop me now.
Myryam Ladouceur
Myryam Ladouceur is a second-year Professional Writing student at Algonquin College, aspiring to work in the editing and publishing business. She likes to write short stories and poetry, doodle on any surface available, and read whatever catches her eye. She hopes to one day have the privilege to edit the next great novel of her generation.
