SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – What does it take to make a stop-motion animation with a production crew of 80 second graders at Elm Hill School in Springfield? If you want to watch it first, visit www.youtu.be/FvYzLnWPM1w.
Melissa Post, experienced in the magic of making stop-motion movies even before the age of computers, and Diane Kemble, fellow retired Springfield teacher and frequent collaborator, begin by looking for books or poems that lend themselves to the stop-motion format, as well as being rich in content. This year, Douglas Florian’s book of poetry, “Insectlopedia,” was chosen.
Post and Kemble worked on gathering information and materials, as well as working out the logistics with Elm Hill School’s teachers. Clay or paper insects and backgrounds were mostly prepared with the children in their art classes.
Children then filmed their insect poems in groups of two or three and rotated the jobs of taking the pictures or moving the insects, following Post’s precise directions. They filmed at 18 frames per second, and usually took three frames per move of the insect. That translates into six moves of an insect per second of film. The animation is 10 ½ minutes long.
While some children were animating, Diane involved others with illustrating small handmade books, which featured all the poems. The children had large photographs of the insects to work from and used fine markers and stamps to decorate their books.
Funding for art materials and some animation equipment has been provided by grants from the Claremont Savings Bank over the past three years and is also made possible by Gallery at the VAULT, where Post and Kemble have been involved for many years bringing art into the Springfield community. This is an art-intensive, science-intensive, and technology-rich experience.
