Animation Lab for Kids

Fun Projects for Visual Storytelling and Making Art Move - From cartooning and flip books to claymation and stop motion movie making

Introduce kids to stop-motion animation and animated filmmaking. Animation is everywhere--from movies and TV to apps and video games--and today's tech-savvy kids know all about it. With the accessibility and ease of use of cameras and video-editing software, people of all ages are learning how to make stop-motion animation. In Animation Lab for Kids, artists, teachers, and authors Laura Bellmont and Emily Brink present exciting, fun, hands-on projects that teach kids a range of animation techniques. From the classic zoetrope, flip book, and cel methods (which don't require any devices or technology) to different methods of shooting, the lessons require no previous experience for either child or adult. Experimenting with a variety of art materials (drawing, clay, and paper cut-outs), young animators will learn to plan a film through writing, storyboarding, and creating sets. The book also features helpful and informative sidebars on the history of the early animation techniques as well as the inspiring work of innovative and influential animators, including Kirsten Lepore, PES, Hailey Morris, and William Kentridge. The authors are co-founders and lead teachers of The Good School, an arts-education school that cultivates and combines traditional art-making skills and the technologies involved in stop-motion animation filmmaking. They teach animation techniques at camps, schools, and events, including the New York International Children's Film Festival.