StopMotionWorks.com
Title
Stop Motion Works :: Stop Motion Animation Resource!
Description
In my youth, I have always had an interest in gadgeteering, tinkering, and particularly, Stop Motion Animation, but at the time, I thought that was totally beyond my abilities. It was only until much later in my age, that I decided to call it quits with the so-called "straight" 8 to 5 jobs and attempt to pursue work in animation, craftwork and effects. After wandering around, working for little or no-pay on effects jobs, I landed my first real animation job on the "New Adventures of Gumby" (1987-88) television series which was produced in Sausalito, California. The requirements for being an animator on the show were minimal. Art Clokey (creator of Gumby) was happy to see almost any kind of Stop Motion demo reel, and even if it was not that good, we were still hired! As raw stop motion beginners we were actually students learning how to animate on a real TV show! This is where I first met Anthony Scott, now a very talented & well respected Stop Motion Animator with additional skills as a computer animator.
After Gumby, stop motion animation jobs were few. I decided to try a "behind the doors entry" approach, thinking this would give me an advantage in getting animation jobs. I started teaching myself how to build animation armatures. There were no books on how to make these mysterious articulated metal devices. I studied the few published pictures of armatures available at that time and taught myself just the basic machining skills necessary to fabricate them. It took much practice and lots of mistakes. I do not consider myself a specialist "Machinist" and I do not make a living as one. Sometimes one can get too technically involved with only armatures and not see the "big picture". Eventually I did some freelance jobs exclusively making armatures and other puppet fabrication work and small effects jobs.
Like Anthony, I also very much appreciate Stop Motion. In my visits to his stop motion website-message board, I am very pleased that there still seems to be a worldwide interest in this fantastic art of Stop Motion. Sometimes, one feels "alone" in this avocation. Currently, regular work in Stop Motion Animation seems to be sporadic; however, it does seem to make these cyclical comebacks with renewed popularity to new audiences. Hopefully, all this interest & activity on the internet will in some small way, contribute in keeping Classic Stop Motion Animation alive & more viable in the marketplace, alongside Cel animation & CG animation.
Languages
English
Contact
- Lionel I. Orozco
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