Stop-Motion and Process

The beginning of the year is fun for so many reasons, one of them is that we're all anxious to share who we are.  A few students told me yesterday that they work on stop-motion videos at home.  I saw the video for Her Morning Elegance for the first time this weekend and I've probably watched it about 30 times since Saturday.  It got me thinking about some of my own habits and how they apply to the classroom.

When I see something this creative I immediate want to know everything about it.  Where the idea came from, how it was put together, what the problems were, etc.  Thankfully, today everybody has a video camera and the ability to share with the world all in their pocket.  We want 21st century learners to deconstruct and analyze, especially literature.

So, I figured this was a great opportunity to apply these high-level skills to an artform that is so highly engaging.  I think I'm so drawn to stop-motion because it seems so approachable, I feel like any of these kids could create these videos.  The difference between an excellent example and an okay example of stop motion is very clear.  Okay videos you watch once and think, "That was cool."  Excellent videos, you not only watch 30 times but you want to share it with others.  You want to bring others that same joy it gives you.  This year, I want you all to create excellent work.  Whether it's responding to reading or creating your own writing or whether it's looking at a math concept a little deeper, I want you to own your work.  So, what makes the difference between okay and excellence?  Time.

Our first shared reading book this year is Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick.  In the story, the mother always tightened her ponytail when she was stressed.  It's a small action that conveys big meaning.  I want to know whether that's something his mother or a friend does or if he once saw it in a movie.  I don't know if I would have picked up on that as a 5th grade reader or, if I would have even cared to.  I believe that by exploring and analyzing and deconstructing the creative processes of others, enables us to better adapt those pieces to our own work.

Just as with a book, we usually only see the finished product without getting into how it came about.  Her Morning Elegance took 6 weeks to script, 3 weeks to story-board, and only 2 days to film.  The important thing to remember about these videos is the amount of time it took before they even began.  Remember that this year when you're writing or reading.  Ask, "I wonder where the ponytail tightening came from?" Then think, "What can I steal from my own life?  What do I observe that could make people think: Wow, that's excellence?"  After all, the video is just a bunch of excellent ideas strung together.  And, you can all do that... If, you care to invest the time.

Here's a few other of my favorite stop motion videos.  Feel free to post your favorites in the comments section.  Just remember to tell us a bit about why we should check it out!

This is Okay Go's video End Love. This one really plays with time.  Some sequences have 5,000 shots per second while others are one picture every 30 minutes.  

And here's the trailer for JK Rowling's new ebook site, Pottermore.  I love the way you can see the construction of each piece of scenery. 

Enjoy!