Build a Raspberry Pi
Stop-Motion Studio
1
STOP, IT’S MOTION TIME...
I t ’s a go o d ide a to al lo c ate tim e to y our s top - motion p r oje c t—a
few days, say. Shoots are famously slow; you’re going to be
taking around 24 fr ames for each second of footage, so having an
area that remains undisturbed when you’re not using it is vital.
This “hot set” should remain untouched by others, too.
>> Your studio area should have enough space for the tripod-
or rostrum-mounted Raspberry Pi and Camera module, along
with the objects you’re filming. In the case of 2D paper-based
animation, this should be an area of table big enough to fill, or
almost fill, the lens. Also useful for overhead shooting is a sheet
of clear plastic or glass. This keeps the papercraft pieces in
place when taking a shot, as well as helping them to look flat
and uniform, and dealing with any curled edges. If it was good
enough for Terry Gilliam, it’s good enough for you!
>> In order to shoot clay models, fruit, toys, or whatever 3D
objects you plan to animate, you need an area large enough
to build a set [Image A]. There should also be space around
the table for you to move in to aid with the animation of your
characters. Remember that stop-motion animation requires
very slight movements in every frame for each of the characters
or objects you’re shooting. The aim is to get the character fromEVER SAT GUFFAWING AT TERRY GILLIAM’S BIZARRE SUBVERSION of Victorian-era greetings
cards in Monty Python’s Flying Circus, or egging on unlikely heroes Wallace and Gromit? Then
chances are you’ve spent a few moments thinking about how those animations are made.
There was a time when stop-motion photography was beyond the reach of most people.
O v e r h e a d c a m e r a s m o u n t e d o n r o s t r u m s w e r e e x p e n s i v e , a n d u n l e s s y o u r s c h o o l o r c o l l e g e h a d
one, your best bet was to take some photos and make a flick-book instead. As with everything,
time and technology have revolutionized the production of stop-motion photography, and now
making a movie with a digital camera or mobile device is child’s play.
The Raspberry Pi Camera module offers a superb low-cost digital option. While time-lapse
photography is popular, it’s easy to overlook its illusory bedfellow. After all, creating a stop-
motion animation with figures, household objects, or simply toys is intensive work.
Often the results aren’t very good, and even getting to the point where you have enough shots
to create a short movie clip can be pretty back-breaking. Fortunately, there are some shortcuts
you can take, which we’ll explain here.–CHRISTIAN CAWLEYYOU’LL NEED THIS
RASPBERRY PI 2 OR LATER
With Raspbian Stretch, Pi Camera
module, dual-state push button,
breadboard, monitor, mouse and
keyboard, and tripod/secure mount.SOMETHING TO ANIMATE
Clay models, Lego, action
figures, and so on.one position to another, while creating the illusion of
motion. Access to the character from every angle helps
you to achieve this.
>> Whether you’re using an overhead camera or a
standard tripod-mounted shoot, the project needs to be
well lit. See the “Lighting Balance” box (pg. 58) for some
handy lighting tips.2
LIGHTS!
To turn your Raspberry Pi into the central
component of your stop-motion studio, you need
to attach a camera. While USB cameras work fine, it’s
far more satisfying to employ the latest Raspberry Pi
Camera module [Image B].
>> Connecting this device to the Raspberry Pi requires
you to insert the ribbon cable into the “Camera”
connector on the SBC. If you’re using a Raspberry Pi
model B, the shiny side of the ribbon should face away
from the Ethernet port.
>> For Raspberry Pi Zero devices with a camera port,
the shiny side of the ribbon should face up. Take care to
correctly unclip the catch on these connectors beforeBA56 MAXIMUMPC JUN 2019 maximumpc.com
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