Still Frame Video Production And Editing: Why Choose This Method Over Others

In the '80s, it was wildly popular to use clay figures to produce animated shows, series, and commercials. People were fascinated with how an animated video production could be done using clay figures. Over time, this method phased out when CGI became the big thing. Now, there seems to be a newfound interest in "claymation," the animation of clay figures. If you are considering creating a commercial or other video series or show, you may want to revisit this method. Here is why. 

Certain Groups of People Wax Nostalgic

There is a growing trend among Millennials for all things '80s and '90s. Many young adults in this age group were barely old enough to remember what happened from day to day, but they really get into a lot of the retro stuff from this period. That is why there is such a surge in show and movie reboots and sequels; television and movie production companies are attempting to grab ratings from this age group. 

Then there is Generation X, who are in their mid-forties, and waxing nostalgic for the age and decade in which they were growing up. They actually remember animated clay shows and commercials that used animated clay figures to hock everything from raisins to hamburgers. They like seeing this style of animation return as well. 

This Method Takes Incredible Skill

There is nothing easy about animating clay figures. Each figure takes hours to create, from the bendable wire frame underneath the clay to the molding of the clay to the bendable frame. Then every single slight movement of the characters takes a shot, resulting in hundreds of photographic shots taken in a series and finally edited and set in motion on film/software. The facial expressions of characters all require dozens of still-frame shots to capture emotion and moving mouths to capture "speech" after voices are added in the editing process. You can have a great deal of respect for this method when you see what it takes just to shoot a thirty-second commercial. 

The Video Produced Allows for Tiny Inconsistencies

If you shoot live video with real people, shoot video with CGI, or shoot video with green screen technology, it all has to be flawless. People spot inconsistencies with these video methods rather quickly, and if the inconsistencies are not caught on the editing floor, they will be glaring on a larger screen. Conversely, "claymation" and stop-motion methods of shooting video actually allow for tiny inconsistencies. In fact, the inconsistencies are expected as part of the laborious (and technically flawed) process. 

For more information, contact video production services in your area.