Module 4: Stop Motion 2

This module pushed me to think more intentionally about how sound, timing, and world-building work together in stop motion. My project explored the idea of creative “spills” — the concept that breakthroughs can arrive in unexpected moments. Through post-production, I also became more aware of how sound design can guide emotion, grounding the viewer in reality before signaling that something inventive is unfolding.

Reading

In Chapter Seven of Animated Storytelling, I learned that sound is a driving force in shaping narrative meaning. The chapter emphasizes that sound should not simply react to visuals but can actively lead the story. A single image can completely change its meaning depending on the soundtrack behind it—audio also determines emotional interpretation. This chapter also introduced me to diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound exists within the story world, while non-diegetic sound operates outside of it. Animation allows for fluid transitions between the two, creating opportunities to heighten emotion, use figures of speech, and even push a story forward when visually nothing is happening.

From the beginning, this chapter also reinforced the importance of restraint and intentionality. Sound effects can enhance a moment, but overusing them can weaken their impact. Music also plays a major role in establishing tone and theme, whether it blends subtly into the background or contrasts sharply with the action scene to create tension. Dialogue, on the other hand, should be used thoughtfully in animation. It should feel natural, reinforce and reveal character personality, and set the mood of the scene. Timing ultimately brings all these elements together, since even a slight shift in placement can impact a scene’s emotional effectiveness.

Chapter 8, ‘Design Wonderland,’ focused on world-building and the responsibility that comes with creative freedom. The “Yes, and…” principle highlights the need to fully commit and expand to the rules and ideas of the world you create. Once a world’s logic is established, you must remain consistent or risk losing credibility with the audience. I found it especially interesting that world-building should serve the story rather than distract from it. Blazer uses The Book of Life as an example of how strong influences, mythology, and stylistic consistency can make an environment feel like a character itself.

Audio & Typographic Research

‘SEE’ - Main Title

The ‘SEE’ main title has minimal visuals with simple lines and text, but the audio is rich and dynamic. It starts quietly with creaking, persistent knocks, water gushing, and light jingles that slowly become musical. Then, suddenly, there are unexpected loud voices, wolves barking, and then a sharp cut to silence. This main title is effective because the audio carries the emotion and tension. Even though the visuals are minimal, the layered sound design creates atmosphere, builds suspense, and tells a story on its own.

‘Baby Driver’ - Opening Scene

In the opening scene, you hear the car pitch and the engine rumble, and then the music kicks in. The lead sings along while the car sounds continue underneath. Eventually, the music blends with the ambient city noise and syncs with the action during the chase. The audio controls the clip's pacing, effectively combining music, sound effects, and environmental audio to make the scene energetic and rhythmic.

‘Temple Grandin’ - Title Sequence

In ‘Temple Grandin’, the text scrambles between typefaces and then settles into the final one. The final typeface is a serif that combines uppercase and lowercase letters, which creates an interesting and unusual vibe. The shifting typography reflects the film’s analytical, structured themes while still feeling visually engaging.

‘Le Souffleur’ Opening Title

For ‘Le Souffleur,’ title designer Julien Widmer was influenced by the word “Souffler” (“prompter” and “the blower” in French). At first, the letters seem to “blow in” from below. Then more letters appear, morphing into names and titles. I like how everything looks like a mess at first, but then it comes together and becomes legible. The concept reflects the meaning of the word, and although it feels chaotic at first, it always becomes clear and readable.

Stop Motion Video

Full Screen with Audio

For this project, I stayed very close to my original pre-production plan. I chose to move forward with the Linear Story idea and kept my original concept, but instead of origami, I used messy, blank pieces of paper to communicate frustration. I applied feedback by adding a voice-over and including a shot of myself putting the pencil down at the beginning of the scene, which made the narrative clearer and more personal.

Although I had a solid plan, the setup was more challenging than expected. Positioning my tripod correctly took some trial and error, and I realized that filming in reverse would be easier and best at producing smoother results. In Adobe Premiere Pro, I set the sequence to 12 fps, adjusted Rotate and Scale to fit the frame, reduced the speed to 50%, and used Reverse Speed to restore the correct order. I also used the Razor tool to split my main video into separate clips so I could correct pacing and any filming mistakes.

I layered different audio elements: a mug falling sound, my sigh and voice saying “I give up,” a sad song, and then an uplifting song. I used the Default Transition to crossfade between the two songs, shifting the emotional tone from somber to inspirational. For the intro title, I applied the Decode Fade In effect, and I timed the end credits to the music by adjusting Opacity so my name appeared on beat.

Overall, this project was both fun and challenging. I enjoyed creating a longer stop motion using physical objects and experimenting more deeply with audio editing and transitions in Premiere Pro and After Effects.

Audio Attributions

Sound Effect by: Sound Jay

Music by: Bensound. New Dawn - Benjamin Tissot (License code: SXHEYNMK1O3FAXEH)

Music by: Bensound. By My Side - Marcus P. (License code: JLINQUZ85BW6KRUO)

Hi, I’m Allison!

I am a graphic and interactive designer, ready to craft strategy-driven and engaging designs for you now!