This was one of the first major sessions fueled entirely on volunteer funds, with our first benefactor supporting us after the completion! The morning started off with the coordination transporting roughly 20 volunteers from different parts of Taiwan to Hsinchu, a 3-4 hour trek. For the majority of participants, this was their first time to go to ChingChuan. This was also one of the first sessions where I arranged for an overnight stay so that everyone could better bond with the community.

Ripper Tsou was the lead teacher and the kids gathered to listen and understand the basic fundamentals of stop motion animation and we provided example flipbooks so the kids could then create their own. Several kids got really into it and penned 3-4 flip books while others who finished early decided to head to the kitchen to help us grate cheese for a delicious lunch of vegan mashed potatoes, mushroom pasta, and salad. After enjoying lunch together and rest we gathered again to play the Taiwanese version of “Traffic Lights.”

Cameras were set up at four different stations by volunteers to take images on a timer while the children moved around; then the material was edited by the lead teacher Ripper to show to them during next day’s class. It was at this time we also looked through the flipbooks and selected 10 of the children to receive a digital camera. Our purpose in providing the digital camera was so kids would learn not only a little bit of photography but various ways of utilizing the output – these would consequently be printed and during the next workshop session, clipped and manipulated to be utilized in their story board for the short animation piece. Class ended and the volunteers spent time in the village and had a wonderful home cooked dinner by our host LaLing and his brothers. Campfire, marshmallows, sweet potatoes, and music was abound throughout the night.

The next day before class started, we spent a few hours walking around with the kids, eating ice-cream, listening to them introduce themselves in Atayal language, and letting them using our cameras to take pictures of us. Being with the kids outside of the workshop was probably the most enjoyable of all as there was more than a one-sided dialogue but actual interaction. We looked forward to our next trip back in November, when we would develop the photos and aid the children to narrate a story to shoot for their film piece! (Sample completed here!)

Relevant Posts:

Project Wrap up – Stop Motion Animation Part II
Project Wrap up – Stop Motion Animation Part III
Stop Motion Animation Narrative 愛上動畫的孩子 – 周敬凱
Stop Motion Animation Game Video Footage

BASIC BACKGROUND:

Purpose: To set the children on a possible path of animation from the basics and fundamental to end project. Explore creativity and individual components to come together for a full creation.

Children will learn: Creativity, time-management, photography, basic components of film-making, story-telling.

Lead Teacher: Rippling Tsou

Helping Hands: Chieni McCullough, Jon Burke, Sophie Chang, 何欣穎, 黃信傑 Firat, 李惠雯 Vivian, 李國愷 Harry, 李敏瑜 Tiby, Diane Burke, Gabe Webster, Reiya Webster, Anja Webster, Rita Yeh, Angela Lin, Ichi Lin, James Teng

Benefactor: Jeanette Zoumpouliaris

Tasks: Animation Reviews, watch different styles of animation, children will learn how to make a flipbook. Group animation games to learn about stop-motion animation. We will also go over basic photography skills and leave the children with disposable cameras to be able to shoot a narration of a story for their film project

Lunch:

Mashed Potato with Mushroom Gravy
Pasta with Mushroom Sauce
Fresh Vegetable Salad with Italian Dressing
Fresh Fruit Salad with Coconut Milk

Location:
ChingChuan, Hsinchu at the Taoshan Elementary School

Event Callout: https://handfulofsapphires.org/2012/10/02/2012-oct-20-21nov-17dec-8-9-winter-course-stop-motion-animation-film-watayal-kids-chingchuan-hsinchu-area/