Clay-Z! Claymation Workshop with YAN
By RCAC
On Saturday, April 9 youth will get a chance to learn the art of Claymation at a workshop presented by Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC) and the Rossland Youth Action Network (YAN). The workshop will be taught by Shelley Painter and will take place at the YAN Space, 2076 Columbia Ave. in Rossland, from 1:00pm-5:00pm.
Claymation is one of many forms of stop motion animation. Traditional animationis produced by recording each frame, or still picture, on film and then playing the recorded frames back in rapid succession before the viewer. Each animated piece, either character or background, is “deformable”—made of a malleable substance, usually Plasticine clay. The background and characters can be changed slightly in each frame to create the illusion of movement.
“Claymation is really cool,” says Painter, “whatever you can dream up in your head, you can make happen on film.” Painter will teach all the skills needed to produce a Claymation film. She will teach how to set up a scene and how to build characters out of clay. Participants will get to write their own storyline and create the characters, bringing the visions in their imaginations to life. They will then learn to take still shots and how to turn those stills into a motion picture. “The skills the participants will learn in the workshop are easily transferable to home,” says Painter. These same techniques can also be applied to films using Lego, action figures, household objects, or even food. “Once they have the basics they can take any afternoon, use objects they have around the house, and make a movie.”
“We have never run a workshop like this before,” says Tara Kowalchuk of RCAC. “It is exciting because it’s different, and also because anyone can do it.” There is no previous experience required for this workshop, and all the materials will be provided. Youth just need to come wanting to learn and to try something new. We encourage all youth to come to this workshop, it will be a really fun afternoon!
The workshop cost is $20, and pre-registration is required. There is limited availability so RCAC is encouraging youth to sign up quickly. Registration can be done at www.u19filmfest.com
