(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Logo: TVO Kids News.

Daniel walks in the studio.

Daniel is in his twenties, with short curly brown hair and wears glasses, jeans, and a blue TVO Kids sweatshirt.

Daniel says IT IS TIME FOR OUR
TVOK NEWS
FEATURE.
NOW, HAVE YOU EVER
WANTED TO MAKE YOUR
TOYS OR DRAWINGS COME TO LIFE?
WELL, I WANT TO
INTRODUCE YOU TO
SOMEONE WHO HAS
DONE JUST THAT.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK!

A clip rolls on a screen behind him.

A caption reads "Payton Curtis. Stop Motion Animator."

Payton is in his forties, with short brown hair and wears sunglasses, a black shirt and a brown jacket.

He says HI, MY NAME'S PAYTON CURTIS,
I'M A STOP MOTION ANIMATOR AND
ALSO PROPRIETOR OF THE
(UNCLEAR) CINEMA.
I'VE WORKED ON
CORALINE,
BOX TROLLS, PARANORMAN,
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX,
AND
THE LITTLE PRINCE
IN MONTREAL, CANADA.
I'VE ALSO MADE A COUPLE
SHORT FILMS, MYSELF.
ONE WAS CALLED "BONE GUITAR,"
WHICH IS JUST A BIT OF
HALLOWEEN FUN
WITH A SKELETON AND A GUITAR.
AND THE OTHER WAS CALLED
"THANKS RAY,"
AND IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO THE
LATE, GREAT, RAY HARRYHAUSEN,
WHO'S THE...
THEY CALL HIM THE
GRANDFATHER OF STOP MOTION.
STOP MOTION ANIMATION IS
BRINGING AN INANIMATE OBJECT,
LIKE MY LITTLE ROBOT
FRIEND HERE, TO LIFE.
AND HOW YOU DO THAT IS IN A
SERIES OF STILL PICTURES.

He turns the robot's head a bit to the centre and says SO, LET'S PRETEND HE'S GONNA
LOOK UP AT THE CAMERA...
AT YOU GUYS.
FIRST IMAGINE WOULD BE HERE...
YOU'D MOVE HIM JUST A LITTLE
BIT, TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE...
A LITTLE BIT MORE,
TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE,
AND REPEAT THAT PROCESS UNTIL
HE'S LOOKING AT YOU.
AND THEN WHEN YOU
PLAY IT BACK AGAIN,
THIS IS WHAT
IT'LL LOOK LIKE.

As he plays the clip, it looks like the robot turns his head to the front.

Payton says SO, THESE ARE STORYBOARDS,
AND EACH PANEL REPRESENTS
A FEW SECONDS OF FILM.
SO THE FIRST ONE FROM
BONE GUITAR IS JUST
THE GUITAR ITSELF ON A TABLE,
AND THE NEXT SHOT
WOULD BE THE
SKELETON BREAKING
THE STRINGS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE
WHEN I FIRST PLANNED IT,
I THOUGHT HE'D USE PLYERS,
BUT IN THE END, I REALLY
LIKED THE IDEA OF HIM
PLUCKING THE STRINGS,
AS IT IS A GUITAR,
AND IT WORKED A LOT BETTER.
NEXT FRAME...
THE SKELETON POKES
HIS HEAD OUT.
OKAY, SO HOW DO WE MAKE
THE CHARACTER'S
FACIAL EXPRESSION CHANGE?

He shows a plastic head on a frame and says HERE'S A HEAD...
THIS IS NORMAL
FROM
PARANORMAN.
AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
HIS ENTIRE FACE IS REMOVABLE.
SO IT POPS OFF, AND THEN YOU
HAVE SELECTIONS BETWEEN
EYEBROWS AND MOUTHS.
SO SAY WANT THIS
SMIRKING FACE FOR A SHOT.
AND IF I WANT, SAY,
THIS EYEBROW,
WHICH LOOKS SORT OF WORRIED...
YOU CLICK THAT INTO PLACE.
AND THAT'S ONE FRAME
OF ANIMATION.
AND THEN, OF COURSE,
FROM THERE YOU DO THE
EXACT SAME THING AND REPEAT
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TIMES
UNTIL THE SHOT IS FINISHED.
MAKING A CHARACTER TALK
OR MAKING A PUPPET
LOOK LIKE IT'S TALKING
IS VERY DIFFICULT.
HERE'S A QUICK EXAMPLE.
IF I'M TURNING PROFILE,
WHAT ANIMATORS WILL
SOMETIMES DO IS HAVE A MIRROR
IN FRONT OF THEM,
SO THEY CAN WATCH
THEIR OWN MOUTH
AND SEE WHAT
SHAPES TO MAKE.
SO, LET'S USE THE WORD "BUTT."
(ENUNCIATING "BUTT")
BUTT.
THERE'S THREE POSITIONS.
THEY'RE VERY PRECISE.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT.
SO THE ADVICE I WOULD
GIVE TO ANYBODY
WHO WANTS TO BE BECOME AN
ANIMATOR IS VERY SIMPLE,
YOU'VE GOT THE PRACTICE.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF
DISCIPLINES YOU CAN PRACTICE...
DRAWING, SCULPTING, OF COURSE
ANIMATION ITSELF,
BUT LIKE ANY
OTHER DISCIPLINE...
MUSIC OR ART,
YOU'VE GOT TO PRACTICE.
VERY IMPORTANT.

The caption changes to "Clips courtesy of 20th Century Fox, Laika, Mechanical Farm."

Daniel says WOW. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW
HOW MUCH WENT INTO
MAKING MY FAVOURITE ANIMATED
SHOWS OR MOVIES.
THANKS TO PAYTON CURTIS FOR
GIVING US A TINY GLIMPSE
INTO THE AMAZING ART OF
STOP MOTION ANIMATION.
I'LL SEE YOU GUYS NEXT WEEK
FOR MORE
TVOK NEWS.

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Logo: TVO Kids News.