(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, beige trousers and a maroon TVO Kids sweatshirt.

He says WELCOME BACK TO
TVOK NEWS.
NOW, LAST YEAR,
WE VISITED WITH PAYTON CURTIS,
WHO IS A STOP MOTION
FILMMAKER.
I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF
YOU OUT THERE WHO ARE
SUPER INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW
TO MAKE STOP MOTION FILMS.
SO LET'S TAKE ANOTHER LOOK.

On a screen behind him, a clip rolls.

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

Payton is in his forties, with short wavy 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 A PROPRIETOR OF THE
ELORA GORGE CINEMA.
I'VE WORKED ON
CORALINE,
BOX TROLLS,
PARANORMAN,
FANTASTIC MR. FOX,
AND
THE LITTLE PRINCE
IN
MONTREAL, CANADA.
I'VE ALSO MADE A COUPLE OF
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 WAS CALLED 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.
SO, LET'S PRETEND HE'S GONNA
LOOK UP AT THE CAMERA, YOU GUYS.
FIRST IMAGE 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.

A clip shows the head of the robot moving.

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 PLIERS.
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 CHARACTERS'
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS CHANGE?

He shows a plastic head mounted on a wooden board.

He says HERE'S A HEAD,
THIS IS NORMAN 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 I 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,
AND 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."
BUH.
UH.
TT.
BUTT.
IT'S THREE POSITIONS.
VERY PRECISE,
AND THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT.
SO THE ADVICE I WOULD GIVE
TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS
TO BECOME AN ANIMATOR
IS VERY SIMPLE,
YOU'VE GOT TO 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.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

A caption reads "Clips courtesy of 20th Century Fox, Laika, and Mechanical Farm."

Daniel says THAT IS SO COOL.
THANKS SO MUCH,
PAYTON.
THAT'S IT FOR
TVOK NEWS
THIS WEEK.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Logo: TVO Kids News.