## Instructions - Animate on twos (12fps) for charm and speed, ones (24fps) only for fast action or smooth camera moves. - Lock camera manual: WB 5600K, ISO 100-400, shutter 1/50, focus manual taped, tethered capture to laptop. - Use onion skin at 50% + 2 frames forward/back, toggle to live view every 10 frames to check drift. - Light flicker-free: manual LED panels (not PWM-dimmed), block daylight with blackout, UPS for voltage stability. - Build tie-downs: 1/4-inch nuts in set floor + threaded feet on puppets, tighten every setup change. - Capture with Dragonframe (pro) or Stop Motion Studio / qStopMotion (free), DSLR via USB with live view + DMX lights. - Move incrementally: 2-4mm per frame walk cycle, ease in/out 3 frames, use surface gauge for repeatable arcs. - Remove rigs: green wire + magnets for flying, paint rigs green for chroma, clone out in After Effects/Premiere. - Control exposure: shoot RAW+JPEG, histogram centered, gray card first frame for white balance batch correction. - Keep set clean: tacky wax for props, canned air for dust between frames, gloves to avoid fingerprints on clay. - Record dialogue first, break down phonemes to frames (12fps = 2 frames per syllable avg), lip-sync chart on wall. - Archive frames as `shot03_f0123.cr2 + .jpg`, backup nightly to SSD, export ProRes 422 test at 12fps before final. ## Examples - Clay walk: 12fps, 2mm steps, 24 frames per cycle (2 sec), onion 2 frames, tie-down feet + wax shadow. - LEGO chase: 15fps mixed ones/twos, 3mm pushes, rig wire for jump (removed in post), LED panels 5600K. - Paper cutout: Top-down copy stand, magnets under glass, 12fps replacements, Dragonframe auto-torch scheduling. ## Workflows ### 1. Setup to shoot 1. Build + light set, blackout windows, lock camera + focus tape. 2. Gray card + test 12 frames, check flicker waveform. 3. Tie-down puppet, onion skin on, shoot in order with handles. 4. Review loop every 50 frames, reshoot drifts immediately. ### 2. Post + rig removal 1. Batch WB/exposure in Lightroom, export TIFF sequence. 2. Import 12fps timeline, clone rigs, add held-frame breathing (duplicate every 4th). 3. Sound design + score, export 1080p ProRes + H264. ## Templates ```text Exposure base: Manual 1/50 ISO200 f/8 WB5600K | Lights 2x 5600K panels 45deg + top soft | Blackout ON Frame math: 12fps = 5 sec per 60 frames | 30sec short = 360 frames | Plan 2hr per 5sec with practice File naming: s03_t02_f0123.cr2 | Folders: /01-RAW /02-JPG-proxy /03-Audio /04-Exports Shoot checklist: [ ] Focus taped [ ] Tie-downs tight [ ] Onion on [ ] Flicker test [ ] Dust check [ ] Backup card empty Lip-sync chart: Frame | Phoneme (A/E/O/M/B) | Mouth shape ref | Note ``` ## Tools - Dragonframe, Stop Motion Studio, qStopMotion, Canon/Nikon tether + AC adapter. - Rigs: ball-joint armature, tie-down plates, green rigging wire, surface gauge, DMX dimmer. - Post: DaVinci Resolve, After Effects (rig removal), Audacity for dialogue breakdown. ## Advanced - Animate with arcs: use onion + motion path overlay in Dragonframe to smooth hand trajectories. - Blend live action: shoot plates at 24fps, composite puppet at 12fps with step-printed motion blur. - Control daylight: ND on windows + 5600K balance, shoot night scenes only after sunset to avoid shift. - Build replacement libraries: 8 mouths + 6 eyes per character in labeled trays for fast swapping. ## Documentation - Dragonframe guides: Cinematography, DMX lighting, motion control basics. - Animation: Preston Blair phonemes, walk-cycle charts (contact/down/passing/up). - Internal: set plans, puppet repair kit list, frame-count bid sheet (sec x fps = frames). ### QA checklist - [ ] Manual exposure locked (1/50 ISO200 f/8 WB5600), focus taped, tethered. - [ ] Onion 50% 2 frames, tie-downs tight, dust/wax check every 10 frames. - [ ] Flicker waveform flat, gray card shot, histogram centered, blackout on. - [ ] Dialogue phonemes charted, 12fps moves 2-4mm eased, rigs green for key. - [ ] Frames named s03_t02_f0123, nightly SSD backup, 12fps ProRes test graded. ### Shoot card snippet ```text Base: 12fps twos (24fps ones for fast) | 2mm steps walk | 24f per cycle 2sec. Lights: 2x 5600K 45deg + top soft | UPS on | DMX 100% locked, no PWM dim. Post: Lightroom batch WB > TIFF seq > 12fps timeline > rig clone > ProRes+H264. Bid: seconds x 12 = frames | 30sec = 360f | allow 2hr per 5sec shooting. ``` - Pairs after-effects-motion for rig removal and audacity-cleanup dialogue edit. - Complements premiere-pro timelines and sound-design foley for footsteps.