Video Storytelling

Imagination came to life with each camera click as campers created their own stop motion video at the UTA Libraries summer camp Legends and Lore: Storytelling Through Gameplay on Aug. 3. 

Before working on their videos, campers were shown videos using the stop-motion technique. One example was from the film “The Boxtrolls.” The video clip showed how animators would manipulate clay figures to create motion by moving an arm, leg or head slightly, recording the movement digitally. 

Campers used several items to create their videos, including Legos, Play-Doh, and pixel art they made earlier in the FabLab. Each movement was captured using a camera on an iPad. The photos were stitched together sequentially using an app to create a video. 

The videos created by campers ranged from the simple movement of an object on the screen to the complex. 

Rushi Pujara, a fifth grader, stated his video was of the video game character Yoshi hatching out on an egg and then eating the eggshells. He shared that he “enjoyed getting the chance to tell a story using pictures.” 

Fellow camper Olivia Stutler, a fourth grader, shared Rushi’s thoughts and enthusiasm about creating stop-motion videos. In her video, it showed a figure building a Lego house. 

Olivia said that stop-motion animation “allows you to create a longer video that you can enjoy more.” 

The weeklong camp gave the children a chance to explore their creative side. It also allowed them to look at different ways to share stories with friends and family members, growing their imaginations in the process.