Turning Kids Into Animators In Four Weeks

Here is an example of a Claymation Workshop for Kids character creation figure. (Photo/TPeterson 2014)

Your kids can become artists and filmmakers in four weeks.

Kids create a character and a short animated film.

Huntington animator Timothy Peterson teaches the Stop Motion Claymation Workshop for Kids for students 10 years of age and up Saturdays, Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31 at the Cinema Arts Centre.

Peterson is an animator, educator, character designer, editor, compositor, illustrator and musician. He is usually working on several animations at once and every so often a completed one pops out. He recently completed “Goodnight Teirnan” and “Ruby Scouts Survival Tips,” both on YouTube, and is currently working on the “Mandibles of God and Doggy,” a retelling of the famous Japanese dog Hachiko.

When not making animations he can be found teaching at Long Island University, Briarcliff or training teachers in creative projects for New York State.

Designed in step-by-step procedures covering story development, script writing, character design, character creation, lighting, camera for drama, voice over, narration, sound, music and finally editing.

Once completed, class participants will have created a 30- to 90-second animated film which the Cinema Arts Centre will be showing at the workshops very own premiere.

The four classes are $120. All materials to create your character (clay, styrofoam, armature wire, etc.) will be supplied. Students are encouraged to bring additional materials for background scenes and items specific to your character.

Students should bring their own laptops. Students can share their technology between two people, but this must be arranged prior to the first class. Alternatively, call Peterson to reserve use of limited equipment.

Students will require a digital camera which will be used to take the (several hundred) frame-by-frame images which will be downloaded into: Movie Maker, iMovie, Premiere, or the software of your choice. Acceptable cameras include a digital DSLR, digital point and shoot, mounted tablets or high0quality camera phones capable of taking hundreds of shots to be downloaded onto a computer, video cameras that also take stills, or a web-cam taking still shots directly into a laptop.

Space is limited to 12 students for the 9 a.m.-noon class. The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Ave. in Huntington. Call 631-423-7611 or visit www.CinemaArtsCentre.org.