Animation Lab for Kids ─ Fun Projects for Visual Storytelling and Making Art Move

Introduce kids to stop-motion animation and animated filmmaking.

Animation is everywhere--from movies and TV to apps and video games--and today's tech-savvy kids know all about it. With the accessibility and ease of use of cameras and video-editing software, people of all ages are learning how to make stop-motion animation. In Animation Lab for Kids, artists, teachers, and authors Laura Bellmont and Emily Brink present exciting, fun, hands-on projects that teach kids a range of animation techniques. From the classic zoetrope, flip book, and cel methods (which don't require any devices or technology) to different methods of shooting, the lessons require no previous experience for either child or adult. Experimenting with a variety of art materials (drawing, clay, and paper cut-outs), young animators will learn to plan a film through writing, storyboarding, and creating sets. The book also features helpful and informative sidebars on the history of the early animation techniques as well as the inspiring work of innovative and influential animators, including Kirsten Lepore, PES, Hailey Morris, and William Kentridge.

The authors are co-founders and lead teachers of The Good School, an arts-education school that cultivates and combines traditional art-making skills and the technologies involved in stop-motion animation filmmaking. They teach animation techniques at camps, schools, and events, including the New York International Children's Film Festival.

Laura Bellmont and Emily Brink are the co-founders and lead teachers of The Good School, an arts-education school that cultivates and combines traditional art-making skills and the technologies involved in stop-motion animation filmmaking. They teach animation techniques at camps, schools, and events, including the New York International Children's Film Festival. They also offer professional development for teachers; among their clients are The Spring School, Spence School, and Pratt Institute.

Laura is a trained illustrator and arts educator who has served children and adults in the New York area for over ten years. She is passionate about progressive arts education and has found a perfect mobile venue for her love of teaching in the formation of The Good School. Laura received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration as well as her MS in Art + Design Education from Pratt Institute, graduating from both programs with honors.

Emily is a professional graphic designer and art educator who has been working in New York City since 2010. She believes that by inviting today's youth into the rich world of art making through the process of animation, she can help create a new generation of problem solvers, culture makers and intelligent consumers that could have the potential to bring creative change to all their spheres of influence. Emily received her BFA in Visual Communications from the University of Oklahoma and her MS in Art + Design Education from Pratt Institute, where she graduated with honors.