Tricia Fuglestad's Blog

School Arts: Rotoscope in a Mutoscope

2/20/2022

Read about our Collaborative Rotoscope Animation Project in School Arts Magazine March 2022

I wrote up the Rotoscope in a Mutoscope collaborative lesson for School Arts Magazine. They put it in their Media Arts issue, March of 2022. You can read the full post here. Since the lesson (literally) has lots of moving parts, I decided to package up the whole lesson in a step by step media filled eBook. This guides the student and/or teacher through every step with tutorials, examples, and any printable handouts from beginning until the end of this project. It's SO worth it! The results are simple magical. View here.

packaged lesson

Read the article

view blog post

My Garden Veggie Tales

7/27/2018

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It's dinner time and the garden vegetables are getting nervous.

This was made in the Do Ink Animation app over my photo.

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Patriotic Lip Sync

10/10/2017

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4th graders are embarking on a project I've been wanting to try to for a couple of years. We are going to do collaborative lip sync rotoscope animated movies. Each class of 4th grade will make a patriotic movie using their artwork and voice. Together their words or phrases will be edited together to recite the preamble of the constitution, the pledge of allegiance, and the ending of The Colossus poem on the State of Liberty.

1. Assign parts

I went through each of the patriotic themed pieces and broke it into enough "parts" that each student could contribute one word or phrase. I wanted each part to be only 1 second of video if possible. This would keep the number of drawings somewhere between 5-8.

Preamble part one

Preamble part two

Ending of New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

The Pledge of Allegiance

2. Recording

The week before we draw the rotoscope, we record video of each student speaking their part into the camera. I used an iRig microphone to help get better audio. Since audio really counts for this project, I needed to ask all the students for full cooperation. I gave them paper and monster packets to draw from as they waited for their classmates to be recorded.
I set up each video with a tight close up so that students could easily draw their face and the changes in their expression and mouth as they say their word or phrase. I use the iOgrapher tripod mount for my iPad so that I would have steady footage.

3. Prep the footage

I always leave a bit of lead and end time when I film so that no words are cut off. This means that the footage I took of the students needs trimming. After I transfer my files to my desktop (via dropbox or google drive app) I pull up each clip in quicktime, trim, and rename the file to "number_phrase_studentName". This puts all the files in order which will help for future editing.

4. Prep for Rotoscoping

This handout helps students get their video imported into the Do Ink Animation app to the correct layer, add some transparency, get a small frame rate, adjust ghost images (I find them distracting in this project so I turned them off), and set up the brush tool.

Preparing for Rotoscope

5. Contour Line Drawing

Students will be lead through the first drawing so I can share my recommendations for how to draw the features of the face in a simple but accurate way. This contour line drawing lesson will help them get into a good pattern of attention to detail and accuracy.

6. Putting it all together

4-1 and 4-2 The Preamble of the Constitution

Lip Sync Rotoscope of the Preamble to the Constitution from Tricia Fuglestad on Vimeo.

Lip Sync Rotoscope of The New Colossus from Tricia Fuglestad on Vimeo.

4-4 Pledge of Allegiance Lip Sync

Lip Sync Rotoscope of the Pledge of Allegiance from Tricia Fuglestad on Vimeo.

Resources:

This video introduces the idea of contour line drawings.

Drawing From Experience from Tricia Fuglestad on Vimeo.

This Rotoscope video will inspire your students.

Contour line drawing extension:

The students uploaded their favorite single still image from their rotoscope animation to Artsonia. This gallery description lead viewers (parents) to links to their movies. The image was drawn fast and without much art instruction since the focus of our class time was creating a series of drawings to make the rotoscope animation. Eventually, I would like students to spend some time working with their portrait drawing to take it to the next level using Colorscape app. This app will allow them to improve on their drawings and color the art without disturbing the black lines.

Original drawing from rotoscope project

Fixed and colored in Colorscape app

After importing the image I erased and changed black lines to improve artwork

I used an opaque marker to fill base colors and used a transparent brush to add shadows

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Practicing Rotoscoping

9/21/2017

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Last year my fifth graders made collaborative rotoscope animations that we put into flipbookit.com mutoscopes. It was pretty amazing to see digital art become physical through this fun viewer. See the post with all the how tos here. Below is the display I set up this school year showcasing their flipbookits. I used this display to introduce the concept to my 4th graders.

Click to view this Collaborative Flipbookit Rotoscope Animation Lesson

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Dancing Sketchbooks

6/30/2017

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..and other Individual Rotoscope Animation Ideas

One of the super cool things about Do Ink Animation and Drawing app is that you can pull in photos or videos and draw over them. Drawing over each frame of a video is a technique called Rotoscope Animation. You probably have seen this technique in the famous music video from the 80's A-Ha's Take Me On. I also LOVE this music video and song by Andrew Huang, Every Night I Dream of Dancing, which is a rotoscope collaboration using 30 artists crowdsourced through the internet.
I tried many ways to instruct my students to create rotoscope animations collaboratively, but I've yet to have them create their own...until now. I think I've come up with some ideas that can make this project manageable for very little people.

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Low Tech Really Cool Animation

6/10/2015

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I was thinking about one of our very first attempts at rotoscoping at Dryden the other day. It was a wonderful way to create an animation collaboration in a low tech way.
We created a 3 second video that would easily loop. So we brainstormed some options and came up with dance moves that can be repeated over and over again.
Here are the steps for how we made this little silhouette gif of a student spinning. It's low tech in that you only need one computer, printer, and scanner. The students do the work on transparencies.

Make a three second video (something easy to loop)
Split the video into an image sequence. You can download MPEG Streamclip to export your video to image sequence.
Use this automator workflow (on a mac) to turn your image sequence into a pdf that you can send to a b/w printer (should be around 35 pages)
Number the pages in order (you will thank me later)
Pass out transparencies, black permanent markers, and a numbered page from the printed pdf to your students
Have students make a silhouette on the transparency over the print out from the video. Be honest about the image even if it is abstract looking or blurry.
Collect, order, & scan the images (use white paper behind transparencies). Number them in the computer.
Use ezgif to select all the images and make them into a gif.
Celebrate your super cool collaboration!

screenshot of all the images in sequence ready to be made into a gif

Want a high tech option?

We now have a class set of iPads available so I designed a lesson to try an iPad Rotoscope Animation collaboration. It's the same idea but no need for transparencies, scanning, or printing. Everything is organized and created digitally. Explore it here.

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Creative Projects to turn Stem to STEAM

6/23/2014

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I have done a presentation called Creative Digital Projects that turn Stem to STEAM at three conferences over the past couple of years. These 45-50 minute presentations include a bizillion ideas in a media packed keynote file that I have trouble sharing online. However I did create a condensed version of the presentation for the AOE Online Conference last summer. The presentation has been behind a pay wall for one year and can finally come out for public consumption now. The following lessons are shared in the video below. Learn more from my links. Also, see Wes Fryer's review of my live presentation at the Illinois Computer Educator's Conference here.

Creative Digital Projects that put STEAM in STEM from Tricia Fuglestad on Vimeo.

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Look at the Potential for the Exponential!

9/4/2012

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listen to ‘Potential for the Exponential’ on Audioboo

UPDATE: NEW SONG RECORDED TO INSPIRE YOU TO VOTE:)
As many of you may already know, Dryden has a project, Rotoscope Animation on iPads, in the running for $15,000 on the McGraw-Hill STEMie Awards. That would buy a lot of iPad for our students! Please help us with your vote. You have to login first with an email then vote. That's all! Thanks so much to all the Tweeple that have been helping to spread the word! See below:

RT @fuglefun: My students R finalists in this national contest 4 their art/tech project. Please take a minute 2 vote stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho…
— KinderArt (@KinderArt) September 3, 2012

Put some ART into STEM. Vote for @fuglefun's elementary art student's: Rotoscope Animation on iPads shar.es/7BKmo @naea #steam #arted
— Juan Carlos Castro (@juan_c_castro) September 4, 2012

Help @fuglefun and her #Art students put #STEAM in the McGraw-Hill STEMie Awards. Vote here! goo.gl/koAGQ
— Katie Morris (@MrsMorris_Art) September 3, 2012

Vote for @fuglefun & her amazing tech/artist students (& enjoy the excellent animation!) bit.ly/OhuuGs #animation #youthmedia #edtech
— Todd Strother (@trstrother) September 3, 2012

RT @techsavvyed: 5th Graders creating amazing rotoscope art! Please vote for them if you have the time! stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho…
— Giulia Forsythe (@giuliaforsythe) September 4, 2012

@fuglefun I will check it out! I read/think a lot about #STEM needing to be #STEAM. Bookmarked your link to diigo this am!
— Jaclyn Karabinas (@JKarabinas) September 3, 2012

Students R finalists in this national contest 4 their art/tech project. Please take a minute to vote stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho… Thx!
— Scott Meech (@smeech) September 3, 2012

pls vote for art tchr @fuglefun's rotoscope entry! stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho… you'll need to sign up then sign in again to vote. Pls RT, thx!
— Melissa Techman (@mtechman) September 3, 2012

RT @fuglefun: The votes are close in the #STEM contest. Your vote WILL make a big difference for all of @drydenschool drydenart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/09…
— Karen Miller (@Kdmiller4) September 9, 2012

MT @juan_c_castro:Vote for @fuglefun's Rotoscope Animation on iPads to go full STEAM ahead!shar.es/7BKmo @naea #steam #arted
— Artsonia (@Artsonia) September 4, 2012

RT @juan_c_castro Put some ART into STEM.Vote 4 @fuglefun's elementary art student's Rotoscope Animation on iPads shar.es/7BKmo @naea
— DoInk Tweets (@DoInkTweets) September 4, 2012

RT @fuglefun: support #arlingtonheights student project in this national contestwith your vote!@triblocalstemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho…
— St. Mary's Services (@stmaryservices) September 4, 2012

5th Graders creating amazing rotoscope art! Please vote for them if you have the time! stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho… #ds106 cc @giuliaforsythe
— Ben Rimes (@techsavvyed) September 4, 2012

Rotoscope Animation on iPads shar.es/7U16A
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) September 2, 2012

Awesome animation by @fuglefun #5thgrade students.Vote NOW!!!goo.gl/lGb04 Please & thankyou! #edchat #5thchat #mlearning
— TJ Houston (@tjhouston) September 4, 2012

voted for this awesome #artsed video and you should too - stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho… good luck @fuglefun
— Andrea Slusarski (@miss_SLU) September 4, 2012

Dear #artsed friends-pls support @fuglefun & #artsed project Rotoscope Animation 4 iPad. Finalists in Nat'l contest stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho…
— Jessica Wilt (@JessicaLWilt) September 4, 2012

RT @fuglefun:Please support our #artsed project Rotoscope Animation on iPads. We're STEMIE finalists stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho… THX!
— Jerry Blumengarten (@cybraryman1) September 4, 2012

Rotoscope #Animation on iPads shar.es/7SrCu >via @fuglefun 's #ArtsEd class—they're finalists, need votes to win a grant! #teachers
— Cathryn Hrudicka (@CreativeSage) September 4, 2012

Way-cool animation project by @fuglefun's students that deserves your vote! ow.ly/dsU1M #stem #edchat #edtech #elemchat #artsed
— Brad Wilson (@dreambition) September 5, 2012

Vote for Dryden Elementary's #STEMie project! It's time to #STEAM -ahead! shar.es/71e21 Log in & vote for Rotoscope on iPads #arted
— Samantha Melvin (@smelvin) August 19, 2012

Have you voted for @fuglefun 's Rotoscope Animation to win a 2012 STEMie Award yet?? If not, please do! Here's the link bit.ly/PoPWfr
— Suzanne Tiedemann (@Tiedemania) August 22, 2012

Classroom #artsed project up for a #STEM award from McGraw Hill. Vote for it!bit.ly/Nj6M0W
— John (@JohnAbodeely) August 23, 2012

Please vote 4 our talented kids! Vote for Dryden Elementary's #STEMie project!shar.es/71e21 Log in & vote for Rotoscope on iPads
— Danielle Porte (@mrsdporte) August 20, 2012

Cool rotoscoping animation idea: drydenart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/08…
— Jeremy Holien (@JeremyHolien) September 5, 2012

Wow! You have to check out and vote for my friend @fuglefun and her student's ipad art. stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho…
— Barb Gilman (@BarbInNebraska) September 8, 2012

VOTE FOR @drydenschool : drydenart.weebly.com/1/post/2012/08…Let’s win more iPads for @drydenschool!
— Dryden School (@DrydenSchool) September 4, 2012

#ArtsEdChat check out @fuglefun #artsed project Rotoscope Animation on iPads Class collaboration ow.ly/dwgw6 NEED your VOTE
— Chelsie Meyer (@chelsiemeyer) September 6, 2012

Please vote and RT "@fuglefun only 21 away from lead Thx #artsed #stem #steam supporters stemie.mcgraw-hill.com/submission/sho…"
— Janine Campbell (@campbellartsoup) September 10, 2012

Rotoscope Animation on iPads by @fuglefun! shar.es/ufeDp via @sharethis
— Abby Escobal (@AbbyE_arted) September 10, 2012

.@drydenschool is now in 2nd place in this national STEM contest for $15,000, 8 more days to vote #ArlingtonHeights dailyherald.com/article/201209…
— Melissa Silverberg (@m_silverberg) September 11, 2012

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We're Finalists and We Need Your Vote!

8/15/2012

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My Countdown

Vote now

Last Spring Dryden's 5th graders created a collaborative rotoscoped animation on the iPads. It turned out to be so cool that we documented the process and entered it into the McGraw-Hill STEMie Award contest as a Technology and Art project.

Out of the 158 video projects submitted from across the country, they chose 30 finalists. Our Rotoscope Animation on iPads project is one of these finalists.
The next step is a voting round. 30% of our score is determined by voting.
We have until noon on Sept. 19th to get as many people as possible to create a login and submit their vote for our movie. You can only vote once, so please spread the word!

As part of the application process I filled out essays, sent out and collected permission slips, and proposed a plan for how we would use the $15,000 first place award if we won. On this point I wrote that I would like to see the money go towards iPads.
I know that Dryden has iPads, but the teachers do not. Adding new iPads to our collection means that as the iPads rotate through the grade levels each classroom would still have access to one iPad. The one iPad classroom is still a wonderful thing for engagement, quick research, collaboration, and planning.
So, all the kids will win if we win this contest! Please vote and pass this on.

Click on the image to view the video and cast your vote

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Creating on iPads: A Practice Page

8/12/2012

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I'm gearing up for the school year by collecting my resources and making them easily available for anyone who wants to learn some of my tips for how to create on the iPad. There are tons of apps in the app store, but I tried to limit my ideas to only a few so that we can work with what we have on our school iPads while I explore other apps and begin writing grants to get them in the future. (100 ipads=$$ for each app purchase) so I'm trying to keep it simple. Below is a screen shot of the new page I added to my website. Visit it here. There are links leading to resources, videos, tutorials, and files that you can download from your iPad and get started playing right away.