Have you ever felt that some of the toys in your room are alive? Odds are I can make that happen using stop-motion animation. Stop-motion animation is a filming process used even in big-budget films. Stop-motion animation takes normal objects, and with a camera, makes them come to life. There are three main steps in animation: getting all your materials together, filming and the last part is editing.
The entire animation process is divided up like a cake: the materials are the base, filming is the main part, and editing is like the frosting because it ties the entire thing together. Stop-motion animation is a filming tool used by many great directors, like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. The first thing you will need when making a movie using stop-motion is something to film. You need something that will stand up on its own while you film because you cannot have your hand on the materials while filming. I like to use legos because they stand up on their own and are very sturdy. If you want to film, you need a good digital camera, something that can handle all the information you will put in it. The next step is the main part and it is the filming process. This process requires skill and attention to detail. You start with your character in front of the camera and you take a picture. After the picture you move you character ever so slightly and take another picture. Repeat this process over and over until you are satisfied with the movements you have made your character make. You may have been exposed to stop-motion and not even known it. There are many examples in early movies. The space battles in Star Wars are great examples of professional animation. In addition, all animated movies you have ever seen are stop-motion animation because animated movies are just lots of pictures played together in sequence. The last stage and probably the most fun is the editing stage, where you take all your pictures and put them together into a movie. In editing you have to take all your pictures from the digital camera to the computer, which anybody should know how to do. Once you have your pictures, you need a good editing software so you can put all your pictures in order and make the movie. For Windows computers you can use Windows Movie Maker, and for Macs, iMovie works great. If for some reason your computer does not have an editor, there are many on the internet that are great to use. In the editing software you put the time that you want each picture to run. There are many run-times, such as fifteen frames-per-second, or longer. I have found that the shorter the run-time is, the better the animation looks. In the editing stage you add voices, which add another level of reality to your film. The best part of editing is special effects, like fire or rain. These make your movie that much better, and I have found that it is worth the effort. The last part of the entire process is sharing your film with the world. It is very rewarding when someone likes your film and complements you.
I am proud of knowing stop-motion animation because not very many people know it and it makes me feel good to know something that they do not know. This process is easy to learn but takes lots of practice, but when you get it down, it is very rewarding.
Friday, July 31, 2009
M4 Sherman Tank
The M4 Sherman Tank was the staple in the American military for tank warfare during World War II. The M4 was invented as a response to the German invasion of France. The Sherman also had several flaws that made it an easier kill for German tank crews. By the end of the war, there had been many upgrades to the very reliable M4 so that it could perform roles that a normal tank could not.
According to Britannica online, the tank was the major weapon of choice as much as the airplane had been in World War I. As war broke out in 1939, the United States was far behind other countries in development of weapons of war. As Germany invaded France, the U.S. was shocked and immediately ordered a new medium tank to be produced. After some early problems with the M3, the M4 Sherman was born. However, the developers of the M4 majorly cut back on armament; just a 75-mm low-velocity gun was installed, and armor, at the maximum three inches, so it could have better speed and maneuverability. Another drawback was that the M4 had a gasoline engine, so when a shell pierced the thin armor of the Sherman, the gasoline would catch the tank on fire. The Sherman’s first foray into combat came with the British in North Africa. There it roughly competed with the early versions of the German Panzer IV. By 1944 the Sherman was outclassed by the superior upgraded German Panzer and Tiger tanks. The M4 was hindered from being upgraded by the American doctoral thinking for mass production, which was the thinking from World War I. So the tank was still “easy pickings” for German tank crews until the firepower was upgraded late in the war. As a result, Sherman tank crews came up against better and better German tanks where they were no match. The Sherman was faster and had a greater rate of fire than the most of the German tanks it came up against. The German Panzer and Tiger tanks in particular had greater range and accuracy coupled with greater survivability than the M4. Because of that, the Sherman had to rely on numbers to defeat the German tanks. Though the Sherman had many drawbacks, its reliability and design made it a perfect contender for the roles needed in the D-Day invasion and the push through France. For the initial Normandy invasion, the British added a minesweeper attachment on the Sherman so that it could clear the beaches for the soldiers. Probably the most famous attachment was given to the Sherman by the U.S. forces. The Sherman was given collapsible flaps on the sides that made it float. This would have been perfect for saving the lives of those many marines on the Omaha beach where the M4’s should have gone, but disaster struck and the Shermans were sent out too soon; they all sank due to the waves. Since that tragic event happened, over two thousand marines died on Omaha Beach. Other attachments included a plow on the front that could bust up the hedgerows in France that were used as a defensive barrier by the defending Germans to kill lots of tanks and men. The Sherman also transformed into the M4 Mobile Assault Bridge Carrier and the M32 Tank Recovery vehicle during the war. The Sherman’s durable, reliable chassis made it the workhorse of the Allied armies in World War II.
The M4 Sherman Tank has remained a fascinating vehicle because of its major role in World War II for the Allies. Without the Sherman, the Allies would have had a much harder time winning the war.
According to Britannica online, the tank was the major weapon of choice as much as the airplane had been in World War I. As war broke out in 1939, the United States was far behind other countries in development of weapons of war. As Germany invaded France, the U.S. was shocked and immediately ordered a new medium tank to be produced. After some early problems with the M3, the M4 Sherman was born. However, the developers of the M4 majorly cut back on armament; just a 75-mm low-velocity gun was installed, and armor, at the maximum three inches, so it could have better speed and maneuverability. Another drawback was that the M4 had a gasoline engine, so when a shell pierced the thin armor of the Sherman, the gasoline would catch the tank on fire. The Sherman’s first foray into combat came with the British in North Africa. There it roughly competed with the early versions of the German Panzer IV. By 1944 the Sherman was outclassed by the superior upgraded German Panzer and Tiger tanks. The M4 was hindered from being upgraded by the American doctoral thinking for mass production, which was the thinking from World War I. So the tank was still “easy pickings” for German tank crews until the firepower was upgraded late in the war. As a result, Sherman tank crews came up against better and better German tanks where they were no match. The Sherman was faster and had a greater rate of fire than the most of the German tanks it came up against. The German Panzer and Tiger tanks in particular had greater range and accuracy coupled with greater survivability than the M4. Because of that, the Sherman had to rely on numbers to defeat the German tanks. Though the Sherman had many drawbacks, its reliability and design made it a perfect contender for the roles needed in the D-Day invasion and the push through France. For the initial Normandy invasion, the British added a minesweeper attachment on the Sherman so that it could clear the beaches for the soldiers. Probably the most famous attachment was given to the Sherman by the U.S. forces. The Sherman was given collapsible flaps on the sides that made it float. This would have been perfect for saving the lives of those many marines on the Omaha beach where the M4’s should have gone, but disaster struck and the Shermans were sent out too soon; they all sank due to the waves. Since that tragic event happened, over two thousand marines died on Omaha Beach. Other attachments included a plow on the front that could bust up the hedgerows in France that were used as a defensive barrier by the defending Germans to kill lots of tanks and men. The Sherman also transformed into the M4 Mobile Assault Bridge Carrier and the M32 Tank Recovery vehicle during the war. The Sherman’s durable, reliable chassis made it the workhorse of the Allied armies in World War II.
The M4 Sherman Tank has remained a fascinating vehicle because of its major role in World War II for the Allies. Without the Sherman, the Allies would have had a much harder time winning the war.
Works Cited
"Sherman tank." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 31 Jul. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540138/Sherman-tank
"Sherman tank." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 31 Jul. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540138/Sherman-tank
M4 Sherman Tank
The M4 Sherman Tank was the staple in the American military for tank warfare during World War II. The M4 was invented as a response to the German invasion of France. The Sherman also had several flaws that made it an easier kill for German tank crews. By the end of the war, there had been many upgrades to the very reliable M4 so that it could perform roles that a normal tank could not.
According to Britannica online, the tank was the major weapon of choice as much as the airplane had been in World War I. As war broke out in 1939, the United States was far behind other countries in development of weapons of war. As Germany invaded France, the U.S. was shocked and immediately ordered a new medium tank to be produced. After some early problems with the M3, the M4 Sherman was born. However, the developers of the M4 majorly cut back on armament; just a 75-mm low-velocity gun was installed, and armor, at the maximum three inches, so it could have better speed and maneuverability. Another drawback was that the M4 had a gasoline engine, so when a shell pierced the thin armor of the Sherman, the gasoline would catch the tank on fire. The Sherman’s first foray into combat came with the British in North Africa. There it roughly competed with the early versions of the German Panzer IV. By 1944 the Sherman was outclassed by the superior upgraded German Panzer and Tiger tanks. The M4 was hindered from being upgraded by the American doctoral thinking for mass production, which was the thinking from World War I. So the tank was still “easy pickings” for German tank crews until the firepower was upgraded late in the war. As a result, Sherman tank crews came up against better and better German tanks where they were no match. The Sherman was faster and had a greater rate of fire than the most of the German tanks it came up against. The German Panzer and Tiger tanks in particular had greater range and accuracy coupled with greater survivability than the M4. Because of that, the Sherman had to rely on numbers to defeat the German tanks. Though the Sherman had many drawbacks, its reliability and design made it a perfect contender for the roles needed in the D-Day invasion and the push through France. For the initial Normandy invasion, the British added a minesweeper attachment on the Sherman so that it could clear the beaches for the soldiers. Probably the most famous attachment was given to the Sherman by the U.S. forces. The Sherman was given collapsible flaps on the sides that made it float. This would have been perfect for saving the lives of those many marines on the Omaha beach where the M4’s should have gone, but disaster struck and the Shermans were sent out too soon; they all sank due to the waves. Since that tragic event happened, over two thousand marines died on Omaha Beach. Other attachments included a plow on the front that could bust up the hedgerows in France that were used as a defensive barrier by the defending Germans to kill lots of tanks and men. The Sherman also transformed into the M4 Mobile Assault Bridge Carrier and the M32 Tank Recovery vehicle during the war. The Sherman’s durable, reliable chassis made it the workhorse of the Allied armies in World War II.
The M4 Sherman Tank has remained a fascinating vehicle because of its major role in World War II for the Allies. Without the Sherman, the Allies would have had a much harder time winning the war.
Works Cited
"Sherman tank." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 31 Jul. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540138/Sherman-tank
Ender’s Game
“Surely it is in range now, thought Ender. It must be in range and the computer can’t handle it. Then the surface of the planet, which filled half of the simulator field now, began to bubble; there was a gout of explosion, hurling debris out toward Ender’s fighters. Ender tried to imagine what was happening inside the planet. The field growing and growing, the molecules bursting apart but finding nowhere for separate atoms to go. Within three seconds the entire planet burst apart, becoming a sphere of bright dust hurtling outward” (Card 295). This quote reveals that Ender has overcome his biggest challenge to date as he wins the final war for the human race. In the novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, a young “wiz kid” must take on the responsibility of trying to save the human race, so the theme of overcoming challenges is clearly presented throughout the book.
Ender Wiggin is an outcast at birth. First of all he is a third, which means that his parents broke the law of having an illegal third child. In addition, he is incredibly smart, much farther along in school than people his age. These attributes make him a target for bullies and abuse. Ender’s brother Peter is much older than him but is jealous Ender’s talents, and instead of dealing with it properly Peter physically and verbally abuses Ender: “Ender couldn’t see it coming, except for a slight sift of Peter’s weight; the mask cut out his peripheral vision. Suddenly there was the pain and pressure of a blow to the side of his head; he lost balance, fell that way” (11). Ender was drafted by the world military to go to battle school where he would learn skills that he would use later to fight the buggars, which were the main enemy of the humans. In battle school Ender rises through the ranks with blistering speed, he soon is a commander of his own army and is having great success with a new breed of soldiers and tactics. However the people who drafted Ender are not done with him yet, and they are going to test him to his and his soldiers to their limits: “He was naked, and when he moved the bed was soaking wet. His eyes were puffy and painful from crying. He looked and the clock on his desk. 1820, it said. It’s the same day. I already had a battle today, I had two battles today—the bastards know what I’ve been through, and there doing this to me. William Bee, Griffin Army, Talo Momoe, Tiger Army, 1900. He sat on the edge of the bed. The note trembled in his hand. I can’t do this, he said silently” (213). Ender moves on from battle school to command school, where he begins to learn from a hero from the buggar invasion, Mazer Rackham. Ender learns tactics and everything he will need to fight the buggars, and he also begins simulation battles with his friends from battle school. Ender and his friends pass every test and they quickly get to the last test they will face. The end of the buggars is at hand, and Ender and his friends must use all their skills to win: “Then the enemy formation appeared, and Ender’s weariness turned to despair. The enemy outnumbered him a thousand to one… The planet was at the far end of the field… As for his own fleet, it consisted of twenty starships, each with only four fighters. He knew the four-fighter starships—they were old fashioned…It was all a gamble now, whether any of his ships would survive long enough to get in range. It would not take long, once they would focus on the planet’s surface… Within three seconds the entire planet burst apart…Ender took off his headphones, filled with the cheers of his squadron leaders, and only to realize that there was just as much noise in the room with him” (292-296). In the end, Ender had used all he had learned and even his friends and he defeated the buggars and saved the human race.
Ender used all his gifts, and he passed each challenge ahead of him to save the human race and become a hero. What I took from this book was that with perseverance and teamwork, any challenge can be overcome.
Ender Wiggin is an outcast at birth. First of all he is a third, which means that his parents broke the law of having an illegal third child. In addition, he is incredibly smart, much farther along in school than people his age. These attributes make him a target for bullies and abuse. Ender’s brother Peter is much older than him but is jealous Ender’s talents, and instead of dealing with it properly Peter physically and verbally abuses Ender: “Ender couldn’t see it coming, except for a slight sift of Peter’s weight; the mask cut out his peripheral vision. Suddenly there was the pain and pressure of a blow to the side of his head; he lost balance, fell that way” (11). Ender was drafted by the world military to go to battle school where he would learn skills that he would use later to fight the buggars, which were the main enemy of the humans. In battle school Ender rises through the ranks with blistering speed, he soon is a commander of his own army and is having great success with a new breed of soldiers and tactics. However the people who drafted Ender are not done with him yet, and they are going to test him to his and his soldiers to their limits: “He was naked, and when he moved the bed was soaking wet. His eyes were puffy and painful from crying. He looked and the clock on his desk. 1820, it said. It’s the same day. I already had a battle today, I had two battles today—the bastards know what I’ve been through, and there doing this to me. William Bee, Griffin Army, Talo Momoe, Tiger Army, 1900. He sat on the edge of the bed. The note trembled in his hand. I can’t do this, he said silently” (213). Ender moves on from battle school to command school, where he begins to learn from a hero from the buggar invasion, Mazer Rackham. Ender learns tactics and everything he will need to fight the buggars, and he also begins simulation battles with his friends from battle school. Ender and his friends pass every test and they quickly get to the last test they will face. The end of the buggars is at hand, and Ender and his friends must use all their skills to win: “Then the enemy formation appeared, and Ender’s weariness turned to despair. The enemy outnumbered him a thousand to one… The planet was at the far end of the field… As for his own fleet, it consisted of twenty starships, each with only four fighters. He knew the four-fighter starships—they were old fashioned…It was all a gamble now, whether any of his ships would survive long enough to get in range. It would not take long, once they would focus on the planet’s surface… Within three seconds the entire planet burst apart…Ender took off his headphones, filled with the cheers of his squadron leaders, and only to realize that there was just as much noise in the room with him” (292-296). In the end, Ender had used all he had learned and even his friends and he defeated the buggars and saved the human race.
Ender used all his gifts, and he passed each challenge ahead of him to save the human race and become a hero. What I took from this book was that with perseverance and teamwork, any challenge can be overcome.
A Day Which Will Live in Infamy
“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy— the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced in an Address to the Nation about the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 8th, 1941. On December 7th, 1941 at 7:55 am, three hundred and sixty carrier-born aircraft of the Japanese Navy made a surprise attack on the American base at Pearl Harbor.
According to Britannia online, the attack on Pearl Harbor was sparked when decaying relationships between Japan and the United States reached a climax. The United States declared an embargo on Japan, cutting Japan off from ninety percent of its oil supply, because of its invasion of Indochina and joining of the Axis powers. On November 26, a force of six carriers, two battleships, three cruisers, and eleven destroyers under Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuchi set off for Hawaii. The first wave of nearly two hundred Japanese torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters had actually been spotted by American radar but was ignored, mistaken for a flight of B-17s. The American ships at anchor and military aircraft lined up in the airfields were perfect targets for Japanese aircraft. Two battleships were destroyed by the Japanese, the USS Arizona exploded while the USS Oklahoma capsized trapping its sailors inside. Six other battleships, three cruisers, and three destroyers were damaged, along with more than one hundred and eighty American aircraft destroyed in the air or on the ground. While U.S. military casualties totaled more than three thousand four hundred men killed or wounded. Although the attack on Pearl Harbor crippled the U.S. naval and air strength in the Pacific, the three aircraft carriers, which the Japanese were after, were not at Pearl Harbor at the time. Of the battleships at Pearl Harbor, all but two were eventually repaired and returned to service. In addition, the Japanese failed to destroy the important oil facilities on the island. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt united the country and demolished support for neutrality. On December 8th, Congress declared war on Japan, sparking the United States’ entry into World War II (“Pearl Harbor attack”).
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a horrible day in American history, with the deaths of thousands of brave men at the hands of the Japanese. However it united a nation, who stood up and fought evil and eventually prevailed.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a horrible day in American history, with the deaths of thousands of brave men at the hands of the Japanese. However it united a nation, who stood up and fought evil and eventually prevailed.
Works Cited
"Pearl Harbor attack." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica
Online. 28 Jul. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/448010/Pearl-
Harbor-attack>.
"Pearl Harbor attack." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica
Online. 28 Jul. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/448010/Pearl-
Harbor-attack>.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)