Novel title sequence concept - using some of the cutting edge tools in SMP

In planning the animation, it was clear that replacement paper parts would be required.  For example, a head is folded and glued, making it stable while filming eye movements.  Another head is for the unfolding animation, while yet another is kept clean and unfolded for the title.

The animation was filmed with a Canon DSLR with a 58mm lens. Using a slightly longer than normal focal length at a low angle means the elements used in the animation can be spread out, making bumping things less likely.  Note the rig supporting the cat head, we will remove that later.

Using the DOP tool in SMP means you can achieve perfect focus and exposure.  See how you can zoom in on the sensor 1:1 and check focus perfectly using the camera zoom function.  You can also take test shots and view them at full resolution.

We used tweezers to replace the cut out eyes for blinking.  The unfolding paper was filmed only unfolding. Using the SMP Editor we reversed the sequence to make the paper fold back up again neatly.  This saved lots of time and gave a clean look to the folding.

The onionskinning tool is used to line up the live image with any stored frame.  This technique was useful to locate the exact position the head earlier in the sequence - saving time and achieving a professional result. Simply navigate to the frame you want to onionskin to and then click the live button, move the slider, then adjust your subject.

The rig removal tool is great for removing props and supports. A frame without the cat is used as the “background plate”.  Note, if you want to export your rig removed frames, make sure you select Stored plus full resolution frames. Even if you use a different compositing application, you can still remove rigs in SMP to preview your shot while you film.

In the rig removal tool you can "lasso" an area, constraining what can be modified.  This remarkable tool is great when removing a rig from sharp edges, as we are here with paper. As you step through frames, the lasso area is automatically applied, saving time when removing rigs from multiple frames.

It's easy to tweak timing using the exclusive SMP Editor.  Hide, duplicate, drag and drop is all possible.  This is where we duplicated the unfolding paper shapes, then reversed the duplicate frames, making them fold back into shape.  This supreme tool is found nowhere else.

Now, just make movie and add audio, and presto, title sequence complete.  All in the one user-friendly application, Stop Motion Pro.