My Journey with Mechanical Flipbooks Workshop

With no prior experience in creating Flipbooks, Christine—the workshop instructor—provided me with meticulous guidance throughout the entire process. Prior to the workshop, I received an email containing clear instructions and a link to upload a 2-second video to the website. Inspired by the playful antics of my furry friend, I selected my playful puppy, Taro, running towards me as the subject for my flip paper animation capturing the essence of her boundless energy and joy.   

Constructing the cardboard and ensuring its structural integrity was challenging, despite the guidance documentation provided in the kit. I encountered unexpected obstacles and found myself struggling in handcrafting things. Just as I felt all hope slipping away, Christine helped me out. Armed with her extensive knowledge and unwavering support, she patiently navigated me through each step. From choosing the appropriate paper for flipping to adjusting the each all movie machine parts angles, Christine was by my side every step of the way, leveraging her expertise to aid me. Furthermore, I was greatly impressed by Christine's sincere passion for the animation arts. With her guidance, I discovered the courage to explore new creative horizons and unlock the full potential of my imagination. 

I carefully crafted each frame and made 24 blank DIY cards with stickers (see the picture above of The Procedure of Making a FlipBooKit), pouring my heart and soul into the project. Surprisingly, the final result arrived sooner than expected; as I turned the wheel on the box, the hand-cranked movie machine sprang to life. There was a magical moment when I witnessed my puppy's action unfold through the captivating medium of flip paper animation. With each flick of the pages, I could sense my beloved Taro running towards to me, closer and closer. In that moment, I came to appreciate the profound beauty of storytelling—the capacity to forge connections and ignite imaginations through the transformative power of art. 

Beyond the technical intricacies, the process of creating the stop-motion animation was a journey of profound connection—a means for me to immortalize the unique bond shared between myself and my Taro. I eagerly anticipate participating in future workshops with Vitale Digital Media Lab to continue crafting more memory sets of my little Taro.