The art of stop-motion animation has left viewers in awe for decades. Yet, such a simple pleasure requires a lot of planning for perfect execution.
As part of the PBS Digital Studios series Off Book, a few highly skilled stop-motion artists reveal a little bit of the magic behind their creations.
See also: The Evolution of Animated GIFs [VIDEO]
Animators Hayley Morris, Matthew Amonson and Jeremy Bronson of Studio Nos, Vine artist Meagan Cignoli and New York University professor Dean Kalman discuss the history, technology and craft of stop-motion animation.
Watch the video, above, to see how the technique brings still objects to life.
BONUS: 10 Amazing Slow Motion Videos of Everyday Things
Billiards and pool are games that require a decent knowledge of physics and geometry. This video might help you understand what actually happens when you strike a ball or when the ball strikes a rail, leading you to become a more precise - and accomplished - player. Good luck.
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This compilation features a great balloon to the face moment. We often forget just how strange the liquid form of matter is.
This is a great highlight reel of what one of the premiere high FPS cameras on the market can do. At well over 2,000 FPS, you can easily make out the tiny water droplets that lag behind the larger one as a faucet is turned off. The sound editing on this compilation is as artfully composed as the images.
Dogs can be lazy, but when there's food involved they'll go to great lengths to ingest a treat.
"The Slow Mo Guys" specialize in exploring the revealed details that only slow motion image capture can provide. This particular episode featured the duo expanding on the popular water balloon trope by attempting to break a massive six footer.
The magic of free running and parkour is perfect for the slow motion camera. Watching the tricks being performed makes flipping and twisting seem so easy. Trust us it's not.
Sometimes you have to use slow motion to highlight the brilliance of pranking your friends with an exploding couch cushion. Laughing at someone else's pain is never a nice thing to do, but it's awfully hard not to while watching this video.
Sneezing can produce some pretty whacky sounds. People generally look pretty stunned when you see them sneeze. In this video, people just look silly and gross. This video should be played in health clinics everywhere to remind people to cover the mouths when they sneeze. Yikes.
Calling all drummers. Here's a look at what happens to your drums and cymbals when you're rocking out with your band. Don't think about this too much while you're playing though. It could throw off your rhythm.
Image: YouTube, PBS OffBook