Massaging Frames in the Edit - Frame-by-Frame Stop Motion: The Guide to Non-Traditional Animation Techniques - page 140

Some basic principles of shooting and editing need to be examined before we
get into specific frame-by-frame options for editing. When you are shooting
out of sequence for a film, which is fairly common in filmmaking, it is critical
to always check any already shot footage that might sit on the timeline on
either end of the shot you are about to animate. You might want to shoot
out of sequence because several shots have the same setup, and shooting
those shots together saves a lot of production time in the setup. If you do not
examine all the shots already animated on either side of your current shot,
then you may miss an opportunity to match the shots for action, lighting,
prop consistency, and framing. This could create a lot of trouble in the final
edit. A common practice is to work with your animatic as the base edit. Each
time you complete a shot, you should replace the corresponding storyboard
drawing from the animatic with the final animation. This forces you to keep an
eye on the bigger picture and makes sure that your cuts work together.
“If I'm playing with dialogue I have a rough measure of how long I need.
I usually shoot the movements (especially the mouths) leaving lots of
held frames and then adjust the timings in the editing room.”
Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam refers to a technique common in these alternative stop-motion
techniques: the manipulation of individual frames. Oftentimes, while in the
middle of a shoot, you may wonder about the length of a particular hold of
an object or person. It is always best to overshoot frames and remove extra
frames in the edit process. In this case, Gilliam is overshooting lip-sync frames
and adjusting the timing with the sound in the edit. A tendency with novice
stop-motion animators is to shoot even increments of the subject, which in the
end loses any dynamic in movement. With no variation in the movement from
frame to frame, the movement of an object or person is robotic. This ultimately
should be addressed in the shooting process, but if you change your mind
about a particular movement or action, then the edit room becomes your last
chance to improve things without a reshoot. You can remove frames between
key positions for speed and snappy actions, and you can repeat frames to
make a hold last longer, so the audience can have a brief moment to catch up.
The issue with repeating frames, as mentioned earlier, is that it is best to repeat
sequential hold frames to keep the movement from freezing in place. Holding
a single frame is rarely desirable. Oftentimes, using a technique referred to as
rock and rolling is the best way to keep hold frames alive. You would use frame
1 of a sequence, then frame 2 and frame 3, back to 2 and 1, then back up to 2
and 3, and so forth. This way any jumps in the movement can be avoided. But,
like Gilliam, you want to make sure to always shoot enough frames of a hold
or certain action, if you think you might extend or cut them later in the edit.
Having said this about not holding single frames, I have seen some successful
short pixilated films that utilize the held single frame, like the Argentinean Juan
Pablo Zaramella's Hotcorn . His dramatic facial expressions and good timing
works very well with the frozen held frames, and the contrast of movement