HD Video: Ground Breaking animation – world's smallest stop motion character shot on the Nokia N8's 12mp camera (and behind the scenes)

The Nokia Microscope – first seen on the Nokia N73 in the hope to improve the quality of telemedicine. The phone microscope, or cellscope (invented by Professor Daniel Fletcher, new N8 custom build Lew Gardiner) has been used again, this time, to record with the Nokia N8 a ‘s 12mp camera a ground breaking animation – the world’s smallest stop motion character ever in a film, the 9mm ‘Dot’ showcased at Nokia World 2010.

This is created by Sumo Science at Ardman Studios, makers of ‘Wallace and Grommit’ ‘Shaun the Sheep’ and ‘Chicken Run’. As you’ll find out in the second video, this being a stop motion is recorded using still images of full resolution 4000×3000 images (not from the N8’s HD video). So technically this could have been watched in 1080p (or beyond though there aren’t any consumer screens for that).
BE SURE TO CLICK 720p which the version below is in.
[YOUTUBE=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD7eagLl5c4]

Aardman used innovative Rapid Prototyping 3D printing technology that uses a computer-generated model of an object or character and then prints it in full 3D using a plastic resin material.

The entire set was no more than a metre and a half long, all elements of which were used to help sell the scale of the project to the viewer. The film was painted under a microscope by expert modelmakers and animated using tweezers; “It became a real test of working at such a small scale, and in having the patience to push on through ‘til the end’” said Aardman director Ed Patterson.

“The final film has come out better than we could have hoped for. It was great collaborating with Wieden + Kennedy and to gel so well creatively. The Nokia N8 stood up to the challenge and produced some outstanding images”.

Aardman

Here’s a behind the scenes look at ‘Dot’. You can see applications of Fletchers cellscope, such as remote viewing of blood samples (which could then be easily sent over the internet from the phone). You’ll see the 50 different Dots created via 3D printing technology which were then placed together to create her motion effect (As she’s much too small to move/bend). Animation took a pace of 4 seconds A DAY! So much dedication.

I’m interested in knowing how many frames this all took – and if there are any raw images from the shoot.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTbzSiwbRfg]

Props to Aardman, Nokia and W+K (hey Toby!).

Tags: N8, Nokia, Nokia N8, Nseries, Video

Category: Nokia, Nseries, Video