Clay Model & Stop Motion

Midnight Diner

Tiantian Zhang

Award winning animation artist, designer, and educator.

Xiaowei Chen

A fine art artist, well-known educator.

CAmp Summary

It tells the story of a small restaurant that operates only from midnight to 7 a.m., where the owner warms the hearts of a diverse array of customers with delicious food and a sincere heart. Students, guided by their teacher, will collectively complete the script development, character design, and prop design, as well as the shooting and editing, to create a 2-3 minute stop-motion animation.

They'll explore the entire process, from character design to creating compelling animations, learning key storytelling and technical skills along the way.

Daily Schedule

Day 1 | 9 AM - 3:30 PM

Story Planning & Character Design

We’ll kick off the week with an introduction to stop-motion animation and walk students through the basics of the production pipeline.
The day will focus on brainstorming and story development. Students will work together to craft an overarching narrative, with each student creating their own unique chapter.
They’ll begin sketching character ideas—designing 3–5 versions, including a main character and key props.

Day 2 | 9 AM - 3:30 PM

Character Building & Scene Setup

Students will bring their sketches to life by sculpting clay characters—creating two sets to ensure flexibility during filming.
We’ll cover essential techniques for building characters that can move, including how to add internal skeletons for stability and articulation.
The day will wrap with designing and setting up each scene’s environment.

Day 3 | 9 AM - 3:30 PM

Set Construction & Filming Begins

Students will complete their sets and begin the filming process, capturing images frame by frame using our stop-motion camera setup.
Filming will be done chapter by chapter, with students supporting each other’s production efforts in a collaborative studio environment.

Day 4 | 9 AM - 3:30 PM

Finishing Filming & Editing Basics

We’ll finish any remaining filming and begin importing footage into editing software. Students will learn the fundamentals of video editing using CapCut.
They’ll add sound effects, music, and voiceovers as needed to bring their stories to life.

Day 5 | 9 AM - 3:30 PM

Final Edits & Showcase Preparation

Students will spend the final day refining their animations, polishing edits, and preparing their short films for a final showcase.
By the end of the week, each student will have a completed stop-motion animation to share with friends and family.

What to bring

Camp will run daily from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, with a 30-minute lunch break. With smaller breaks in-betwee. Please note that students should bring their lunch, snack, and water.

Student will also be asked to bring their own equipment and download software before the camp begins.