Young Filmmakers Bring Environmental Stories to Life through Stop Motion Animation

During the 23^rd Wild & Scenic Film Festival, a group of young, aspiring filmmakers learned the art of stop motion animation during a youth workshop. Twenty-one enthusiastic kids explored the creative world of stop motion filmmaking to tell environmental stories during the workshop led by SYRCL’s Education Director, Monique Streit.

The workshop, which lasted two hours, offered participants a hands-on introduction to stop motion animation using just their imaginations, a stop motion video app, and a variety of materials. They worked in teams to develop a simple story line, create characters, props, scenery, and bring it to life through stop motion animation. 

The goals of the workshop were to spark creativity in the participants while weaving important environmental topics into their videos. The kids were encouraged to think about the environment as they worked, creating films that were not only fun and engaging but also educational and focused on nature.

To help provide inspiration to participants and connect filmmaking to SYRCL’s forest health and restoration work, a short stop motion video was played that showcased the important role beavers play in promoting climate resiliency. The film illustrated how beaver dams slow water, create wetlands, and protect ecosystems from disturbances like drought and fire. As a low-intensity fire burned through the landscape, the area behind the beaver dam remained untouched, safeguarding the beaver, other wildlife, and the vital environment they rely on. This short film sparked a lively discussion about the positive impact beavers have on their ecosystems, the critical role of low-intensity fire in maintaining healthy landscapes, and how this connects to SYRCL’s Forest Health programs. Fire education, especially around ecological resiliency and community safety, was a focus of many other aspects of the Film Festival this year.

From there, participants brainstormed possible stop motion animation ideas, such as thinning a forest, adding low-intensity fire as a management practice, the lifecycle of a plant or animal, and recreating in nature. Using clay, paper, plant and animal figurines, and markers at their disposal, the young filmmakers got to work crafting their scenes with enthusiasm and creativity.

To wrap the workshop, each group showcased their imaginative films. The finished products show the power of hands-on learning and the creativity that arises when kids have the opportunity to tell their stories.

You can watch some of the finished stop motion films below.