Luis國際資訊事務所

Stop-motion animation is a very slow and time-consuming process, but it also creates a special magic that people love

　　Chicken Run, Coraline, James and the Giant Peach, and The Nightmare Before Christmas were all big hits1. Moreover, these movies were all made using stop-motion animation2. This filming technique is still used, although not nearly as often as the main forms of animation like computer-generated or hand-drawn images. There is a good reason why it is not frequently used. Stop-motion animation is a very slow and time-consuming3 process.

　　The technique involves shooting something on film frame by frame4. For example, filmmakers5 shoot one frame of a doll. Then the doll's arm is moved a tiny bit and another frame is shot. This process is repeated over and over until the full movement is completed. Usually, one minute of stop-motion animation requires 1,440 individual frames. Afterwards, the frames are put together and played one after another, creating the appearance of the doll lifting its arm. Now imagine making a whole movie with many characters and lots of complex actions. Not only would filmmakers need lots of patience, but they would also have to have a good eye for detail.

　　Stop-motion animation has a special magic that people love. It is used to make objects in real life move, whereas CGI6 might seem real enough in movies like Avatar. People are attracted to stop-motion animation because there is nothing like seeing a real desk, lamp, or ordinary object come to life.

　　《落跑雞》、《第十四道門》、《飛天巨桃歷險記》，以及《聖誕夜驚魂》都是紅極一時的動畫。此外，這些電影都是用定格動畫技術所製作而成的（編按：定 格動畫又被稱為逐格動畫或停格動畫）。雖然其普遍程度不如電腦或手繪動畫等主要的動畫形式，不過人們現在仍會採用這種拍攝技巧。這種動畫技巧之所以沒那麼 常用，當中其實有個充分的理由。拍攝定格動畫是種非常緩慢且耗時的過程。

　　這項技術牽涉到使用底片、一格畫面接著一格地拍攝物品。舉例來說，製片者會替某個玩偶拍下一格畫面。接著他們會微微移動玩偶的手臂，然後再拍下另一格 畫面。這樣的程序會反覆進行，直到整個動作都做完為止。通常一分鐘的定格動畫需要用上一千四百四十格畫面。隨後，這些畫面會串接在一起、一格接著一格播放 出來，製造出玩偶把手舉起來的景象。現在試想製作一部充滿許多角色及複雜動作的電影會是什麼樣子。製片者不但要有極大耐心，同時也要具備能明察秋毫的好眼 力。

　　定格動畫有一種深受人們喜愛的特殊魔力。人們會使用它來讓真實世界中的物品移動，另一方面，像是電影《阿凡達》中出現的電腦繪圖用意則是看起來要夠逼真。人們被定格動畫深深吸引，因為看見一張桌子、一盞檯燈或是一件普通物品活了過來，絕對是種無與倫比的體驗。

1. technique　n. 技巧，手法
We loved Scott's photographic technique, so we asked him to shoot our wedding.
我們很喜歡史考特的拍照技巧，所以就請他來拍攝我們的婚禮。

2. generate　vt. 產生
Eco-friendly ways to generate electricity include using water, the wind, and the sun.
使用水力、風力和太陽能都是很環保的發電方法。

3. frequently　adv. 經常地，頻繁地
Jason goes to that restaurant frequently because he enjoys the food there.
傑森很常去那家餐廳，因為他很喜歡那裡的食物。

4. afterwards　adv. 隨後，後來
Vincent had a big fight with his girlfriend, and they broke up afterwards.
文森和他的女友大吵一架，隨後他們就分手了。

5. complex　a. 複雜的；難以理解的
Not everyone can understand complex scientific concepts like nanotechnology.
並非所有人都能理解像奈米科技那種複雜的科學概念。

6. whereas　conj. 但是，然而
My brother had three helpings of pasta, whereas I only ate one.
我哥吃了三份義大利麵，而我只吃了一客。

7. be nothing like...　　完全比不上……
There is nothing like a hot bath after a day out in the cold.
在冷颼颼的戶外待了一整天後，沒什麼比得上泡個熱呼呼的熱水澡了。

8. come to life　　變得栩栩如生；有了生命∕生機
Everything comes to life again in the spring.
萬物在春天來臨時又恢復了生機。

1. hit　n. 風行一時的事物
2. stop-motion animation　n. 定格動畫
3. time-consuming　a. 耗時的
4. frame　n.（影片的）畫格，畫面
5. filmmaker　n. 製片者
6. CGI　n. 電腦繪圖（computer-generated imagery的縮寫）

複合形容詞
　　複合形容詞就是將兩個以上的字用連字符號"-"連接形成的形容詞，通常置於名詞之前，用以修飾該名詞。以下介紹本篇文章所出現的兩種複合形容詞：
1. 名詞 + 過去分詞
　 此類複合形容詞一律由被動語態的形容詞子句化簡而成。
　The buildings which are covered with snow look beautiful from a distance.
→ The snow-covered buildings look beautiful from a distance.
　（那些覆滿白雪的建築從遠處看來很美。）
2. 名詞 + 現在分詞
　此類複合形容詞一律由主動語態的形容詞子句化簡而成。
　This is an animal that eats men.
→ This is a man-eating animal.
　（這是個會吃人的動物。）