A ghost flipbook

Every lesson

1. 

   Lesson 1 · 0:52

   Why it moves

   Your turn: Draw a dot on the last page, a bit higher on each page, then flip.

   Watch lesson 1 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Want to make paper move? You need a little notepad and a pencil. That's it!

   2. 0:06

      Here's the trick. Go to the very last page. Draw a dot near the bottom.

   3. 0:12

      Now lay the next page down on top. Look! You can see the dot through the paper. Draw it again, a tiny bit higher.

   4. 0:20

      Next page. A little higher again. And again!

   5. 0:25

      Now flip the pages fast. Look! The dot jumps up!

   6. 0:30

      When pages flip fast, your eyes mix them together. So the dot looks like it moves. Every cartoon works this way!

   7. 0:39

      Your turn. Draw a dot on the last page. Draw it a bit higher on each page on top. Then flip it! When you're done, press Next.

2. 

   Lesson 2 · 0:54

   The bouncing ball

   Your turn: Draw a ball that falls, squishes flat, and bounces back up.

   Watch lesson 2 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Let's make a ball bounce! Animators learn this one first.

   2. 0:05

      Start on the last page. Draw a ball at the top. Draw a line for the ground.

   3. 0:12

      On each page on top, draw the ball a little lower. Near the top, keep the balls close together. Near the ground, space them far apart.

   4. 0:22

      Why? A falling ball gets faster and faster! Close means slow. Far means fast.

   5. 0:30

      When it hits the ground, squish it flat! Then it bounces back up.

   6. 0:35

      Now flip it. Boing! Boing! It really bounces!

   7. 0:41

      Your turn. Start on the last page. Move the ball down a little on each page. Squish it on the ground. Then press Next.

3. 

   Lesson 3 · 0:54

   Make a character move

   Your turn: Draw the start and the end, then the pages between. Move only the arm.

   Watch lesson 3 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Now let's bring a character to life! Keep it simple. A round body, two eyes, two arms.

   2. 0:07

      Pick one part that moves. This arm is going to wave. Everything else stays still.

   3. 0:14

      Here's how animators do it. Draw the start first. On the last page, the arm is down.

   4. 0:21

      Now count up four pages. Draw the end. The arm is up high!

   5. 0:27

      Then fill in the pages between. The middle one is halfway. Trace the body on every page, so only the arm moves.

   6. 0:35

      Flip it. Hi there! Your character waves at you!

   7. 0:40

      Your turn. Draw a simple character. Pick one part that moves. Draw the start, then the end, then fill in between. Then press Next.

4. 

   Lesson 4 · 0:54

   Flip, fix, and share

   Your turn: Flip slowly, redraw a jumpy page a bit closer, then share it.

   Watch lesson 4 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Time for a test flip! Hold the top of your pad tight. Bend the pages up with your thumb. Then let them go.

   2. 0:08

      Does something jump? Go slow, one page at a time. Find the page that jumps too far.

   3. 0:16

      That's normal. Every animator fixes jumps. Erase it. Then draw it closer to the page under it.

   4. 0:24

      Flip again. Smooth! Much better.

   5. 0:29

      Want it longer? Add more pages with tiny changes. Your ball can bounce again and again.

   6. 0:36

      Now show your family. Hand them your flipbook and say, flip it!

   7. 0:41

      Your turn. Flip your book fast. Find a page that jumps and redraw it. Then show your family. You made a flipbook!