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Inspirational DIY Stop-Motion For young animators just getting started, this collection is a must-see. Ray Harryhausen, whose feature film effects work (i.e. Clash of the Titans) is known and studied by all types of animators, also has a slate of early work that is equally inspiring. These short films, based on well-known fairy tales like "Little Miss Muffet," were made simply with low budgets, using in-camera effects. One of the signature methods Ray used was in-camera dissolves (fading one image out while fading another image in), for changes of facial expression on replacement sculpted heads. The puppets were carefully crafted by the whole Harryhausen family--dad made the armatures, mom made the costumes. While Ray eventually had the opportunity to learn from stop-motion master Willis O'Brien, these early independent films are where he developed his own style and innovations through experimentation. As such they are an invaluable resource as inspiration to stop-motion animators today.