FINAL STOP-MOTION VIDEOS!

HOUSTON STRONG by Yulisa, Oscar & Hilario

HOUSTON SPIRIT by Anaya, Elizabeth, Rudy & Vianca

SK8 ODYSSEY by José, Devin & Alex

HOUSTON'S CULTURAL FOODS by Jamie & Andres

OUR HOUSTON  by Gaby, Emily, Joseph & Steven

OIL SPILL by Ashly, Diana & Lesly

HOUSTON Mini Stop-Motion Video Challenge

by José, Oscar & Devin

by Anaya, Vianca, Rudy & Elizabeth

by Gaby, Steven & Joseph

STOP-MOTION IS FUN!

TO SK8 OR NOT TO SK8 by Devin

I was seven when I got into skateboarding. That’s when I got a board for my birthday. I had to teach myself by just going out and trying stuff. I wasn’t into YouTube so I just experimented with it. Most people end up quitting because it’s hard to commit because it is a hard hobby. You have to put in a lot work. The first trick I ever learned was the No Comply. It’s old school trick where you snap the board with one foot on and one foot off. That took me two months to learn. After that I was motivated to learn more. I skate around Houston, like downtown, South Houston, and East End because those are local. I skate anywhere, anytime. I like skating the streets. You have to try harder because you have to make your own obstacles. I have a lot of skater friends and we hang out when we can. The cool thing about it is you meet people outside of school. One of the worst incidents I ever had was learning a new trick. My board was getting worn down. Boards usually get worn down from the tail or the nose, or actually break in half. I slipped out and landed on my wrist. All my weight fell on it, and it broke. I’ve also broken an elbow and sprained my ankle skating. It can be a dangerous sport. I used to do track but then I quit so I could skate more. The more you progress the more fun it is. It stays in my heart when I land a trick. Skating is a culture thing. You can skate solo or with friends. Skating has its own style. Skateboarding came from when surfers had no waves to ride so they made boards to skate sidewalks. It was better because you didn’t have to wait for waves. I’d like to try surfing someday, maybe in Florida. It’s on my bucket list. These days skateboarding has become so popular that they announced in 2016 that it would be in the 2020 Olympics. Right now my favorite tricks are old school tricks and flip variations. One of my favorite shops is Beantooth Skateshop and Gallery. It’s in Houston, and that’s where I got my Blood Wizard.

SCENE FROM THE CORNER STORE by Emily, Gaby, Joseph & Steven

TABLE OF INSPIRATION

STOP-MOTION ANIMATION PRODUCTION SCENES

HOUSTON SPIRIT by Anaya, Vianca, Elizabeth & Rudy

Houston is an explosion of energy and excitement
The city glows with light and laughter
Corndogs and cotton candy
Kids cartwheeling and dancing with light
A city of life

BELIEVE by Yulisa

In the middle of my brain is a secret dreamer
Love love love
From west to east
No one believes anything anymore
I knew I was in trouble
Can you see under my skin?
Am I not worth more to you?
I am as tough as an oak tree
I touch the rust
There is so much you do not know
Where the two rivers meet and rush
I’m walking on air
I give up my heart
I have told the truth to
Blue stones in the rain
The secret is on the outside
The sun burns my skin
Believe it

THE BLACK FIGURE by Vianca

The rain splashes on her face. She had fallen hard blood was leaking from her leg. She looked to her left was her kidnappers. To her right was a forest with tick tall trees but that was not the only thing that she found. There was a what appeared like a man but not exactly. Then the lighting roared and she remembered. What she thought she might not make it back alive.

Earlier that day there was a fight or an argument. A pretty bad one that she stormed off took the car and left. With no real intention on where she was going she went to the nearest bar for a drink. A little way to take the edge off. Then there was dancing, drinks and what looked like fun so she joined in. After a couple shots this new one seemed a little different than the last ones but she doesn’t mind until she's on the floor unable to speak and carried out by a couple of men.

One thing was for certain was that this was no ambulance nor were these doctors. She goes in and out of consciousness. Until she is finally awake and trying to get a peek at the window or anything to see where she is. “Sit quietly or will shoot” the man said. They had no sympathy, manners, or mercy only the horrid plan they have in store.

A couple minutes later there was a strange howl and there was barking around the van. Then the van stopped and everyone in it was thrown out but not before there was a gun shot that missed and passed her leg still leaving a rather big scratch. The rain was hard and her bleeding leg will prevent her from running. She looked to her right and there was a forest with a strange man standing in front of it.

This was no man she had ever seen he was barely visible. He looked tall, hair on end, fingers resembled claws and a tail. That’s when she needed to get out of there but they all stood silent. What now? She thought looking at the man. Then it clicked he was no man but half-man and half-wolf. She looked from her to the men her kidnappers. She ran home her captors were not so lucky.

HOUSTON by Rudy

Houston.
The Space City.
Listen to me,
I see it differently than you.
Curling concrete highways.
Railroads stretch away from the city.
Dangling earrings, big hats.
Trash floats away.
I grew up with my family.
It’s summer here,
Old men on porches,
Pecan trees shading me.
Ice cream trucks.

WIND by Oscar

Let the wind pound on you
Let the wind toss the leaf’s
Let the wind shake the trees
Let the wind breeze your hair
Let the wind fly my kite
Let the wind whistle in my ear
And I love the wind

HOUSTON POEM by Jamie

This is my world
The space city
Dirt roads tell a story
The past
The future
No one realizes out power
Our strength
My heart is beating
I see it differently than you
This is my city

HOUSTON SONG by Hilario

Barbecue or Mexican whichever will it be
Sit the frick down Texans
I’m about to spill the sweet tea

There’s a lot of fricking sports
Such as football and baseball
So best bet you haven’t lost, the fun has just begun

Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
All the other cities will be left to dust
Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
All the other cities will be left to rust

Who the heck is Harvey and why you hate on him so much
It’s a lot of rain and heavy flooding
Do you really need another reason?

There’s a lot of diversity
And you meet a lot of new people
So, put down your anxiety and let’s throw this fricking party

Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
All the other cities will be left to dust.

THE KEY by Gaby

I am a broken key
I grew up with an open key
No one realizes this is my city
I miss kids on bikes
Let’s hold on to the past
Love oozing out of my family

I sit beside old men on porches
I touch the rust on the walls
Listen to me, my heart is beating
Our power crying out
A story I wish for to be alive

STORM by Anaya

Let the storm scream and howl
Let the storm cry and fall
Let the storm make you dance

The storm does damage
The storm changes weather
After the storm a rainbow appears

And I love storms

ABOUT ME by Joseph

My name is Joseph, and I’m into sports. I grew up liking basketball. I’d play at a park and with my next door neighbors who have a basketball court. I'm pretty tall for my age, so I may try out for the team here. It might give an advantage. Or I might try out for football. I think it would help me stay out of trouble. If I don’t have anything to do, I tent do act out, to be the class clown. I’m going to look into other options in case the sports don’t work out. Maybe interior design or something . My favorite basketball team is the Cleveland Cavalier and my favorite football team is the Miami Dolphins. I got into the Cavaliers because they play fast ball, even though Lebron James left. I like the Dolphins because their uniforms are bright--the orange and blue go together well.

PRACTICE ANIMATION by Yulisa, Oscar & Hilario

PRACTICE ANIMATION by Alicia, Alejandro, Ashly & Christopher

PRACTICE ANIMATION by Elizabeth, Vianca, & Anaya

HOUSTON by Elizabeth

I see it different than you 

Railroads stretch away from the city 

This is home filled with memories of late night drives 

The roots of my childhood, culture, and life

Houston lights up the sky with its beautiful city lights 

A city filled with art everywhere you go 

A multicultural city that’s why i love it here

This is my home my city

My beautiful multicultural city 

SUN by Devin

Let the sun beam down upon me 

Let the sun dry the skate park so I can skate all day 

Let the sun grow my plants 

The sun makes my days endless 

The sun makes  productive throughout my day 

The sun is our everything

BEAUTIFUL CITY by Andres

Flying above the city on my magic carpet

On my left, a Middle Eastern market

On my right, my Guatemalan heritage

Blood in my veins, Guatemalan parentage 

Past the humidity

A beautiful city

Full of diversity

THURSDAY INSPIRATION

MY NEIGHBORHOOD by Gaby & Emily

Lady who sells pupusas
Guy wearing black cap with HT
Dogs running in the streets
Neighbors out on porches smoking

Cuando caminas miras las comidas
Cuando respiras, respiras la contaminacion
Cuando te sientas escuchas los corridos

Teens hanging out at the park
Gangster music playing on the radio
Guys riding little bikes
4 wheelers racing down the street

Cuando caminas miras las comidas
Cuando respiras, respiras la contaminacion
Cuando te sientas escuchas los corridos

Bipolar weather makes me annoyed
Flooding ditches when it rains
Cars can't pass
Corner stores with snacks

Cuando caminas miras las comidas
Cuando respiras, respiras la contaminacion
Cuando te sientas escuchas los corridos

Parties everywhere I go
Dancing to Mexican music like cumbias
Drinking on the porches
Chemical plants polluting the air

Cuando caminas miras las comidas
Cuando respiras, respiras la contaminacion
Cuando te sientas escuchas los corridos

INTRO TO STOP-MOTION ANIMATION

ABOVE: Aurora Picture Show's Jacinta Majithia works with a student on the class's first stop-motion animation collaboration.

BELOW: The class's very first stop-motion animation collaboration.

GIVE PEOPLE A HAND by Ashly

HOUSTON by Hilario

I see it differently
Neon rain all around me
Cross the railroads
Traffic whizzes by the drawbridge
Trash closes in and no one realizes
My neighborhood crying out
I grew up with pecan trees shading me
I miss the hugging world
Love sustains me
Trouble calls a hero
Let's hold onto hope

HOUSTON by Jamie

This is my world
The space city
Dirt roads tell a story
The past
The future
No one realizes our power
Our strength
My heart is beating
I see it differently than you
This is my city

HOUSTON-DENVER HARBOR by Edwin

I see it differently
I hear the bangs at night
I hear a horn in the distance bringing treats
People trying to get through in life
Animals running free along the streets
The smell of burning meat
Loud trumpets and guitars blocks away
Broken homes that won't fix themselves
Safety beyond the reach of our hands
Love it or hate it
It will always be my home

HOUSTON by Gaby

I see it differently
I grew up with rolls on like thunder
Dirt roads closing in on me
Railroads stretch away from the city
The sun burns my skin
It smells like neon rain
It tastes like ice cream trucks
Believe in the future
This is my world
Space City
Houston