Hi Megan!!!
For ours claymotion we use plasticine. We often use a wire armature into the caracters (like our "Spatan" movie) but you can make a good animation without it, just with clay( like our "Clay suisse" or "inside" for ex.).
If you use only clay, it'll be easier to make the puppets but maybe longer to animate...
In our movies we shoot 12 frames per seconde to create a soft movement because less than ~10 frames it's lame!!
Of course you've to be patient but we think you can, so good luck!!!!!!!^^ we're impatient to see the result!!!!!

two and a half pages?
to start with i would make a script up of the story, with what you want in each scene(including directions for you animating)
and if your deadline is for a month then you should be ok! but before then then i would work realy hard to get towards it or do a bit of live film with your script to make up the lost time, its your choice,
also the length is dependant on how much talking and content is important in the writting!
hope it helps
Kind Regards
Ryan M
Arnymate

heyy ! well i used a program called anasazi. i didnt use ay wires or anything. my one minute video took about 3 hours to make... so a 8 minute video may ttake a couple dayss if you have the time. basically just practice gettng the clay in a the right spots and everything will be alright!! andd thanks

thanks!
it would take a while to do an 8 minute vid (a few weeks) if you made it properly but if you pushed i'd say around a month at least! it mainly depends on what you are doing!
Also get some books on the subject.
Hope it helps again!
Kind Regards
arnymate

Hi again,
here's some tips:
*when modelling clay you can use wire but for a first try i would just make your models with just clay
*dont make your models to complicated eyes a mouth and an interesting shape are good enough and means you nedd to put good expression into your chracters and can leave the rest to the audience.
*film at 24fps or 12fps (frames per second,thats about 24 pics a second or 12 pics a second)
*for compiling your films try getting a software like stop motion pro or animatorDV (free! version for starting out)
*make a simple and mainly object less set so that when you film there is less for you to knock over!
*try your best
*be patient
*enjoy what you are doing!

Hope they help
Kind Regards,
Ryan M
Arnymate

wire makes like circles all tht and to cut the clay when u first get it

heyy, my name's Megan and i am doing (or attempting) a claymation project for school. i need help!!!! any advice or tips? do u use wire and put the clay around it or what? does claymation take a while to do... like how many days would it take to do a 8 min. vid? i would really appreciate you getting back to me! thanks! loved the clay vid. btw!!!!!

Hi Meg,
Mamshmam doesn't really reply to comments that often on you tube. you could try his website though as it has a forum and everything you need (register and ask a question).
Regards
Arnymate

megan!!!

yaa pay, its mee!!