When you think about stop motion animation, you probably think of things like Tim Burton's “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Henry Selick’s “James and The Giant Peach,” or the 1964 classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” (Fun fact: Henry Selick also directed “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” so you’re mainly just thinking of Henry Selick.) 

But while it may be most closely associated with artful storytelling for children, stop motion animation is actually rooted in some of the earliest forms of cinema—and is used today in a multitude of video formats, including tutorials, digital advertising, and short-form social media, to name a few. 

Learning the basics may seem daunting and time-consuming, but with enough pre-planning and the use of basic technology, stop motion animation can be just the creative outlet you're looking for. 

Read on to learn what stop motion animation is, the different types of stop motion video, and how to create a stop motion video using different photography techniques.

What is stop motion?

Stop motion is a video technique where filmmakers photograph objects in a sequence, making minor adjustments. They then edit the photographs together frame by frame, which creates the illusion of motion.

Types of stop motion video 

Stop motion video has many subcategories. Some different types of stop motion video animation are: 

Puppetry

Puppets, made out of cloth, are the main subjects in this type of stop motion film. In a full-length feature film of this type, puppeteers make thousands of puppets to create different versions of the same character in different poses. 

Examples of this style of stop motion animation include two Wes Anderson films, “Isle of Dogs” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”

Pixilation

With pixilation stop motion, human beings, rather than inanimate objects, are the subjects. The actors play a scene one movement at a time. Pixelation can be combined with other techniques, like traditional live-action or object animation. 

This type of stop motion is often used in short videos. (And if you’re a filmmaker on a budget, take some inspiration from the deeply unsettling use of this animation technique to give human characters superpowers in “Tetsuo the Iron Man.”)

Cutout

Filmmakers working in cutout animation use pieces of paper or fabric to create a flat, two-dimensional scene. Today, most filmmakers use computers, rather than physical pieces of paper, to create cutout animation videos. 

A well-known example of cutout animation is South Park, in which the creators originally used paper cutouts but eventually moved to computer cutout animation.  

Object

Object stop motion animation uses everyday objects, from action figures to kitchen utensils, to set a scene and create a story. 

Clay animation

Clay animation is similar to puppet stop motion animation, except instead of making characters from fabric, puppeteers make characters and scenes from clay. Two well-known examples of claymation are the TV series “Wallace and Gromit” and the film “Coraline” (what up AGAIN, Henry Selick). 

📚 Learn: How to make a slow motion video on iPhone: A 2023 guide

5 tools you need to make stop motion videos

When brainstorming stop motion video ideas, be mindful of the materials and video equipment you will need–this technique is ALL about planning ahead: 

• Camera. You will need a camera to photograph each frame of your story. Smartphone cameras work!
• Tripod. Using a tripod will help make sure your images are sharp and hold a consistent frame throughout the shooting process. 
• Remote trigger. Remote triggers are not entirely necessary, but very effective, as they allow you to take images without touching the camera to avoid camera shake. 
• Editing software. Using basic video editing software is sufficient as long as it allows you to import and edit image files like JPG, PNG, and RAW files. 

Materials/Objects. Deciding what type of stop motion video you will make will determine the types of materials you will need. For example: will you be using household objects, or creating something from scratch, like puppets?

How to create a stop motion video 

Fluidity and frame consistency are what make a well-produced stop motion video feel and move like a video instead of a sequence of edited photos. To achieve that effect, you need: 

1. A sufficient volume of photos. The number of photos you need for a stop motion video depends on how long you want the video to be and how smooth you want it to look. To estimate, use this formula: (Frame rate / 2) x length of video (in seconds). 
2. A camera held completely still.  A very important component to stop motion animation is consistent framing by keeping your camera perfectly still. To do that, you must lock off your tripod and make sure the frame stays the same throughout the scene.

Step 1: Create a storyboard 

A storyboard is a reference guide for a film or video that is either sketched or written out that helps guide you and the filmmaking team through your project. You don't need to be an artist to create a storyboard, and having one will definitely save you time and assist you with your production. 

First, take a piece of paper, turn it horizontally and create boxes that represent each scene or action. You can also use note cards. In those boxes, sketch out what your scenes will look like to the best of your ability. Box one will represent scene one, box two will represent scene two, and so forth. 

If you prefer, you can also write out your scenes by just describing what each shot will look like. The point is to have a guide, be it storyboard or shot list, that helps you think through the logistics of your imagination and keeps you on track while shooting. 

Step 2: Set your scene

Make sure your location is well lit and stable. Light flicker is one of the most common issues with stop motion. It's caused by inconsistencies in lighting between frames, which cause the final video to flicker. To combat light flicker, animators typically use flicker-free LED lights and avoid natural light. 

The size of your location can range anywhere from a tabletop to a DIY sound stage. Arrange your objects so that they are set in place for your first scene. 

Step 3: Set up your camera or phone 

Secure your camera or phone on a tripod. Position it in landscape view for a more cinematic aspect ratio, or keep it vertical if you’re creating stop motion videos for social media like a true masochist. 

Position your camera at the scene and find the right frame by adjusting the height and distance. Make sure there isn’t anything unwanted in your frame or obstructing your view. 

Once you have the frame you want, lock off your tripod by marking where the feet of your tripod are as an indicator. Using a remote trigger will give you the best results for camera stability. Adjust your camera settings for exposure, shutter speed, and white balance. 

Step 4: Take a picture 

Make sure the objects are in focus before taking your first photo. If everything looks good, take a few photos of your current scene without making any changes (about 12–24). 

This redundancy will be important later when editing the video because most editing software allows for 24 or 30 frames per second—having surplus photos for each scene will allow you to adjust the amount of time each scene remains on screen. Remember this, even when the fatigue hits: more is more! 

Check your LCD screen or phone for focus, object placement, and lighting before moving on to the next step. 

Step 5: Make a small change

Changing the position of your objects in small increments is what gives stop motion video its unique effect. Take each object and move it slightly into the next position. It's important to keep everything consistent from frame to frame, including characters, objects, and even the camera. Any unintended shift can mess up the continuity.

If you want to get real fancy, use rigs and armatures to support characters and objects in motion. Animators use these behind the scenes, like when creating Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’, as seen below.

Step 6: Take another picture

Check for focus and take another 12–24 photos of your scene. Continuity checks, like comparing the current setup with previous frames or using software with live feed overlays, are also important. 

Repeat the steps above until you are finished with your story. Take a moment to appreciate the hard work of stop motion artists creating feature-length films. Drink some water and maybe rest your eyes before moving on.

How to edit a stop motion video

To edit your photo sequence into a stop motion video, you have several options: You can use a dedicated stop motion app or you can use video editing software. To do the latter, you’ll need to: 

1. Upload your photos to your computer or a hard drive. 
2. Organize your photos, getting rid of the ones that aren’t in focus or that don’t have the right framing.
3. Open up your editing software and create a new project. 
4. Before you import your images into your editing software, locate the settings dedicated for timeline adjustments. 
5. Find the setting called “still image default duration” or something similar. This setting will allow you to adjust the duration of your photos. You will also be able to adjust your frame rate settings during this time. It's very important to confirm your timeline frame rate is set to what you need it to be—either 24 frames per second or 30 frames per second depending on what you've decided in pre-production.
6. Set your images for a duration of 0.12 seconds at 24 frames per second. This means that when you import your images they will playback at twelve frames per second. 
7. Next, import your photos into your project. They will appear in your project panel. 
8. Select the first image and then use your keyboard or mouse to select all of the images. This will keep them in order. 
9. Next, drag your photos onto your timeline. 
10. Extend the timeline to see how many photos fit into one second. If you made the correct timeline adjustments before import, you should see 12 photos for every second. 
11. If you are experiencing lag, go to your sequence settings and “render” your timeline. 
12. Some editing software will allow you to “nest” or combine all of the images to create one track as opposed to you working with individual images. This is not necessary but can be helpful as editing video clips is easier than editing individual images. 
13. You can always adjust the speed of your video by using the “speed/duration” setting in your software. 
14. Next, you can edit your stop motion video and include additional effects like text and audio. 
15. Once you've finished video editing and adding any effects, you can export your video. 

The biggest thing to remember when creating stop motion videos is frame consistency and capturing enough images to fit the duration that you need. To avoid major setbacks when making stop motion videos, always remember to take enough photos for each scene, keep the settings and lighting consistent throughout, and make sure your framing doesn't change.

4 great stop motion video examples

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

‎Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (voiced by Jenny Slate) is a short YouTube video Dean Fleischer-Camp created in 2010. In the video Marcel simply shares random anecdotes and what it’s like to live as a small talking shell in a human-sized world. It received more than 33 million views and became such an underground sensation that in 2021 Marcel got his own studio feature film. 

Marcel is an example of how a stop motion doesn’t have to be complicated or fantastical. There’s minimal movement and for the most part, Marcel simply stands in front of inanimate objects and shares anecdotes from his life. 

Kubo and the Two Strings

‎This stop motion film is about a young boy, Kubo, who loses his mother when she protects him from a vengeful spirit of the past. He must then go on a journey full of danger and magic and mysticism to find his father’s magical suit of armor to defeat this spirit. 

Kubo and the Two Strings shows just how much one can accomplish with stop motion. Its incredible action, visuals, and seamless stop motion animation garnered it nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice Awards.

Negative Space (Oscar Nominated Short)

‎Negative Space is a short stop motion animation about a man named Sam grappling with his father’s death. He does that by reminiscing on how his father taught him the best way to pack a suitcase as a way to connect with him. It uses clay stop motion to create imaginative scenes that express his emotional state.

This acclaimed short is an example of how you can use stop motion to express complicated psychological and emotional themes. This emotional short film was even nominated for an Oscar in 2018.

IKEA Ad

‎Stop motion is also an effective tool in advertising. Here, IKEA uses a mix of video and stop motion in an ad for IKEA’s SKUBB storage series. Using stop motion in this ad allows IKEA to highlight the versatility of the storage pieces and gives the ad a dynamic feel.

Polish up your videos easily with Descript

Once you’ve finished your stop-motion video, you can import it into Descript for a final polish. Descript is a one-stop shop video creation tool for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can add captions and transitions, clean up background noise, adjust the orientation for social media videos, and more. It also has a host of AI features that let you create green screen backgrounds, change the eyeline of a subject, and even overdub any audio just by typing out what you want to be said. 

Descript also allows you to zoom in, change video speed, apply filters, and color correct your videos in the timeline. 

Take a tour of Descript and discover all the features you need to make professional-looking stop motion videos.

‎How to make a stop motion video FAQs

How difficult is it to make a stop motion video?

Creating a stop motion movie is actually pretty simple. It’s a great way for beginners to get into video and movie making. You don’t need a fancy DSLR camera or a lot of equipment, just a way to capture footage (like an Android, iPhone, or iPad) and a way to keep the camera steady. For a full stop motion tutorial, check out the article above.

How do I convert a normal video to stop motion?

You can download a stop motion maker, which will take your full video and turn it into a stop motion video for you. Or you can use any video editor program with a frame by frame feature (like iMovie) which will allow you to manually select frames you can delete to give your video that stop motion video effect. 

What app do I use to make a stop motion video?

There are apps like Stop Motion Studio that are designed to specifically create stop motion videos, but you don’t have to. Most video editing apps give you the ability to make stop motion videos. Just check out the step-by-step guide above.