How to make stop motion animation
How to make a stop motion animation with your phone, tablet or laptop: set up, shoot frame by frame with onion skin, and export a video. Free, in your browser.
Prop your phone or tablet so it can't move (a stack of books works), set up your scene, and shoot one frame at a time.
Your first stop motion animation
- 01Pick a subject that can hold still: clay, brick figures, toys, paper cut-outs, even your shoes.
- 02Set up the scene on a table and fix the camera so it can't move between frames.
- 03Take a frame, move the subject a tiny bit, and take another. Watch the onion skin to keep moves small and even.
- 04Shoot at least 30 frames for a 3-second test, then press Play.
- 05Fix the frames that jump, change the speed if it feels too fast or slow, and export the video.
What stop motion is
Stop motion animation is a film made from photos. You photograph an object, move it a little, photograph it again, and so on. Played back quickly, the photos blur into movement, and the object seems to move by itself.
It's how King Kong climbed the Empire State Building in 1933, and how Wallace & Gromit and Coraline were made. The same idea works with a phone and a lump of clay on a kitchen table.
How to make the movement smooth
- Small moves. A walking figure moves a few millimetres per frame, not centimetres.
- Even moves. Moves of the same size look smooth; uneven ones look jerky.
- Ease in and out. Start and stop a movement with smaller moves than in the middle, as real things speed up and slow down.
- Use the onion skin. The faint last frame over the camera shows exactly how far you've moved.
- Hold still frames on purpose: two or three identical frames make a pause.
How many frames you need
At 10 frames per second, a 10-second film needs 100 frames. At 12 frames per second, the classic stop motion speed, it needs 120. Short films are the best first projects: 5 to 15 seconds.
You can change the speed after shooting. If the film feels rushed, lower the frames per second; if it feels slow, raise it.
Questions
What do I need to make stop motion?
A phone, tablet or laptop with a camera, something to animate, and a way to keep the camera still. A stack of books works as a stand. The studio here does the rest in your browser.
How long does a stop motion animation take?
A 10-second film is 100 to 120 frames, which takes most beginners an hour or two including setup. The timer can take frames for you every few seconds, so your hands stay free to move the figure.
What are good stop motion ideas for beginners?
A ball that bounces, a clay snake that eats a pea, a toy car that drives off the table, sticky notes that spell a word, or a drawing that appears line by line.
Can I add sound?
Yes, with Lifetime: record a voice-over while your film plays, or add music from a file, and it's mixed into the video. Free videos have no sound.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No. The camera, your frames and the videos you make all stay in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us or stored on a server.