You can use a lot of different materials to create wonderful stop-motion animation. Puppets and clay models come to mind, but then you can also create stop motion with people too! For those who still have a box of Lego around, there is a whole genre of stop motion you can check out. And, if you have nothing else you can use, paper cutouts make a humble option.
The best part is you don't need any fancy equipment. It's easy to create stop motion at home and here are all the different types you can try.
What Is Stop-Motion Animation?
In stop-motion animation, individual photographs are put together in sequence to create a sense of motion. This involves setting up a scene, taking a photo, then moving the subject a small amount and taking another photo. Do this repeatedly, and soon you will have a sequence that comes to life.
As a content creator, stop-motion animation is a wonderful way to add variation to your next YouTube or TikTok video.
It's difficult to know who was the first to invent stop-motion animation, but it came to be popular around the turn of the 20th century. As the film technique developed, stop-motion pioneers like Ladislas Starevich created feature-length films using stop motion and puppets. To see where it all began, you can watch Starevich's The Tale of the Fox, made in 1931.
Clay, puppets, and paper cutouts are just a few of the materials you can use, all of which are affordable and easily accessible to us at home. This is what makes it so enjoyable to try out with your kids, or for a fun weekend project.
Things You Need to Create Stop-Motion Animation
As technology has become more affordable over the years, you might find that you already have many of the things you need to create stop-motion animation.
Here is a basic list of equipment you need:
- A camera
- Stop-motion objects/materials
- Stop-motion software or app
- Tripod (optional)
As you can see, the specifics don't matter too much. For example, you can use a DSLR camera, the camera on your smartphone, or a WebCam, GoPro, or iPad. As we mentioned earlier, the materials you choose are also up to you, clay and paper cutouts are just some options, but we'll cover more types of stop motion below.
As for the software, you can use video editing software like After Effects, or a dedicated stop-motion app like Stop Motion Studio. Check out these animation apps for Android.
The different types of stop motion cost very little to make, or nothing at all if you already have the materials lying around. Below we'll explain what each type of stop motion is all about and the materials you need to do it.
1. Claymation
As you might guess, claymation is a stop-motion animation that uses clay to create the characters, and sometimes the set. For those who have kids, it's a material you might already have in the house. Out of the different kinds of clay, plasticine is often used.
Clay can be morphed into wonderful shapes to create strange monster-like creatures. The benefit of using clay is that it's easy to prop up on a table and keep stable while you take photos.
2. Object Motion
When you create stop-motion animation out of objects, toys, and other miscellaneous items you might have lying around, it's called object motion. A good example of this is using Lego bricks or figurines to tell your story, or any other doll or action figure that you have on hand.
While it's less messy than claymation animation, it will be more difficult to figure out how to stand your objects up in different positions. One solution is to shoot your photos from above with all your objects laid flat on a table.
You can use almost anything to create object motion, but some objects have gained a greater pop culture reputation, such as Lego stop-motion videos called Brickfilms.
3. Cutout Animation
If craft paper is all you have on hand then you might want to try cutout animation. Sticking with basic shapes, you can make all sorts of characters.
Usually, they are placed flat on a table, and photos are taken from a bird's-eye view angle looking down. To make your video interesting, you can incorporate crumpled paper, colored paper, or different paper textures.
Cutout animation is sometimes imitated using digital software too. For example, you can make a simple animation using Adobe Illustrator and After Effects.
4. Pixilation
When stop-motion animation is created using real-life actors it's called pixilation. You can think of a person as a puppet, moving them inch-by-inch to create a series of movements. Since it involves taking individual pictures, you can create some great visual effects that you otherwise couldn't do.
All you need for pixilation are some friends and a bit of patience. It may be more difficult to maintain consistent lighting as you would in a controlled setup, but otherwise, it's a fun project you can do with family or friends. Here's a guide on studio lighting if you have access to a studio.
5. Puppet Animation
In this style of stop-motion animation, a puppet is the main subject. The difference between a puppet and say, a character made of clay, is that it has individual moving parts, so that the head, arms, legs, etc. can be repositioned however you like.
You can create your own puppet with a mixture of wire, clay, and plastic eyes, like this cat in this Puppet Animation Basics video. If you have a doll that has movable limbs, then that will work as well. The most important thing is that your puppet can stand on its own while you take each photo.
6. Silhouette
In this type of stop motion, characters are only shown as black silhouettes. Sometimes this is done with paper cutouts in a diorama with a light shining from the back. Other times you can use thin black cardboard paper to create silhouette characters.
Thinking in shadows can be a bit tricky, but the upside is you don't have to worry about all the small details of an object or complicated 3D movement. The most effective silhouette stop motion can simply be black paper cutouts moving left or right.
Create Your Own Stop-Motion Animation at Home
There are many types of stop-motion animation that aren't difficult to do at home. You can create claymation using plasticine, or try pixilation by just photographing your friends. For more challenging types of stop motion, try creating your own puppet.
In reality, stop motion can be created with just about anything. Whether you are using objects around the house or paper cutouts, the method remains the same. All you need is a camera and a bit of imagination to make your first-stop motion animation.