Stop Motion Animation

Stop Motion Animation

By Nicholas

     Have you ever looked at a toy and wished it could move? I have found the solution to that in stop motion animation. This process can make a pose-able toy look like it is moving! Stop motion animation can be called many things:Toymation, Legomation,and Machinamation. Here I will call it stop motion. 

Now I will explain the process of stop motion:

1.Gather important materials. First, find some items for a set, rocks, twigs, plastic trees,and bed sheets.Then you need to find a digital camera.

2.Construct your set.

3.Find a pose-able toy to animate. Toys that will work are:action figures, Lego people, toy cars, Barbies, Polly pockets, smaller dolls. If the toy does not stand up by itself I recommend Blue Sticky Tack to help the toy stand.

4.Get the toy upright. Move the toy in the action you want to start and then take a picture. Then make a small movement with the toy and take another picture. This is the longest part of stop motion. Repeat these steps until the movement is created.

5.Upload all the pictures to your computer.

6.This is the tricky part. If you have Windows Movie Maker use that. If not try Monkeyjam, a free downloadable animation software. If you have an Ipod or a smart phone I know there are some apps for stop motion.

7. Follow the instructions of your movie maker by putting the pictures in order to complete your movie. As you create your movie you can add titles, credits, and freeware music.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on stop motion animation!