Among all the traditional animation styles, stop motion really stands out. It’s not drawn in 2D, but shot with physical objects in a series of photos. With each frame, the objects are adjusted slightly to create the illusion of motion. The result is like a flipbook on film. When played back at speed, the effect is truly moving.
Stop motion movies can star any pliable subject, from clay figures and paper cutouts to wooden dolls. Clay is a popular choice because it is so easily repositioned. While these readily available materials make stop motion a good first choice for budding animators, the medium’s use of physical textures has inspired classics such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep to name a few.
If you’ve already got a story and prepared your set, then Stop Motion Studio Pro is your one-stop shop for editing and shooting your animated film.
Use the app to take a series of photos (preferably using a tripod for frame consistency). With every photo, move your subject in slight increments until the scene is completed. You can preview your progress at any time by tapping the play button above the shutter. The vertical slider on the left controls the previous frame’s opacity. This allows you to do quick comparisons between shots, so you can adjust to make the animation appear smoother.
After completing your sequence, you can then edit each frame individually. From there, add sound effects or voiceovers. The app also lets you adjust playback speed, frame size and resolution.
The Green Screen mode also allows you to shoot with a background that better fits your story, like a sky or an ocean. You can even import your own background images.
Start creating your own stop motion movie and explore the possibilities.