The Magic of Stop Motion Animation

Stop-motion is one of the oldest and most hands-on forms of animation. Instead of drawings or computer models, animators use real objects.

How It Works

An animator places a model, such as a clay figure or puppet, then photographs it. They move it a tiny amount and take another photo. When the photographs play back in order, the figure seems to move on its own. Films usually show 24 images every second, so a few seconds of action can take hours to shoot.

Materials

• Clay (claymation): Soft modelling clay is easy to reshape.
• Puppets: Figures with bendable skeletons inside.
• Paper cut-outs: Flat shapes moved across a scene.
• Everyday objects: Toys and building bricks work well too.

Famous Examples

• Wallace and Gromit were created by Nick Park at Aardman in Bristol, England, and star an inventor and his clever dog.
• Chicken Run (2000) is an Aardman feature about chickens planning a great escape.
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is a stop-motion musical with a spooky, whimsical style, best for slightly older children.
• Coraline (2009), made by Laika, is based on a story by Neil Gaiman and is a little scary for younger viewers.

Try It at Home

Use a phone or tablet with a free stop-motion app. Put it on a stack of books so it cannot move. Place a toy, move it a little, and take a photo. Repeat about 50 times and play it back. Keep the lighting the same so the picture doesn’t flicker.