The short answer
Stop motion is animation made by photographing an object, moving it slightly, photographing it again, and repeating hundreds of times. Played back at ten to fifteen frames per second, the object appears to move on its own. To make one, pick a subject, lock the camera in place, and shoot patient incremental frames until the action is complete. Editing is simple; the work is in the shoot.
Stop motion is one of the oldest video techniques and one of the most rewarding. A minute of finished stop motion typically takes hundreds of individual photographs. The tradeoff is that stop motion made with care looks unlike anything else on video. This guide covers how to make a stop motion video with a phone, what subjects actually work, and the specific mistakes that ruin most first attempts.
What stop motion actually is
Every stop motion video is a sequence of still photographs. Between each photo, the subject moves a small amount, or the props around it shift. When played back in fast succession, the eye interprets the still photos as motion. The classic frame rate for stop motion is around twelve frames per second, though anything from eight to twenty four works depending on the desired smoothness.
The camera setup that matters most
The camera cannot move between frames. Any shift will show up as a jarring wobble across the finished clip. Use a tripod, a phone stand, or tape the phone to a shelf. Lock exposure and focus in a Pro camera mode or dedicated stop motion app so the phone can't auto adjust between shots. Consistent camera position and consistent exposure across every frame is the single technical requirement.
Pick a subject that suits the medium
Small physical objects that can be repositioned by hand: LEGO figures, food ingredients, clay, paper cutouts, small toys, coins. Larger subjects that move naturally in small increments: plants growing (needs patience), items being drawn or assembled, an outfit being changed on a mannequin. Living subjects (people, animals) work only for very short stop motion because they cannot hold still between frames.
Move the subject in small increments
Small movements between frames produce smooth motion. Large movements produce choppy jumps. For a two second clip at twelve frames per second, you need twenty four photographs. If your subject moves across the whole frame in those two seconds, each individual move is small. Plan the total distance the subject will travel and divide by the frame count to size each individual step.
The difference between good and bad stop motion is patience. Every frame that fails to move smoothly from the last is a moment where the illusion breaks.
Use a stop motion app to see progress
A dedicated stop motion app on phone (there are several free options) shows a faint overlay of the previous frame while you set up the next. This is called onion skinning and it is essential. It lets you compare where the subject was to where it should be for smooth motion. Without onion skinning, you are guessing.
Making a stop motion video with iphone
Either use the built in Time-Lapse mode with the subject being manually moved between exposures (unpredictable timing but no app needed), or download a dedicated stop motion app that gives onion skinning, exposure locking, and easy assembly. For serious first attempts, a real stop motion app is worth the small download.
Editing a stop motion video
Assembly is the easy part. Import the sequence into any editor set to display each photo for one or two frames (which produces twelve or twenty four frames per second). Add music or sound effects that match the mood. Consider a title card at the start and credits at the end. Export. Most of the total time investment happens during shooting, not editing.
Common stop motion mistakes
Camera moving between frames. Exposure changing between frames (auto mode is the villain here). Movements between frames that are too large, producing choppy jumps. Forgetting to account for hands entering and leaving the frame (a common first attempt error). Trying stop motion of subjects that move on their own (living animals rarely cooperate). Underestimating the total time (a thirty second clip can take three or four hours the first time).
How long a stop motion project actually takes
A ten second clip at twelve frames per second needs 120 individual photographs. If each photo takes thirty seconds to set up and shoot, that is one full hour of work for ten seconds of finished video. Beginners should assume two to three times this rate the first attempt. Experienced stop motion animators become fast with practice but even they think in dozens of frames per hour, not hundreds.
Stop motion subjects that reliably look good
Food being made from ingredients into a finished dish. A drawing coming to life. A LEGO or figure moving across a scene. A book being opened and pages turning by themselves. An outfit being assembled on a hanger. Clay morphing between shapes. Everyday objects arranging themselves into patterns. Simple subjects done patiently beat complex subjects done sloppily.
Where stop motion videos find the audience that appreciates them
Stop motion is a slow craft that rewards viewers willing to notice how much work went in. On community based platforms, where reach is earned through voted, deliberate audience backing rather than opaque feed decisions, a serious stop motion animator finds the specific audience that appreciates the specific hours behind each clip. Cracy is built for this shape.
Read next: video editing basics for beginners, how to make videos cinematic, and how to light video at home.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- How do you make a stop motion video?
- Lock the camera in place, photograph the subject, move it a small amount, photograph again, repeat hundreds of times. Play back at 10 to 15 frames per second so the still photos appear as motion. Use a dedicated stop motion app for onion skinning.
- How long does a stop motion video take to make?
- A ten second clip at twelve frames per second needs 120 photographs. At thirty seconds of setup per photo, that's one hour of work for ten seconds of finished video. Beginners should assume two to three times this rate the first attempt.
- What makes stop motion look bad?
- Camera movement between frames (produces jarring wobble), exposure changing between frames (produces strobing), movements between frames that are too large (produces choppy jumps), or trying stop motion of living subjects that can't hold still.
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