Help Desk
When the Sequence Stalls
Getting started
Do I need a proper camera to start stop-motion?
No. A phone with a free stop-motion app, held steady by a mount or a stack of books, is enough for complete tests and short films. Upgrade only when you know exactly what limitation you are solving.
What frame rate should my first test use?
Use 12 frames per second. It needs half the photos of 24 fps and still looks smooth for objects. See Timing One Frame at a Time.
What should I make puppets from?
Start with household objects or modelling clay over a simple twisted aluminium wire armature. Clay is forgiving and easy to repair between frames. Fingerprints are part of the charm.
During the shoot
Why does my animation flicker?
Light is changing between frames or the camera is auto-adjusting. Close the curtains, light the set with lamps, and lock exposure, focus and white balance. Wear dark clothes and stand in the same spot each frame.
Why does my object jump or pop between frames?
Either something was bumped or the spacing is uneven. Tape down the set and camera, secure props with putty and mark positions before shooting. Onion skin shows you the previous position.
How do I make an object fly or jump?
Hold it with a rig such as a wire or clamp arm, shoot a clean plate of the empty set, then erase the rig in an image editor by layering frames over the plate. Details in Practical Tricks Behind the Shot.
How long does a ten-second shot take to animate?
At 12 fps a ten-second shot needs 120 photos. Beginners often spend one to several hours on that, depending on complexity. Shorter shots finish more often, so start small.
After the shoot
Which software should I use?
Mobile apps such as Stop Motion Studio are a good start. Dragonframe is the professional standard. Any video editor that imports image sequences can assemble frames too.
How do I add sound to a stop-motion film?
Record sound after shooting. Perform footsteps and clinks with real objects, a technique called Foley, then line them up with the frames in a video editor.
Where can I watch great stop-motion for inspiration?
Films such as Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and the Wallace & Gromit shorts, plus festival programmes like the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
Still stuck? Describe what you tried and we will take a look.