Production Tips

WikiHow.com for Stop Motion

1. Make sure you have a digital camera with lots of memory and a computer that is capable of running some form of multimedia construction software. For example, Windows 2000 or later with Windows Movie Maker, a Mac with iMovie, or a Linux or BSD operating system with Gimp. (Logitech webcams also come with stop motion animation software.) Virtual Dub is also a good free, easy to use program suitable for stop motion. If you have other similar movie making software, these will also be suitable, provided that you know how to use them.
   
   
2. Think of an idea for your movie. What will the characters be doing? Write out a script with action in a story line.
   
   
3. Plan well. As part of working out the storyline, it is important to the motion effect to have worked out in advance what your figures will be doing -- walking, raising an arm, nodding yes, moving something, or whatever.
   
   
4. Set up the figures (characters) in a particular position and within their set.
   
   
5. Place your camera in front of the "set" that you are going to take photos of. Check that it can view the entire frame. It is very important to support the camera or place it so that it is sitting steadily and cannot shake as you take the photos. Otherwise, the end result will appear chaotic and lack continuity. Keep in mind that the more photos, the smoother the video results. If you do not have a tripod, good alternatives include balancing on solid books, poster tack on the surface of the set or a piece of solid furniture at the same height.
6. Set up a good source of lighting. It might be a lamp or a flashlight. If your light is flickering, you need to shut off other sources of light. Close the blind, door or curtains etc.
   
   
7. Take a single photo of the figure in the selected position.
   
   
8. Begin the movement sequence. Move the figure bit by bit - very small movements each time. It may be the entire body if the figure is walking, or it may just be an arm, head or leg. If you are moving only one body part and you find that the figure is tilting or threatening to fall over, make use of poster tack under the feet or other area touching part of the set.
   
   
9. Observe the following sequence of a Lego figure shoot to see how very small the changes must be (and remember that this is only a few of the frames to be taken!)
   
   
10. Repeat the movement sequence until your action step is completed, or your camera's memory is full.
    
    
11. Save the pictures onto your computer in an easy to remember place. Use your movie-making software as instructed (or see two popular software methods below). The basics involve:

• Import the pictures into the desired program.
  
  
• Make sure the pictures are at a very small duration so they flow very fast. If you are disappointed by the speed at which your program can animate, try exporting the project as a video file (before adding audio), then importing it again, and using a speed effect on it, such as double speed (these effects only work on video clips). Then, if the resulting speed is sufficient, you may add your audio.
  
  
• Add titles and credits if you would like.
  
  
• Make sure you like the end result of your stop motion animation. Keep going if you need to complete more actions to create a story.
  
  
• Save the video. If you plan on having multiple stop motion segments, save each segment as a separate movie. Once the entire group of segments is completed, you can import all the segments into the final movie, and it will look much better and be a lot easier to finalize.

12. Add effects or transitions or whatever else you feel makes it look good.