Stop Motion Videos, Animation 101: A Beginner’s Guide

You may not even be aware of it, but if you love watching animated films, you probably saw at least one stop motion picture

They are everywhere, although not as popular as modern-day animated films. They are most visible in many kids' channels and movies. The latest among the most popular offerings is the 2009 animated comedy film, Fantastic Mr. Fox.

What is Stop Motion Animation?

Now, you may be asking: what is stop motion animation? Stop motion (also known as stop-frame animation) is a type of visual presentation that has been around for more than a hundred years. You read that, right! It has been here longer than you have been. The modern animated films pay homage to it. It paved the way to the present day animations that you see on big screens.

Making a full-length film using this technique can be quite tedious. A one minute clip may require around 600 photos. Imagine how much you will need if it is a regular 90-minute video? It is much work, but it has a unique appeal that catches people's attention, making it a hit to many, young and old alike.

It maybe an old-fashioned technique, but it does not wane in popularity. It has become even more in demand these days as a tool used for marketing. As technology evolves and more ideas on how to improve it emerged, even newbie content creators can dive into this technique and make outputs that can help boost their product's performance.

How does stop motion work

The process is simple. First, you position the object you are working on from a certain angle. Then, you capture it using a camera or recording device. Move the item to the next spot and then re-record the image. Keep doing this process until you have enough to complete one movement.

The number of times you will keep doing this depends on the complexity of the action or animation you want the object to perform. The rule of thumb is the more frames you will use for one single movement, the smoother the animation will look.
Once you are satisfied with the number of shots, you will need to use software to make them play rapidly. This step completes the initial part of your first stop motion project.

What is stop motion animation used for

One advantage of using stop motion animation is its being cost-effective. As someone who is in the business, you want to get the most out of your investments. Contents like this do not cost as much but can deliver the message as powerfully, sometimes even better. It is why many content creators go for it.

Should you use stop motion animation for your business

Moreover, contents like this can easily be embedded or posted on different social media websites, giving you brand wider audience reach. With just a minimum of 15 seconds, you can enhance your online visibility. Think about how much advantage that will provide your business.

Let us look at the following examples of stop motion contents to explain how to do it.

It takes quite an imagination to create one like this. Say you want to make your character appear like it is flying. What you need to do is to place the background on the floor and film from there. It does not require an elaborate camera trick. All you need is extra creativity to make it look like the object is up there and not laying flat on the floor. It also means that you need to apply proper lighting and right camera angles.

As a newbie in creating stop motion content, making high-end visual contents may not be part of your consideration yet, but it is worth tackling. If you search the web for animated sample content, you may come across contents that use complicated stuff. Those that high visual appeal, you know instantly that a professional made it.

Getting started with your stop motion animation

You do not have to go the complicated route yet. As discussed above, there are simple ways to make video content.
Try one frame at a time. For sure, you will enjoy filming even just a 15-second video. It does not have to look perfect at the beginning. What is important is that you can begin something.

However, if you think that this is something best left for professionals to handle, you may choose to outsource it. Even though it might look simple, sometimes, asking for help will cut more cost, especially if you do not have the time to do it. If you are not very confident yet about your output, then, by all means, look for people to do it for you.

There are many companies online that are willing to do stop motion marketing videos for you. You can search them out and try even a short 15-second video to start your online marketing. You may browse through online ads and see which ones appeal to you and then contact the producer of that content. Tryout this marketing strategy and see the magic it will bring to your brand.