Stop-Go Animation Using the Stop Motion Studio Pro app

What is Stop-Go Animation?

Stop-Go Animation aka Stop Motion, is an animation technique where inanimate objects (such as LEGO or clay models) are moved in tiny increments between separate photographs so they appear to move on their own. Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Gromit are popular stop motion animations using clay (Claymation). ‘Brickfilm’ is the term for stop motion movies that use LEGO blocks and figures.

So you get a good idea, take a look at this Brickfilm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnP8QeUvtaY Plan your story

Having an idea of where the story is going will help your film make sense to the people watching the final product. Every story needs a beginning, a middle and an ending. Use your Story Board sheet to do some planning by drawing pictures or writing notes about what will happen in your stop-go animation.

“A lot of the time in animation is spent getting the story right – that’s something you can’t rush.” -Jennifer Yuh Nelson (director and storyboard artist, Kung Fu Panda 2) Setting the Scene

To set your scene you will need to build a set. Secure the set so it’s not moving around in your shots. (Unless you want it to) Having your story pre-planned will help you decide what sort of set to build. Taking Shots

With stop-go animation, the more photos you take, the smoother your film will be! Between each photo, you should only move your characters a teeny-tiny bit at a time. This is so they appear to move naturally and don’t jump around the screen.

It’s always a good idea to take 2 or 3 pictures per scene. This way, if there’s a problem with one of the pictures (finger in the shot or blurry), it can be deleted and there will be a back-up image.

Setting up a tripod and using a marked point is a great way to help you avoid too much movement. This way, if the tripod is moved, it can always be returned to its mark. Camera Angle and Position

Set up the scene so the right things are in the shot and anything that you don’t want is excluded. Adjust the camera angle or position to only show the things you want the audience to see.

Using the ‘rule of thirds’ is guaranteed to get you good looking shots. The rule of thirds is where you align a subject with the guide lines and/or their intersection points. Use the grid tool in the App to guide how you position the characters in your movie.

Another useful tool is the overlay function. It displays the last captured picture on top of the camera’s live view. This way, you can see how far you have moved your character since the last frame.

Frames Per Second (FPS)

The frame rate is how many pictures are in one second of animation. The higher the frame rate, the better the animation looks.

A good frame rate to aim for is a minimum of 6 FPS. This means 1 second of animation = 6 photos. So if you want a 30 second animation, you will need 180 photographs.

As you can see in this video, the higher the frame rate, the smoother the animation looks.

Brickfilms – Frame Rate Examples https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuZkMznkM8

A Look at the App Stop Motion Studio Pro

Stop-Motion Studio is an all-in-one App that allows you to create and edit your animated films. It is simple to use and has a suite of features including:

• High quality camera and settings • Composition guides for perfect positioning • Cut, copy, paste, delete and insert frames at any position • Add audio clips, title, credits and filter effects Time to Edit

A huge part of the film-making process is the time put into editing. It’s how you make sure your movie looks and sounds right.

Once you have taken your pictures, you are ready to edit. At the bottom of the screen you can view your timeline and tap individual frames to bring up the editing tools. You are able to add theme cards throughout the movie, which allow you to add text or action boxes. To make your animation a bit livelier, you are able to add theme music and sound effects from an existing library in the App. Lastly it’s time to put your stamp on your work. Add a Title and Credits theme using the + button. Choose your movie title, add your names and it’s done!