An Introduction to Stop Motion

Level: Age 12   Length: 55 minutes

Materials

• Phone or tablet with a stop-motion app
• Small toy, figure, or paper character
• Building blocks, books, or a small box for a set
• Plain paper or fabric for a background
• Tape or reusable adhesive
• A table and a lamp or other steady light
• Optional: pencil and paper for planning

Goal

By the end of the lesson, the learner will explain how stop motion works and create a short animation in which an object moves from one place to another.

Lesson

1. Hook: Bring an object to life — 5 minutes

   Place a small object on the table. Ask: “How could we make this object appear to move by itself, even though it cannot really move?”

   Move the object slightly, take a photograph, move it again, and take another photograph. Repeat this three or four times. Show the photos one after another, quickly, by swiping through them. Ask what the learner notices.

   Explain: Stop motion is made from many still photographs. In each photograph, an object is moved a tiny amount. When the photographs are played quickly, the object appears to move.

2. Show it: Learn the basic techniques — 10 minutes

   Demonstrate these rules:

   • Keep the camera in the same position.
   • Keep the background and lighting the same.
   • Move the object only a little between photographs.
   • Keep hands out of the picture before taking each photograph.
   • Use more photographs for smoother movement.

   Make a simple example: place a toy at the left side of the background and take a photograph. Move it a small distance to the right and take another. Continue until it reaches the right side. Play the sequence.

   Ask: “What might happen if I move the toy a large distance each time?” Demonstrate the jerky movement. Then demonstrate smaller movements and compare the results.

3. Do it together: Plan and set up — 10 minutes

   Choose one simple story:

   • A character walks across the screen.
   • A ball rolls toward a box and goes inside.
   • A block tower builds itself.
   • A character finds a hidden object.

   Help the learner draw three quick planning pictures: beginning, middle, and end. For example:

   • Beginning: a toy is on the left.
   • Middle: the toy is halfway across.
   • End: the toy is on the right beside a box.

   Set the background against a wall or on the floor. Tape it down if necessary. Position the device so the camera points straight at the set. Check that the whole action fits inside the frame.

4. Learner creates the animation — 20 minutes

   Help the learner make a short animation of about 20–40 photographs.

   1. Place the object in its starting position.
   2. Open the stop-motion app and choose “new project” or the equivalent option.
   3. Take the first photograph without any hands in the frame.
   4. Move the object a small distance.
   5. Take another photograph.
   6. Repeat until the story reaches its ending.
   7. Play the animation and watch for movement that is too fast, too slow, or shaky.

   Encourage the learner to make one improvement, such as adding more photographs, moving the object smaller distances, or adding a short title card made from paper.

   Ask while they work:

   • “What needs to stay exactly the same?”
   • “How far should you move the object for the next photograph?”
   • “What part of the story will viewers understand first?”
5. Brief recap and sharing — 5 minutes

   Watch the finished animation together. Ask the learner to explain:

   • How many photographs were used, approximately?
   • What moved in the animation?
   • Which part was easiest?
   • What would make the movement smoother?

   Recap: Stop motion uses still photographs, tiny changes between photographs, and quick playback to create the illusion of movement.

Quick Check of Understanding

Ask the learner to answer these questions without help:

1. Why must the camera stay still?
2. Why should the object be moved only a small amount between photographs?
3. What three things can make a stop-motion animation look shaky?

Expected answers: The camera must stay still so the background does not jump around. Small movements make the action look smoother. A shaky animation may result from moving the camera, changing the lighting or background, or moving the object too far between photographs.

Make it easier: Animate one object moving in a straight line and use a prepared camera position. Work together to take the first ten photographs.

Make it harder: Add a second character, create a change in direction, or record a short voice-over and add sound effects.