Motion in stop motion animation is created by capturing a sequence of photographs, each showing objects slightly moved from their position in the previous photo.
The Fundamental Principle of Stop Motion
At its core, stop motion animation is like an advanced form of a flipbook. The illusion of movement isn't happening in real-time; it's constructed frame by frame.
The Stop Motion Process
Creating motion in stop motion animation involves a simple, yet meticulous, process:
- Position Objects: Set up the objects you want to animate within your scene.
- Capture a Frame: Photograph the scene exactly as it is. This is your first frame.
- Manipulate Objects: Physically manipulate the objects slightly within the frame. Make tiny adjustments to their position, pose, or expression.
- Capture the Next Frame: Photograph the scene again after the small adjustments. This is your second frame.
- Repeat: Continue steps 3 and 4 repeatedly, making tiny changes to the objects between each photograph.
As each frame is played in sequence, typically at a speed like 12 to 24 frames per second, the small differences between consecutive images blend together in the viewer's eye, creating the effect of the objects moving themselves.
Think of animating a character walking: You would photograph the character, move one leg forward a tiny bit, photograph again, move the other leg forward a tiny bit, photograph again, and so on. When these hundreds or thousands of photographs are played rapidly, the character appears to walk smoothly across the screen.
