- In this video, you are gonna learn
how to create your very own stop-motion animation
on a budget.
As long as you have a few key pieces
of affordable equipment and a creative mind,
there is nothing stopping you.
(upbeat music)
Hiya, I'm a Jess here at Spiel.
Before we begin, make sure you subscribe
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to help you with your video marketing.
To start with, let's answer the number one question,
what exactly is stop-motion animation?
Stop-motion animation basically involves taking lots
of individual photos and then putting them all together
to create the impression of real time movement.
There are four main types of stop-motion animation.
Firstly, there is claymation.
This basically involves creating a stop-motion animation
using plasticine clay.
Famous examples of claymation that you've probably seen
are the brilliant Wallace and Gromit
and Chicken Run movies.
Secondly, there is pixilation.
Pixilation is basically stop motion
where live actors are the main subject of the animation.
Thirdly, there is cut-out stop-motion animation.
Cut-out stop-motion involves using flat characters
and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper
or other fabrics.
Nowadays, cut-out style animations
are usually produced using software
with scanned images being used instead
of physically cut materials.
This has made the process of making a cut-out animation
a lot easier than the traditional method
which involved first creating every image
by cutting it by hand.
And finally there is object animation.
As the name suggests, this is basically stop motion
which involves the use of physical objects
as opposed to drawings or cut outs.
So, how can you use stop-motion animation
in your video content?
Well, firstly, stop motion can be great
for adding special effects to your videos
so jazz them up.
Especially, if you want to be more creative with things
like your video intros.
Secondly, they can be great
for creating full explainer videos
which can look really cool and creative,
helping your content stand out
from the more generic videos out there.
So, let's now go through the four step process
that you can follow to create
your very own stop-motion animation.
Step one, map out your concept.
First step involved in creating a stop-motion animation
is to decide on your concept.
The great thing about stop motion
is that you can literally create it using anything
that moves which gives you ample room for being creative.
So, once you've decided what will be the subject
of your video, the next step is to plan
what will happen in your video.
Now, you can do this really in any way
that works best for you.
But in general, if you're creating
a more professional stop-motion video
which will include a voiceover,
you should first write the script
and then record the voiceover.
After this, you can then consider creating
a short storyboard or sketches which include an outline
of what will happen in your video
so that when it comes to shooting,
you have a good idea in advance
as to exactly what you need to do.
On the other hand, if it's more
of a straight forward stop-motion animation
that you'll be producing or creating storyboards simply
isn't your cup of tea,
then to help you with your preparation,
you can consider doing some practice runs before hand
where you move the objects to the key frames
that you will be using in your actual shoot.
Step two, set up your studio.
To shoot your stop-motion animation once you've decided
on your concept, you will need to set up your studio.
But don't worry, you don't need a specialist studio
with a ton of equipment.
You can make one at home or in the office quite easily.
So, let's go through what this will involve.
Firstly, you will need to get yourself
a nice, stable surface to work on.
This is key because even slight movements
in your surface can show up in your final video
and really affect its quality.
Similarly, you also want to have your camera
on a stable surface.
If you are using an iPhone or iPad,
a good quality holder will do.
And if you're using a DSLR camera,
make sure you use a tripod where the center column
and head can be locked into a fixed position.
Also, I would suggest that you get
an external camera controller, ideally wireless,
so that you can shoot your pictures
without having to touch your camera
which can also result in unnecessary movements.
You can pick up a good good external camera remote.
They're less than 20 to $30
which is well worth the investment
if you are serious about quality.
Secondly, you need to make sure you shoot in a room
with good lighting which doesn't change.
In general, it's best to avoid natural lighting
whenever possible as even the slightest shift
in natural lighting will be noticeable in your video
and finally, you will need to set up the backdrop
for your video.
This can literally be anything
from wooden surfaces, a particularly decorative wall
that you like, or you can use single color seamless paper
which can be a great option
for a simple, yet professional look.
You can use a few clips, a crossbar
and some light stands to ensure the backdrop stays static
and well lit.
Step three, shoot your video.
Once you have prepared your studio,
the next step will be to shoot your video.
When it comes to shooting your video,
the main thing you will need to consider
is your frame rate which is basically the number of images
which will appear in each second of your animation.
As a general rule of thumb,
if you're looking to create a high quality stop-motion video
with smooth movement, you should be aiming
for somewhere between 12 to 24 frames per second.
But, if you're limited on time
and looking to create a more simple stop motion,
you can consider using seven to 10 frames per second
but anything less than seven frames per second
won't result in a quality video.
Now, let's talk about the camera.
You can use a smartphone if you're restricted on budget.
On the other hand, if you can get access
to a more professional camera,
I would recommend a digital single lens reflex DSLR camera.
These cameras allow you to see exactly what you're going
to capture in real time which makes them ideal
to shoot stop-motion videos.
Also, make sure you lock all your camera's settings
which includes locking the shutter, aperture, and focus
as this will give more consistency to your images.
When shooting your video, there are some great software
out there that can really help keep the correct framing
as well as being able to practically edit your footage
on the go.
If you're a beginner, and looking to keep things simple
by using your mobile phone,
a good free app available on both iOS
and Android is Stop Motion Studio.
On top of basic editing tools
that let you edit pictures on the fly,
it also includes some more advanced features
which will let you add titles and connect
to an external camera controller
to take the pictures.
On the other hand, if you're using a DSLR camera,
you can install a free application
on your computer called qStopMotion
which is available on their website to download.
It has an easy to use system
to help create high quality stop-motion content,
so go check it out.
If you really want to dive deep
into more advanced stop-motion animation softwares,
then check out Dragonframe
which is more geared towards professionals.
It provides a really extensive range of features
but it does come at a cost of $300
and works best with DSLR cameras.
And step four, edit and add sound effects.
With all of your frames captured,
the editing process
should be quite fast and straightforward.
You should put all of your pictures
into a single computer folder
and open your video editor.
Your editing software should provide you with an option
that allows you to import all your images
into a designated folder as a single time lapse.
From there, you should be able
to adjust the frames per second
and other pacing elements of your animation
until you get your desired look.
And finally, to complete your video,
make sure you add some sound effects.
Adding some cool sound effects
will really help bring your animation to life
and add that golden touch to your production.
Just check out this video without sound.
And now with sound.
(ax thumps)
(fingers snapping)
(fire crackling)
So you get the point.
That's it ladies and gentlemen.
You now know how
to create your very own stop-motion animation on a budget.
But before you get going with your production,
please remember to subscribe to our channel
if you've found this video to be useful.
And if you have any other further questions
regarding creating your stop motion,
you can let me know in the comments below
and I'll do my very best to help you.
And remember, like with learning any new skill,
creating a stop motion will require a bit
of work and patience
but the rewards will be well worth it.
Also, if you need any further help
with your video marketing,
you can get in touch with us here at Spiel
at www.spielcreative.com.
As always, thanks for watching.