How to Create a Stop Motion Video

Stop motion is a method of creating animations by capturing individual frames, one at a time. In this technique, the objects within the frame are adjusted slightly between each shot. When these sequential images are played together in a video, it creates the illusion of movement, as if the objects are animated and in motion by themselves.

Most of the work is done by preparing your environment and shooting the frames. All of the frames in the scene must be recorded in a static motion; only the objects or characters should be moved, frame by frame.

Shooting Your Frames

1. Grab your camera (smartphones work, too!) and place it on a tripod or lean it against something sturdy. Make sure it won’t move.
2. Set up your scene and take your first photo.
3. Make a small change to your subject, and take another photo.
4. Repeat this process until your scene is complete.
5. Note: If your camera moves a little, that is ok, but significant movement will create a jump in your animation and ruin the smooth effect.

Importing to Flixier

1. Go to Flixier and create a new project.
2. In the My Library panel, click the + New Folder option at the bottom and name your folder.
3. Open your new folder, click the Import or Record button, and upload all the photos you shot for your animation.
4. Once uploaded, select the first photo, hold SHIFT, and select the rest of them to highlight the entire batch.
5. Drag and drop them onto your timeline canvas.

Removing Timeline Gaps

If you end up with multiple gaps between your frames on the timeline, you don’t need to move them manually.

1. Right-click on any empty space between two clips on your timeline.
2. Select Delete all gaps to the right from the context menu to instantly snap all your frames together.

Once you are done, you can add music, transitions, or text, and export your final animation as an MP4 or GIF.