Create a Stop Motion Animation

Right now I am looking at the ways in which the stop animation movies are made and just to get a idea of how to start on the movie ,which would need to finish by next Thursday. From other student fellows' past experience, movie maker and aftereffect seem to be the ways to make the movies. And I will have to look further before I decide on which I should use.

If you were wondering how they create movies such as Wallace and Gromit or those groovy Legoshorts on YouTube, your search is over! Although creating stop motion animation is not difficult, it is time-consuming, repetitive and requires patience. As long as you're forewarned and keen, this makes a fantastic hobby and sometimes even grows into a career.

For example, |Windows 2000 or later with Windows Movie Maker, a Mac with iMovie, or a Linux or BSD operating system with Gimp. (Logitech webcams also come with stop motion animation software.) Virtual Dub is also a good free, easy to use program suitable for stop motion. If you have other similar movie making software, these will also be suitable, provided that you know how to use them.

1. Get objects and figures to use in your movie. Some good choices include clay, wire, Lego or similar building block figures, Playmobil™ figures, small dolls with a lot of flexibility, or stringand wooden bead characters.Some people even use Peeps! Be imaginative in the types of objects and figures that might work for your movie. For amateaurs, it's best to use a toy rather then making a figure, as it is easier to animate.
2. Link titlewill be doing -- walking, raising an arm, nodding yes, moving something, or whatever. Note that if you are using Legos that they cannot nod and are not as movable as regular action figures.
3. Set up the figures (characters) in a particular position and within their set. This photo shows a Lego set.
4. Place your camera in front of the "set" that you are going to take photos of. Check that it can view the entire frame. It is very important to support the camera or place it so that it is sitting steadily and cannot shake as you take the photos. Otherwise, the end result will appear chaotic and lack continuity. Keep in mind that the more photos, the smoother the video results. If you do not have a tripod, good alternatives include balancing on solid books, poster tack on the surface of the set or a piece of solid furniture at the same height. In single frame, 24 pictures equals one second of film. It's best to take two pictures of the same shot, so you only require 12.
5. Set up a good source of lighting. It might be a lamp or a flashlight. If your light is flickering, you need to shut off other sources of light. Close the blind, or curtains etc.
6. Take a single photo of the figure in the selected position. This photo shows the Lego set being readied for photographing.
7. Begin the movement sequence. Move the figure bit by bit - very small movements each time. It may be the entire body if the figure is walking, or it may just be an arm, head or leg. If you are moving only one body part and you find that the figure is tilting or threatening to fall over, make use of poster tack under the feet or other area touching part of the set.
8. Observe the following sequence of a Lego figure shoot to see how very small the changes must be (and remember that this is only a few of the frames to be taken!):
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Repeat the movement sequence until your action step is completed, or your camera's memory is full.
10. Save the pictures onto your computer in an easy to remember place.
11. Use your movie-making software as instructed (or see two popular software methods below). The basics involve:
    
    
    • Import the pictures into the desired program.
    • Make sure the pictures are at a very small duration so they flow very fast. If you are disappointed by the speed at which your program can animate, try exporting the project as a video file (before adding audio), then importing it again, and using a speed effect on it, such as double speed (these effects only work on video clips). Then, if the resulting speed is sufficient, you may add your audio.
    • Add titles and credits if you would like.
    • Make sure you like the end result of your stop motion animation. Keep going if you need to complete more actions to create a story.
    • Save the video. If you plan on having multiple stop motion segments, save each segment as a separate movie. Once the entire group of segments is completed, you can import all the segments into the final movie, and it will look much better and be a lot easier to finalize.
12. Add effects or transitions, or whatever else you feel makes it look good.
13. Share your movie by burning it into a CD or place it into an iPod. Continue making other ones!

Please note; Windows Movie Maker does not 'officially' support converting images into a movie sequence, if possible use a different program.

1. Open up Windows Movie Maker.
2. Import the pictures.
3. Click "Tools", then "Options". Do this before placing the pictures into the timeline.
4. Click the "Advanced" tab.
5. Change the picture duration to 0.125 seconds a frame (the lowest setting). This is found under "Picture Options".
6. Ensure that the pictures are in the correct order.
7. Load the pictures into the storyboard.
8. Add titles and credits if desired.
9. Go to "Finish Movie" and click whichever option is suitable.

original article see:  http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Stop-Motion-Animation