Stop Motion & Animation for Classrooms

Stop motion is animation made one photograph at a time. Students move a figure slightly, take a frame, move it again, and a few hundred frames later they have a film. It teaches patience and sequencing better than almost any other classroom project, and the planning matters more than the equipment.

What you actually need

• A camera that stays still. This is the whole trick. Any movement between frames shows up as a jolt, so a fixed camera beats a better camera every time.
• Software that captures single frames. The Hue Animation Studio bundles a camera with stop-motion software, which is the simplest way in for primary students.
• Steady light. Changing daylight between frames causes flicker on playback. A blind down and a lamp on beats a sunny window.

The options here

• Hue HD and HD Pro webcams — gooseneck cameras that hold position over a set, and double as document cameras the rest of the term
• Bonelk Flexible Neck webcam — bends down over a scene, then back up for video calls
• Twelve South HoverBar Duo — an adjustable arm that holds an iPad steady above the set, if you would rather film on a tablet
• Kid Pix 5 STEAM Edition — drawing and animation software for younger students building animations frame by frame on screen

Claymation. Plasticine figures are the classic starting point, because they are easy to reshape between frames and forgiving when a student presses too hard. We also run a Claymation Student Workshop if you would rather have someone come in and run it.

Buying for a school? Purchase orders are accepted on school accounts and we can quote on quantity. Everything here ships from Australia.