• What is a Stop Motion Video?

    Stop Motion Videos are films that are composed of single pictures/ photos - formerly known as classic flip-books. Movement is created by slightly changing the position of figures or objects in each picture. The pictures are put together in a faster way, e.g. with the Stop Motion Studio App, so that transitions are barely perceptible. The stop motion technique is a simple way to shoot movies with figures and objects without knowing anything about computer animation

    Almost anything can serve as an object or figure to create such a film. Not only dolls or dough figures, such as in the shows "Sandmännchen" or "Shaun  the sheep". There are almost no limits to imagination. 

    Stop Motion movies can be created with the simplest resources, which is why they can also be produced quite easily with young children. Digital technology and apps in particular make animated film production even simpler.


    A few suggestions how and with which tools you can create a stop motion movie are provided below:

    In animated painting films, the audience sees a picture or a text emerging line by line as if by magic. The effect is achieved by taking a photo after each small stroke until the whole picture is finished. 

    Video 1: Example of a simple stop motion video with painting:


    In animated layering film, figures or objects cut out of paper can apparently move on a background. Of course, children can move them between individual shots.

    Video 2: Example of an animated layering film:


    A material animation film is made with toys, building blocks or other three-dimensional objects used as actors. This also refers to well-known Stop Motion films with Lego figures as main actors or films with dough figures. Figures can move here in a scenery, which reminds a little of a doll's house.

    Video 3: Example of a material animation film by children in ECEC:


    Another type is the real animated film, where real people participate as actors. The trick is to let something move that normally cannot move by itself, e.g. a book or a plate. The possibility to ‘perform magic’ and trick someone or to bring dolls and stuffed animals to life is especially popular with children. For example, a child can make objects or people disappear. Or he/she sits particularly quietly on the floor and suddenly the doll sitting next to him/her begins to move. 

    Video 4: Example of a real animated film with stop motion tricks by children:


    In principle, the stop motion technique offers countless creative possibilities, which makes its use in ECEC particularly exciting and gives children and ECEC professionals the opportunity to have lots of fun.



    Comprehension Questions

    1. How many types of stop motion movies are presented in chapter 1?

    2. What material do you need to make an animated layering film?

    3. How can you achieve the effect of ‘magic’ in an animated painting film?