Stop motion, an animation technique used to make static objects appear to move on their own, has been made far more accessible in recent times thanks to affordable, consumer-focused software.
Indeed, the National Film Board of Canada has just rolled out a neat iPad app designed with budding stop-motion animators in mind. StopMo Studio proclaims to be the “most complete stop motion app in the App Store”, and though that’s a rather lofty claim considering the others that are out there, it’s still worth your time.
The lowdown
StopMo Studio is pretty idiot-proof. From the second you launch it, you’re good to go – snap a picture, shift the subject slightly, and then snap the next one.
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You need at least three images to make your first stop motion video, though having only three images won’t make for the most compelling of animations. But it’s a good starting point for digging in to StopMo Studio, and seeing what makes it tick.
This app is also great for time-lapse work, letting you stitch together images to show something evolving (e.g. a sunset) over time. And you can also use both the front and rear-facing camera to capture shots, while onion skinning and the on-screen grid help you fine-tune your work-of-art.
You can also record audio over the top, throw in a soundtrack from a sound effects library, and mash it all together with the four-track mixing board. It also has effects such as fade-in/out, titles, brush settings, layers, and a feature that lets you sketch on top of the video.
As noted already, there are alternatives out there, but many of these are expensive and some require additional in-app purchases to gain access to full features. For $0.99, StopMo Studio delivers a pretty impressive feature-set. And it’s incredibly easy to grasp too.
Meanwhile, check out this animation flick created in StopMo Studio by animator Patrick Bouchard.
Related read: The Animator’s Survival Kit is a spellbinding iPad app for budding animators
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