How to make it: Steps to follow
Step 1: Write a Story
Think of an idea for your animation. Make sure it is feasible with the resources you have, and let your mind loose! It doesn't have to be complicated, or it could be a movie. Just have a brainstorm, and see what you come up with.
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My story will be a man walking his dog in the park, and then throwing a ball for the dog to fetch. But, the ball goes all the way around the world, and hits the man in the back of the head.
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That's the beauty about animation: anything can happen.
Step 2: Story Boarding
Story Boarding is the first step which it may storyboarding but it vital to get the video done with little to no mistakes.
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You could use a storyboarding on a piece of paper.
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What is storyboarding: a panel or panels on which a sequence of sketches depict changes of action and scene in a planned film or stop motion.
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A storyboard has the main ideas of the story, visually, so it's easier to make the animation.
TIP: Remember to see what you have to use to make the video such paper, rubber bands or anything that could help.
Step 3: Lighting
To have a great video never use the sun as your light, this will lead to odd lighting in the background witch distracts the views of your video.
use any type of light you have thats not the sun such as the photo above for good video.
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TIP: For best stop motion video with no spending use a table light so you can move it close or far depending on your idea to shoot the video.
Step 4: Install stop motion software
Install stop motion software. You can install this on just about any device, although laptops and mobile devices are the easiest to transport around your film set. Many stop motion programs have a free trial period, so you can try them out before you buy. Read the terms first, as the trial may restrict your options, or cover your images with a watermark. Here are a few suggestion.
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For Mac: iStopMotion, Boinx, Dragon Frame
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For Windows: I Can Animate 2 (recommended for children), iKITMovie, or Stop Motion Pro. Windows Movie Maker is an option with fewer features, but it may already be on your computer.
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For iPhone or iPad: Frameographer, Stopmotion Cafe
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For Android devices: Clayframes, Stopmotion Studio
Step 5: Arrange the scene
Set up your first shot in an area without wind or background movement. Make sure all your pieces stand up on their own. If one of them falls over during filming, it can take quite a while to set it back up in the exact position.
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If a figure is tilting or threatening to fall over, stick it onto the surface with poster tack.
Practice
Find objects and figures to use in your movie. Some good choices include clay, wire, LEGO or similar building block figures. Be imaginative; you can use almost any object to make your movie.
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Start with a small project, such as an orange peeling itself. One second of film can take 18–24 photos, so you'll get plenty of practice from this.
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You can draw on a whiteboard or stack of paper instead, changing the drawing slightly with every frame. If you do this, set up a stable stand to hold the drawings, so there's no accidental movement.
Step 6: Begin taking photographs
Take a single photo of the objects or figures in the starting position. Move the objects bit by bit, by a very small amount each time, and take another photograph after each movement. You can move one piece at a time (such as an arm waving back and forth), or make several movements at once (a more fluid walk involving legs and arms, or several objects moving in a busy scene). Try to move an object by about the same distance each time.
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Before taking each photograph, make sure the object is in sharp focus. You may need to disable your camera's autofocus. If using a webcam, rotate the focus ring by hand.
Step 7: Check your software
Check your software. Each time you take a photograph, a frame should appear in your stop motion software. These frames are placed in a row to form a strip of film, usually near the bottom of your screen. You should be able to flick between the frames or play a video to get a rough idea of what your movie will look like. Don't worry, the end result will be much smoother.
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If you make a mistake, just delete the frame you just took and take another photograph.
Step 8: Look for an Onion Skinning feature
This extremely useful feature is one major reason to use dedicated stop motion software instead of a free movie editor. With Onion Skinning enabled, the previous frame shows up as a faint image on the screen, overlaying the image your camera sees. This lets you arrange objects accurately, seeing exactly how much they will move on screen. If you knock over a figure or make a mistake and need to re-shoot a few frames, Onion Skinning makes it easy to return to the old scene by lining up the figures with the faint image.
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If you can't find this feature, look for a Help or Tutorial section, or visit the website of the software developers.
Step 9: Finish shooting
Continue moving and photographing until the scene is finished. Save your work frequently. Leave your setup in place once you're done, in case you need to retake some photographs.
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There's no need to finish the scene in one sitting. Taking regular breaks will help make the process a pleasure instead of a chore.
Step 10: Finish your film.
You can now render the project as a video file and show it to your friends. If you like, you can open the video in video editing software and add music, sound effects, and special effects.
