My first try at stop-motion clay animation worked better than I thought

I spent a whole week setting up my phone and some clay. The first few shots were shaky, but I kept at it. Finally got a smooth five-second clip of a little figure walking. It feels good to see it play back without hiccups. Thinking of adding sound next time.

4 comments

4 Comments

paul_burns12h ago

On a filmmaking blog, I read that pros shoot at 12 frames per second for clay animation. They said it gives a nice balance between smooth motion and not taking forever. Your five-second clip probably has around 60 frames, which is a decent chunk of work. Adding sound effects like footsteps can really bring it to life.

lily_perry11h ago

Actually, the clay itself can be a real problem during long shoots. In my experience, it gets soft under hot lights and picks up every bit of dust. That 12 fps rate helps, but you still have to move quick before the figure loses its shape. Consistent lighting is key too, since even a tiny change can make the frames look jumpy. Planning each shot with rough sketches first saves a lot of headache later.

lucas38910h ago

My buddy had his whole setup ready once and his cat just swatted the clay figure across the room mid-shot. He had to start over but it made a great blooper reel!

hannah_gibson2h ago

Aha, so much of life is just putting in those tiny, patient adjustments every day.