How to Create a Stop Motion Animation with a Webcam

Introduction

Creating simple stop motion animations are fun and easy to do with the web camera you may already have. A stop motion video is one where you add images to your video one frame at a time. This is different then a time lapse video where the computer automatically adds a frame at set time interval. All you need is your web cam, some light and something to animate.

By: Richard Burke

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Tips & Warnings:

You can open the finished animation in a program like "Adobe Premier" to insert it into another movie or add a title and soundtrack.
Try to create a storyboard of the animation before you begin.
Move only the objects and not the camera during animation.
The more frames you capture of each "move" the longer the object will remain in that position. Capture at least 4 frames per move or objects will appear to jump.

Step1

Quick Cam Main Window Create a backdrop and plan a video. In this case, I wanted Mickey to push the rocks apart and walk towards the camera. Open the web camera. We used the Logitech Quickcam and their software. Most web cameras come with simple software allowing you to perform various video functions. Choose "Create Animations" from the top menu bar. Check the animation main view to make sure your camera and object(s) are in correct alignment. Click "Setup" to begin the wizard.

Step2

Animation Type Select the type of animation you want. In this case, we want "Stop Motion" animation that allows us to create our movie one frame at a time.

Step3

Playback rate. Most motion picture films are shown at 30 frames per second. This prevents flicker and creates smooth motion. Adjust the frame rate to "30FPS."

Step4

Ready to animate When you finish the wizard, you will be taken back to the main window. You will now notice that the "Add Frame" button is displayed. This allows you to add a frame, reposition your object and then add another. For this animation, I added 4 frames for each "object move" I made. When you are finished, click "End Stop Motion" and you will see the movie displayed in the gallery on your left. Right click and save the movie to a desired location.