7 Easy Stop Motion Ideas for Businesses
We recently released a new Photo Burst block that makes it easy to quickly stitch together a sequence of images. The new block unlocks the potential for grabbing attention in all sorts of unique ways, including with stop motion.
Stop motion may feel intimidating, but we’re here to make it easy for you! We’ve put together a list of easy stop motion ideas that you can make for your business today.
Stop motion animation ideas for beginners
One of the easiest ways to get started with stop motion is to just dive in and start creating! Check out our guide on how to make a stop motion video to learn more about how to set up for your shoot. Then, get started with one of the ideas below!
NOTE: All the examples in this post were shot on an iPhone and assembled in Animoto using the Photo Burst block!
Single object rotating
Our first few ideas can be created easily with a single object. You can use a product you sell or any object related to your industry.
Try snapping a picture, rotating the image a little, snapping another picture, and rotating a little more. Keep snapping pictures until you’ve rotated the image all the way around. Then add the images to a photo burst in order to create a stop motion like the one below.
Single object moving across
You can also create a fun effect by moving an object, bit by bit, across the screen. Start with the object just out of the frame on one side and then move it until it’s just out of frame on the other side.
Single object moving into place
Rather than a plain product shot, use stop motion to have your product move into place. Once it’s there, you can add a regular Photo block to hold on the object for as long as you’d like!
PRO TIP: Start with the final shot and then take your pictures in reverse to make sure you’re landing in just the right spot. When you add the images to your photo burst, just put them in the opposite order of how you shot them.
Setting a scene
Our next stop motion idea involves a few objects. Build a scene, like the one below, by taking photos one at a time as you add them into the frame.
Curious about how to achieve this effect? Check out the tutorial below, featuring pro photographer Vanessa joy. Learn even more shooting tips from Vanessa Joy in her video from our 2019 Brand Camp.
PRO TIP: Looking for that bird’s eye view? Check out our blog post on how to DIY an overhead shot with what you have.
Bringing a product to life
Give your products a life of their own! Have them do something that usually requires help, like in this example we made of a yoga mat rolling itself out.
You can add text to your video to share a specific message with your audience. In this instance, we've added the text to a Photo block after our Photo Burst block. But you could also add text on top of your stop motion if you prefer.
Animating people
Including people in your stop motion video is a great way to connect with your audience. We made this video in the Animoto office, using an iPhone on a tripod and the Photo Burst block. It took us about 15 minutes.
Bonus idea: Have some fun!
Play around and try new things. Cut things out of paper, build a cute scene, bring inanimate objects to life in a way that’ll put a smile on viewers’ faces.
We grabbed some construction paper, scissors, and a glue stick and put this snack animation together. The whole process took less than 20 minutes!
Have you created a stop motion animation using the Photo Burst block? We’d love to see it! Share it with us in our Facebook group, the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community.