Stop Motion

EvanSherman_StopMotion.mp4

This week you will create a stop motion film with at least 100 slides that shows us how to do something. Think about what you have nearby. Find something that you know how to do well and show us. Teach us. If you are really good at taking care of plants help us understand your process. If you can play guitar show us how to play.

Choose Your Topic

Think about what you do really well and do regularly. Here are some great ideas (Pick something you genuinely enjoy — your enthusiasm will show in the final product!):

Food/Drink: Making coffee, brewing tea, making a sandwich, baking cookies, decorating a cupcake
Crafts: Drawing a picture, folding origami, building with blocks, arranging flowers
Plants: Repotting a plant, watering a garden, propagating a cutting
Music/Sports: Playing an instrument, doing a skateboard trick, stretching routine
Life Skills: Tying shoes, braiding hair, organizing a backpack, setting a table
Science: Growing crystals, mixing colors, building a tower, creating a volcano

Plan Your Steps

Write out every single step in detail. This is crucial for stop motion success. Make your list as detailed as possible — each small action = multiple photos.

Example: Making a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

Gather bread, peanut butter, jelly, knife, and plate
Place two slices of bread on the plate
Open peanut butter jar
Spread peanut butter on first slice (left to right)
Wipe knife clean
Open jelly jar
Spread jelly on second slice
Press slices together
Cut diagonally
Arrange on plate

Sketch Your Scenes

Draw quick thumbnail sketches showing:

What's in each shot
Where objects are positioned
Any camera angles you want

This takes 10 minutes but saves you tons of time while filming!

Filming Tips

Setup:

Place your iPad/camera on a tripod or stable surface — don't move it
Set up good lighting (natural light or lamp)
Clear the background so focus is on your action
Have everything you need within arm's reach

Filming Process:

Position your objects, Take ONE photo
Make a small movement (1-2 cm), Take another photo
Repeat 100+ times
Pro Tips:
- - Slow movements = smoother video — tiny movements look more natural
  - Take extra photos of key moments (you can delete later)
  - Stay patient — this takes time, but it's worth it!
  - Get help if you need someone to hold things steady

Add Music (Optional)

Once your stop motion is complete, you can:

Add background music in the stop motion app
Make your own music and record it on the app
Use royalty-free music from YouTube Audio Library
Keep it silent (equally cool!)

How to use the Stop Motion App on your iPad:

Set Up Stop Motion Studio App

Open Stop Motion Studio on your iPad, Create a new project:

Tap the "+" button to create a new project
Name your project something descriptive (e.g., "Coffee Tutorial" or "Plant Care")
Choose your project settings (resolution and frame rate — default settings work great!)
Tap Create

Using Stop Motion Studio's Tools:

Live View: See what your camera is capturing in real-time
Onion Skin (if available): See a faint ghost image of the previous frame — helps you position objects smoothly
Playback: Tap the play button at any time to preview your frames so far
Delete frames: If you make a mistake, tap the trash icon to delete the last frame and try again