Your first stop-motion film: 48 frames and one paper square

The small film you will make

Stop motion builds movement from still images: move an object, take a picture, then repeat. Our exercise uses a deliberately stepped six frames per second (6 fps), so there are few positions to organise. This is a practice choice, not a standard for all animation.

The video below is a digitally drawn timing model, not footage of a photographed paper square. It follows exactly the frame plan you can shoot.

1. Keep the stage still

Use a small paper square, a plain sheet for the background, a ruler and a camera or phone held securely in a support. You also need a tool that can arrange still images in order, set their playback rate and export a video file. Check that it lets you choose 6 fps, or a duration of one-sixth of a second per image.

For example, the Stop Motion Studio manual puts the rate in Project Settings → FPS: move the slider to 6, then choose Done. Use the equivalent setting in your own tool; button names can vary by version or platform.

Place the background flat and fix it so it cannot slide. Frame a straight 12 cm journey, leaving room for the whole square at both ends. Put a small destination dot above the path. Measure every position from the square’s LEFT edge: start at 0 cm, destination at 12 cm. Keep the ruler just outside the picture, where you can still use it as a guide.

Secure the camera before shooting; do not hold it in your hand. Use steady light and keep your own shadow out of the picture. If your camera offers focus and exposure locks, set them once the square is clear. Take three test frames without moving anything, then play them: the background and brightness should stay steady.

2. Follow the 48-frame plan

Set playback to 6 fps. In the list below, a frame is one still image displayed in the finished sequence. For a hold, take more pictures without moving the square, or repeat a clean picture using your tool’s hold or duplicate feature. You need 48 playback frames, not 48 different photographs.

• Frames 1–6: keep the left edge at 0 cm. Six starting frames; 1 second.
• Frames 7–18: move 1 cm to the right BEFORE each picture. Frame 7 is at 1 cm; frame 18 is at 12 cm. Twelve frames; 2 seconds.
• Frames 19–30: leave the square at 12 cm for 12 additional frames. This hold block adds 2 seconds.
• Frames 31–42: move 1 cm to the left BEFORE each picture. Frame 31 is at 11 cm; frame 42 is back at 0 cm. Twelve frames; 2 seconds.
• Frames 43–48: keep it at 0 cm for six additional frames. This final hold block adds 1 second.

3. Move, clear the picture, shoot

Move the square, take your hand away, wait for the stage to settle, then capture the frame. Check it before making the next move. If a hand is visible or the camera was bumped, replace that frame while you can still restore the position.

Count the frames as you go. The square already reaches 12 cm in frame 18, so it stays there for 13 frames in total, including the arrival frame. On its return, it is at 0 cm in frames 42–48. The extra hold blocks in the plan do not replace those arrival frames.

A 48-frame stop-motion plan in motion

Transcript

This is a silent digital diagram. The square’s left edge marks its position x on a planned path. Frames 1–6 (0–1 s): x = 0 cm. Frames 7–18 (1–3 s): move right 1 cm per frame, through x = 1 to x = 12 cm. Frames 19–30 (3–5 s): remain at x = 12 for 12 additional frames. Frames 31–42 (5–7 s): move left 1 cm per frame, through x = 11 to x = 0 cm. Frames 43–48 (7–8 s): remain at x = 0 for 6 additional frames. Each frame lasts 1/6 second. Because arrival frames count, x = 12 is visible for 13 frames (18–30); after the return, x = 0 is visible for 7 frames (42–48). The top left shows the current frame, the top right its start time, and the bottom bar the five blocks. The diagram contains no sound.

4. Play the sequence and find one thing to fix

Check the playback rate and the total: 48 ÷ 6 = 8 seconds, without titles or extra end frames. The digital example has no sound. Your first version does not need a soundtrack either.

• The background jumps too: check the camera support and the fixed background.
• Only the square jumps unexpectedly: inspect nearby frames for an omitted position, a duplicate or a move in the wrong direction.
• The brightness pulses: look for changing light, a moving shadow or automatic exposure changes.
• The pause disappears: check that the held picture occupies all 12 extra frames, rather than just one.
• The whole film lasts four seconds: 48 frames are playing at 12 fps. Return to 6 fps for this plan.

5. Save a video you can play on its own

Use your tool’s video export or save-video command, then open the resulting file outside the editor. Check that it shows the whole journey, has the intended pauses and lasts eight seconds. Keep the editable project too, so you can change it later.

What changes if you choose 12 fps?

Playing these same 48 frames at 12 fps halves the running time to four seconds. It does not add any new positions: the whole action, including the pauses, plays twice as fast.

For an eight-second version at 12 fps you need 96 playback frames. Repeating every frame twice preserves the timing but adds no new motion detail. To make the movement less stepped, plan extra positions between the existing ones and preserve the holds separately.

Give the square a reason to return

Once the basic sequence works, change one story detail: replace the destination dot with a tiny drawn doorway, a letter or a snack. Keep the same camera and frame count so you can compare the results. Does the pause now look like waiting, thinking or disappointment? That interpretation is yours to explore.

The frame plan, diagram and checklist are original Coru teaching materials. The National Film Board explains the underlying stop-motion technique; the sources below offer further instruction. We have checked our digital model and frame arithmetic, but have not tested this exercise with a group of beginners.

Sources & further reading

• National Film Board — the stop-motion technique
• Stop Motion Studio — set the frame rate
• Stop Motion Studio — hold a frame
• Stop Motion Studio — camera modes and locks
• ACMI — make a stop-motion animation