Stop Motion Photography Lesson 2

Camera Tips for Stop Motion Photography

1. Ensure your camera is either on a tripod or make sure the individual taking the pictures is keeping the camera steady. Ensure that the camera is focused on the subjects as well. 
2. You do NOT want the focus or exposure to change. Therefore, you should take each picture manually. 
3. Be careful with the lighting. As you begin to change angles it could affect how much light is entering each shot. 
4. Take each picture 2 or 3 times. In the event the lighting is off or something inadvertently appears in the background, having backup data is essential because recreating that entire scene perfectly in conjunction with your story can be difficult. 

Tips for Producing Your Film

1. Brainstorm the Idea
• Your story needs to have flow and progression. Discussing what you want your idea to be and how you will enact it will be useful. 
• We also brainstorm because if one element is off, it can ruin your entire video. 
2. Plan it Out
• It is recommended you have a storyboard or a concrete plan as to how you want your video to look and the order of your scenes. If you just take your pictures and sort it out using that method, it will take significantly longer. 
3. Make Each Shot Count
• Do not take each image and assume "I will edit this in Photoshop." 
• You will have well over 100 pictures to analyze and will not have the time to edit each one. Make each shot count. 
4. Audio
• Audio is very important to stop motion photography. Whether it is filled with people acting as characters, someone narrating or even music to add to the atmosphere; it can be crucial to the success of your film. 
• It is recommended you add the audio closer to your completion because if a scene needs to be changed, it will throw off the entire audio track. 
5. Over and Over Again
• Once you have completed your video, it is important to watch it over and over again. This is done to see if the audio is off, a scene is missing or anything else that may have been missed during the screening process. 
• It is also recommended you watch every time you produce a few seconds. That way you can catch a mistake before it reaches the end of the video. 

Stop Motion Photography Video #2

To help you better understand stop motion photography, here is a short video that explains how to do it.