Stop-Motion Animation | OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

What Is Stop-Motion?

Stop-motion animation is a filmmaking technique where physical objects are photographed one frame at a time, moved just a tiny bit between each photograph, and then played back quickly to create the illusion of movement. It is one of the oldest forms of animation and has a handmade, tactile quality that makes it feel different from computer-generated films. Creating stop-motion is extremely labor intensive — a skilled animator might produce only about six seconds of finished film in an entire day of work. Despite being slow and painstaking, the results have a warmth and charm that audiences have loved for over a century.

The Pioneers

A real animation model of a dinosaur from the 1933 King Kong movie, showing the wire skeleton inside

The 1933 film King Kong was one of the earliest and most famous uses of stop-motion animation, bringing a giant ape to life using a small model with a metal skeleton inside called an armature. The legendary animator Ray Harryhausen spent decades creating stop-motion creatures for films like Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, inventing a technique called Dynamation that combined live actors with animated models. Willis O’Brien, who animated the original King Kong, mentored Harryhausen and helped establish stop-motion as a respected art form. These pioneers proved that tiny models moved by hand could create movie magic just as thrilling as any live-action scene.

Clay Animation

Colorful clay animation characters in a snowy winter scene

Claymation, or clay animation, uses characters and sets made from modeling clay or a similar flexible material that can be reshaped between frames. The Wallace and Gromit series, created by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in England, is one of the most beloved claymation properties in the world. Each Wallace and Gromit film required thousands of tiny adjustments to the clay figures to produce just minutes of footage. Aardman also created Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run, proving that clay characters could star in full-length feature films and capture audiences’ hearts.

Modern Stop-Motion Studios

Laika Entertainment, based in Portland, Oregon, has become one of the leading stop-motion studios in the world with films like Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings. Laika uses a combination of traditional stop-motion techniques and modern technology, including 3D-printed faces that allow for incredibly detailed facial expressions. Director Wes Anderson has also brought stop-motion to new audiences with Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas remains one of the most popular stop-motion films ever made, with its distinctive dark and whimsical style.

Try It Yourself

Anyone can try stop-motion animation with simple materials and a smartphone. All you need is a camera, something to animate — toys, clay figures, paper cutouts, or even food — and a lot of patience. Free apps are available that let you take photos frame by frame and play them back as a video. Making your own stop-motion film teaches you about timing, storytelling, and how much work goes into every second of animation you see on screen.