A spooky stop motion

Every lesson

1. 

   Lesson 1 · 0:55

   A steady camera

   Your turn: Pick your star toy, get a stop-motion app, and set the phone on a stack of books.

   Watch lesson 1 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Hi, I'm Tek. Want to see your toys move all by themselves? Let's make a stop-motion movie!

   2. 0:07

      Here's the trick. Move a toy a tiny bit. Snap a photo. Move it again. Snap again.

   3. 0:15

      Then play the photos fast. Look! Your toy walks!

   4. 0:20

      But the camera has to stay perfectly still. If it wiggles, the whole movie shakes.

   5. 0:27

      So don't hold it. Make a stack of books, and set the phone or tablet on top. Point it at your toy.

   6. 0:34

      Stick tape around the books. If they get bumped, slide them right back.

   7. 0:39

      Your turn. Pick your star toy. Ask a grown-up for a phone or tablet with a stop-motion app. Set it on a stack of books. Then press Next.

2. 

   Lesson 2 · 0:47

   Tiny moves

   Your turn: Move your toy a finger-width, pull your hands out, and snap. Take 10 photos.

   Watch lesson 2 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Meet my star. A toy dinosaur named Stomp!

   2. 0:05

      Move Stomp a tiny bit. About as wide as your finger.

   3. 0:10

      Now pull your hands out of the picture. Then snap!

   4. 0:15

      Move, hands out, snap. Move, hands out, snap. That's the whole secret!

   5. 0:22

      Watch what happens with big moves. Stomp jumps all over the place!

   6. 0:27

      Now tiny moves. Smooth! That looks like real walking.

   7. 0:33

      Your turn. Move your toy a finger-width. Hands out. Snap. Take ten photos. Then press Next.

3. 

   Lesson 3 · 0:49

   Twelve photos, one second

   Your turn: Take 12 photos with tiny moves, then play them back.

   Watch lesson 3 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      How many photos does a movie need? Let's count!

   2. 0:04

      Stop-motion movies often play twelve photos every second. So twelve photos make one second of movie.

   3. 0:12

      It's like a flipbook, but with real toys!

   4. 0:17

      Want your toy to stop and look around? Snap three photos without moving it.

   5. 0:23

      Want it to go faster? Make bigger steps. Slower? Make smaller steps.

   6. 0:29

      Now play your twelve photos. One whole second. Stomp takes a step!

   7. 0:35

      Your turn. Take twelve photos with tiny moves. Play them back. That's one second of movie! Then press Next.

4. 

   Lesson 4 · 0:49

   A five-second scene

   Your turn: Plan three steps, shoot 60 photos, and play it for your family.

   Watch lesson 4 ▶

   What the film says

   1. 0:00

      Time for a real scene! Five seconds long.

   2. 0:04

      Five seconds, twelve photos each. That's sixty photos!

   3. 0:10

      Plan it in three steps. Stomp walks in. Stomp finds a ball. Stomp kicks it away!

   4. 0:17

      Keep the light the same. Close the curtains and turn on a lamp, so your movie doesn't flicker.

   5. 0:24

      Now shoot all sixty photos. Tiny move. Hands out. Snap.

   6. 0:30

      Play it back, and show your family. Your toy is a movie star!

   7. 0:35

      Your turn. Plan three steps. Shoot sixty photos. Play it for your family. You made a stop-motion movie!