In today’s world, consumers are always busy juggling hectic schedules and busy work lives. There are days when it’s difficult to even sit down for a nice meal. As a result, consumers don’t have the time to read long articles to get their daily dose of information. They turn to videos as a much more convenient method of learning.
Businesses must create powerful visuals to get their videos in front of their audience. Marketing teams are always on the lookout for trends to create their videos around because they understand the importance of engaging an audience. Many small businesses are forced to be even more creative because of limited budgets.
That’s where stop motion animation services come into play. This budget-friendly animation style is only limited by whit and imagination.
What Is Stop Motions and Stop Motion Animation Ideas for Businesses
In stop motion video, objects within the video are manually manipulated in small increments to simulate movement. There are a lot of advantages to using this animation method, so this post will explore 9 stop motion animation ideas for businesses.
#1: Whiteboard Stop Motion Animation
Whiteboard stop motion animation is one of the most popular in businesses right now because of how relatively simple it is to create. This method of animation is also the most accessible because all you need is a whiteboard and imagination.
- Whiteboard stop motion animation is a perfect choice for beginners because it doesn’t require extensive tools.
- Whiteboard animation does require a certain level of artistic talent.
- The concept is so simple that it must be done perfectly in order to compel an audience to continue watching.
#2: Paper Cut Out Stop Motion Animation
This method utilizes models that are cut out from flat materials like cardboard or fabrics. These 2D models are then used like puppets to tell a compelling story. Some of the earliest animated films were created using paper cutouts. While this method is another more affordable option for businesses, it also requires high artistic talent.
- Another budget-friendly option for small businesses.
- Requires a high degree of artistic talent to create believable paper cut-outs.
#3: LEGO Stop Motion
Another great option for beginners, LEGO stop motion animation, utilizes the creative power of LEGOS to create what has become known as Brick Films. The popularity of LEGO movies and video games has paved the way for this form of stop motion film. Businesses can take full advantage of this option to build up their brand in a creative, friendly way.
- LEGO stop motion videos are already a popular form of media, so businesses can build on that without having to reinvent the wheel.
- It doesn’t require as much artistic talent as other forms of stop-motion animation, but it does require imagination.
- Another stop motion idea that is friendly to the marketing budget.
#4: Time Lapse Stop Motion
Time-lapse stop motion animation requires a bit more planning and technical prowess than the others. This option is quite popular among businesses, too, because it can showcase the manufacturing of products or provide a brief look at a full day behind the scenes. In order to pull it off, a camera is set up to take random snapshots of a location throughout the day. Then those snapshots are put together to simulate the rapid passing of time.
- Requires a high-quality camera and some form of timer.
- The number of captivating time-lapse possibilities is limited, so you’ll have to be creative.
- Requires a high degree of editing to create a high-quality time-lapse stop motion video.
#5: Clay Morphing
Provide a truly nostalgic experience with your audience through clay morphing. Most people have fond memories associated with this animation style, so it will tug on their nostalgia strings, which can be highly profitable for businesses. Think of old animations like Rudolph and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Additionally, clay morphing is probably the most popular form of stop motion animation for kids.
- This style requires moderate artistic skills to pull off since you’ll need to create stable characters and/or objects.
- It’s highly attractive and will generate a sense of nostalgia in an audience. As all businesses have learned, nostalgia sells.
#6: Chalk Board Animation
This style of animation is created using the same basic concepts as whiteboard animation but draws on a more nostalgic approach. Many older crowds would be more attached to chalkboards because it’s what they grew up with. However, the concept remains true.
- It requires a high degree of artistic skill since the objects must be drawn on a chalkboard.
- Affordable and can meet any budget, making it an amazing choice for small businesses.
#7: Sticky Notes Stop Motion Animation
Sticky notes stop motion animation is a type of flipbook animation that uses sticky notes to create frame-by-frame animations. The subject is sketched, or ideas are written on a series of sticky notes. Then each sticky note is captured as an image, and then those images are flipped through in sequence.
- All concepts are fair game with sticky notes animation. The subject used can be words or characters.
- This style does require a moderate level of artistic skill, but fonts can actually be created using other programs to emulate sticky notes.
- It’s affordable and can fit into most marketing budgets, making it a great choice for small businesses.
#8: Human Stop Motion
Taking shots throughout the day or using a focused photoshoot to have the subject make small movements are both great ways to create human stop motion animation. This simulates the appearance of animation without having to spend thousands on animation professionals.
- Much like time-lapse animation, human stop-animation can be used to represent the passage of time. But times between shots will be much shorter.
- Requires photographic skills and equipment.
#9: Object Stop Motion
Much like human stop motion, objects are photographed in slightly different locations. Don’t mistake this for a model or puppet animation because this style uses objects like blocks, wax, or some other type of non-malleable object. For example, alphabet blocks could be moved to spell out a word.
- Highly imaginative style of animation that allows for unique concepts.
- No real artistic skills required since objects are used as props and photographed.
- Requires heavy editing when compared to other forms.
How to Create a Great Stop Motion Video
By this point, you have seen a lot of amazing ideas about potential stop motion animations to use in your stop motion animation studio, so it’s time to look at the actual process for putting together your first video.
- Step 1: Create a Storyboard
You can either hand draw a storyboard for your animation or use stop motion animation software. Make sure all major scenes are planned during this phase.
- Step 2: Build a Set for your Stop Motion Animation
Choose an area that’s easy to control so that you save on editing later. Also, keep it simple. If the scene is in a room, then there’s no need for the set to be an entire house.
- Step 3: Set up Props and Get Stop Motion Characters Ready for Your Set
Prepare all props and objects that will be in the video. One of the costliest parts of shooting a video is delays, so avoid them by coming in prepared.
- Step 4: Get the Proper Lighting
The set should be in an area with proper lighting. More importantly, you should be able to control it. Lighting directly affects the quality of a video.
- Step 5: Have the Right Equipment
Shoot your stop motion animation using the right camera to avoid heavy editing later. There are also stop motion animation apps that can help with the filming process.
- Step 6: Create a Clear Pass Shot
This is a shot of the set without any props or objects in it. Shooting this is essential so that you have a blank template for editing later.
- Step 7: Edit the Video
While you can edit in-house, it’s often much more efficient to partner with a professional editing service. That saves both time and money while ensuring high quality.
Partnering with the Right Video Editing Provider
Create a stop motion animation is quite a long process, so it’s important that businesses do it in steps so that it doesn’t become overwhelming. With that said, the editing phase is where the magic happens, and it’s the most crucial step in the video creation process. Your best bet is to partner with a video editing service provider like Video Caddy (VCD).
VCD’s team of experts are experienced with the entire video editing process and will breathe magic into your stop motion animations. With a full range of video editing and post-production services such as corporate video editing, video clipping, stabilizing, and tagging, including copyrighting your video, Video Caddy’s teams, can transform your stop motion animation into a masterpiece. Contact Video Caddy today to learn more!
– VideoCaddy
