Stop Motion 3D animation is the process in which an inanimate three-dimensional object is animated through a series of small recorded movements. These movements are staged one after another and, when reproduced, give the illusion that the object is in motion. Here is a very basic overview of the entire process for the beginning animator.

Since the easiest way for a newbie to start animating is 3D stop motion animation, this article will focus on using free software and a webcam to record every frame of motion. This article will cover the very basic steps of stop motion animation using Lego minifigures as the inanimate object to be animated. In the interest of keeping the article focused on the basics, it is assumed that the beginning animator has basic computer skills, such as downloading, installing software, and connecting peripheral devices.

You will first need to have a couple of Lego minifigures available as your characters. These can be purchased at any local retail store. You can even keep them on hand if you have kids. Also, check your attic. Legos are a popular construction toy and people tend to cling to them. Normally you would have a story line and be able to produce a storyboard so that you could effectively film your animation feature. You won’t do that here, this is a quick approach, let’s get started. After selecting your characters, start by choosing a camera and downloading some basic software.

To capture the movement of the characters, you will use a simple webcam. This is probably the easiest way to produce stop motion animation digitally, but it will prove to be extremely easy for any beginning animator. It is possible to employ the use of a higher quality digital still camera. However, it wouldn’t be compatible with the software’s frame grab feature without making a few tweaks here and there. For the sake of simplicity and ease of use, you will use a pen test software program called Monkey Jam. Monkey Jam is free to download and there are hundreds of thousands of tutorials on this software on the internet in case you need additional guidance.

Once your software is running and your webcam is installed, you will need to stabilize your camera. Any slight movement can make the image appear jumpy. After you’ve stabilized your camera, start with both characters in the shot. You will be able to see what the camera sees. When both figures are within the area you want to film, you can begin. To keep this simple, you’ll have the Lego figures raise an arm. To avoid choppy animation, you’ll need to record a minimum of sixteen frames for every second of video you want to produce. What you will do is move each arm a very small distance. Once you have moved the Legos, you can capture the image by clicking the capture button. It will do this for every frame until you reach the desired length of your movie. When you’re done, you can preview the animation and save it for editing.