Stop motion is the traditional cinematographic technique that was first used to give illustrated figures the impression of movement. The camera would be repeatedly stopped and started and the many frames would all be fit together to produce a captivating short story.
This old-school animation technique is nowadays sometimes used to offer an old fashioned style to a film, as a sort of ode to animation’s beginnings. But that’s not all. Stop motion is also being applied in increasingly innovative ways, and in the presence of modern technology and techniques, longer, more complex stop motion animations are being produced.
Innovation
The modern revival of stop motion animation has propelled a trend in using weird and wonderful props and methods for creating these types of films. Animators have gone from producing stop motion with a ream of illustrated images, to creating them with plastercine models that need to be painstakingly moved millimetres at a time, and to more obscure props such as food, household objects and animals.
The method enables you to animate any object that cannot move on its own. Just about anything can be used to create a stop motion video, so the possibilities are endless!
Explainer Videos
Ideas for stop motion videos are becoming more and more imaginative, and the technique is being applied to all types of content, from informational videos to quirky advertisements.
Stop motion animation is a highly popular animation type for marketing and explainer videos because of its versatility. A video can be made truly unique. Take a look at this fantastic advertisement for Asics, entitled “In Pursuit of Perfection”, in which Japanese animator, Mabona Origami has presented an informative and captivating origami chronicle using stop motion.
At almost five minutes long, the explainer video is more lengthy than most, but its uniqueness is likely to keep all viewers watching to the end.
Another stop motion advert that is incredibly entertaining and sticks in the mind is this one for the Xbox 360. The viewer can’t help but be fascinated by the intricate techniques applied. As if often the case with stop motion animation, once you start watching, it’s difficult to stop until you reach the end.
Boost Brand Image and Conversions
Simple yet creative animations like this are easily retained in people’s memories. These videos can help to build a positive image for a brand, and promote brand recall at a later date. Stop motion animation has that quality of being thought-provoking and inspiring, which not only sticks in people’s minds, but also motivates them to share the creative content with their friends and colleagues.
Businesses in all industries are now recognising the potential of stop motions and are incorporating these animated videos into their marketing strategies. Stop motion videos are highly popular on social media and video sharing sites, and have been proven to keep viewers engaged up to the call to action.
Stop Motion in Education
There are many benefits of stop motion videos in business and education. They are great for explaining tedious concepts and information in a fun way – whether to employees, clients or students. Just about any topic can be made more interesting using stop motion animation, and students are likely to learn more from this engaging teaching technique.
Stop motion can enable some topics to be taught more clearly too. For example, experiments with a slow-occurring reaction can be shown to students using stop motion videos, allowing them to watch the whole process and its different features in a short time.
Another use in schools is to assign a stop motion project as a collective task to be done by students. Teamwork is essential in producing stop motion animation quickly, so this enhances group communication skills. Some students could create a model, others could create the background and voiceovers, while the remainder focus on shooting scenes and moving the characters.
Motivate Staff and Clients
Stop motion videos can be used to demonstrate product uses quickly, even when the use of the product and the result may take some time. In stop motion animation, time frames can be hastened as much as you like!
Stop motion explainer videos can also be used to communicate health and safety processes clearly and engagingly, or they can be used to make original sales presentations. The uniqueness of these videos is key to grabbing and retaining viewers’ attention so that the message is understood and absorbed.
Music Videos
Amidst the burst in popularity of stop motion animation, the technique has recently been used to make some truly imaginative music videos
This video for “Her Morning Elegance” by Oren Lavie is a great example of the creativity and emotion that can be achieved with stop motion animation in a music video. It also shows how even the human form can be used as a prop.
Stop motion videos can be incredibly inspirational. This is often achieved by conveying something in a new way – which cannot be achieved in real life; for example, by arranging vegetables to look like moving animals. The only limit is your creativity.
A Video that Demands a Response
It need not be difficult to create a stop motion animation – You require a camera, a computer and an object to be moved around, and possibly some additional props. To produce a high quality stop motion video, however, you should use the skills and experience of a professional animation studio.
If you want an animated video for marketing purposes, a specialist agency can create a captivating video that is effective at generating conversions. There are animation companies in the UK who have highly experienced animators, producers and digital marketers that can offer services to a high quality.
Create an Engaging Concept
The plot of a stop motion animation is important in capturing the imagination of viewers, so this should be well thought out. It should fit well with the target audience’s characteristics and requirements, brand image and purpose of the video. An animation company can help you with this.
Downfalls
It is tough to find any downfalls in the potential, style and creativity of stop motion animation, but there indeed some disadvantages to the overall technique. The most notable is the time that is takes to produce even a minute of video. Depending on the complexity of the method adopted, achieving this footage could take from days to weeks.
The effort that goes into stop motion videos can also be immense, from crafting props to intricately editing. A big team may therefore need to be involved. Of course this depends on the type of video being made, as stop motion animation is now a very broad category of cinematography, which can involve a diverse range of skills and techniques.
Why Select Stop Motion?
Though high-quality stop motion videos can be difficult and time consuming to make, their uniqueness helps businesses reap many rewards and ROIs. One of these rewards is that people like to share these videos with their friends, and their inspirational content can become synonymous with a brand. This can complement the marketing campaign of a business and helps to make the product more popular and memorable.
Whether you want to raise awareness or educate, stop motion videos are some of the most shared videos out there in social media, so why not yield some advantages from this. To start benefitting from stop motion videos, think of a unique concept, find a professional animation team and start creating!
