This would be a nightmare to change without disrupting the set and light itself. Make sure you use an LED light that connects to the mains, as you wouldn’t want a battery-powered light to run out mid-way through filming. They are easy to get hold of, do not overheat during filming, are cheap to use and have a long life, meaning they could last you a fair few years if you find the right light. Avoid this at all costs if you want consistent and controlled lighting throughout your animation.Īs for what lights you should use, we would recommend LED lights. The most important thing to keep note of when lighting your set is to make sure there is no natural light, as this cannot be controlled.ĭue to the length of time that stop-motion takes to produce, the sun moves along with clouds causing a lot of flicker issues.

To create stop-motion animation it is important to keep the light consistent, so there is no ‘flicker’, which is created by an unregulated changing light source. What Lighting to Use For Stop-Motion Animation? At our studio, we use a number of lenses, wide-angle and macro depending on which shot we’re setting up for. You’ll also be able to use a variety of different lenses, which is another cost that needs to be factored in as well. These can cost hundreds of pounds second-hand or thousands brand new. The two main brands to look for in DSLRs would be Canon or Nikon although there are others available. DSLR cameras are used by all professional production studios for animated commercials, TV series and feature films. If you find that you are enjoying creating your own films then the next step would be to buy a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera. Another advantage to webcams is their size, meaning you have greater freedom in how you can frame your shot, even on a small set. Webcams have great compatibility with almost all stop-motion software that uses a USB connection.

The quality of phone cameras now has made them a viable solution when starting out in creating your own stop-motion animations for the first time.

You can even use the built-in camera on your phone or tablet device.

Webcams are cheap and are a great way to start out. When choosing a camera for animation, it is probably best to start with what you’d like to achieve and what your budget is.

Dragonframe stop motion software