Make A Stop Motion Movie With Flying Characters
Create a short stop motion movie featuring flying characters using paper cutouts, clay, or toys; learn frame by frame animation and storyboarding techniques.
About this activity
Create a short stop motion movie featuring flying characters using paper cutouts, clay, or toys; learn frame by frame animation and storyboarding techniques.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Pick your flying characters and think of a 10 to 30 second story about where they fly and why.
- 2
Step 2
Draw a simple storyboard of 6 to 12 key frames showing how the characters move from start to finish.
- 3
Step 3
Create your characters by cutting paper shapes or modelling clay figures or choose small toys to play your roles.
- 4
Step 4
Decorate each character with colouring materials so they look fun and easy to spot.
- 5
Step 5
Attach a tiny loop of string or a clear thread to each character if you want them to hover or fly.
- 6
Step 6
Build a background by decorating the cardboard or shoebox with sky ground and any props you need.
- 7
Step 7
Place your background on a flat surface and arrange any scenery pieces where you want them to stay.
- 8
Step 8
Stabilize your camera by mounting it on a tripod or steadying it on a stack of books and frame the whole scene.
- 9
Step 9
Put your characters in the starting position on the set.
- 10
Step 10
Take a test photo and check that the characters and background are clearly visible.
- 11
Step 11
Move the characters a tiny bit along their flight path (about 1 cm or a small change in position).
- 12
Step 12
Take a photo after each little move.
- 13
Step 13
Repeat Step 11 and Step 12 until you have photographed every frame from your storyboard.
- 14
Step 14
Open a stop motion app and import your photos in order then set the playback speed to about 12 frames per second and export your movie.
- 15
Step 15
Share your finished stop motion movie on DIY.org
Fun facts
How do you make a stop motion movie with flying characters?
Start by storyboarding a short scene showing who flies, where, and why. Create simple flying characters from paper cutouts, clay, or small toys and build a flat background. Mount your camera or phone on a tripod and light the scene consistently. Move characters very slightly between photos to simulate motion, using invisible threads or supports for flying effects. Compile images in a stop-motion app, adjust frame rate (8–12 fps), then add sound and simple edits.
What materials do I need to make a stop motion movie with flying characters?
Gather paper, cardstock, clay, small toys, or printable cutouts for characters; craft glue, tape, scissors, markers, and craft wire or fishing line for flying effects. Use a sturdy background (poster board), a phone or camera, and a tripod or stable stack of books. Good lighting (desk lamps), a stop-motion app or editing software, and optional props like foam or cardboard for a set complete the kit. Keep small parts supervised for young children.
What ages is making a stop motion movie with flying characters suitable for?
This activity suits a wide range: ages 4–6 enjoy simple puppets and guided frame-by-frame shooting with adult help. Ages 7–10 can plan short storyboards, craft characters, and operate a phone with supervision. Ages 11+ can handle more detailed animation, editing, and sound design independently. Adjust complexity and tools to match attention span and fine motor skills, and always supervise small parts and scissors for younger children.
What are the benefits, safety tips, and fun variations for a flying-character stop motion movie?
Stop motion builds storytelling, planning, patience, fine motor skills, and basic tech literacy. It encourages creativity and problem-solving. Safety tips: avoid choking hazards, supervise scissors and hot glue, secure tripods, and use low-heat lamps. Variations include using string rigs for realistic flying, green-screen backgrounds to add motion effects, claymation for flexible characters, or a collaborative class project where each child animates a scene of one shared story.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of clear thread or a tripod if those are hard to find?
Use fishing line or a loop of thin sewing thread instead of clear thread for Step 5, and steady your camera by balancing a phone on a stack of books or using a heavy mug as a makeshift tripod for Step 7.
My characters wobble or the photos are blurry—how can we fix common stop-motion problems?
Secure character bases with a small piece of sticky tack or tape after placing them in the set (Step 9), use a phone timer or remote to avoid camera shake when taking photos (Step 10), and keep lighting constant so frames don't flicker.
How can I adapt this activity for different ages?
For preschoolers, use large toy figures and a 6-frame storyboard and let an adult handle the camera (Steps 1–3 and 7–12), while older kids can sculpt clay characters, plan 12+ key frames, and experiment with 12–24 fps playback in the app (Steps 2, 3, and 14).
How can we make the movie more creative or personal?
Add painted backdrops and moving props to your cardboard set (Steps 6–7), record voiceovers or sound effects to layer in your stop motion app after importing photos (Step 14), and finish with custom credits before sharing on DIY.org (Step 15).