Animation News

Meet the stop motion director, the mastermind behind every blink, every perfectly posed character, and every miniature moment of movie magic.

Stop motion directors shape entire worlds on the smallest of stages. They’re storytellers, visionaries, performance coaches, and problem solvers. They guide a team of artists and animators to craft expressive, emotionally rich films, frame by frame.

From planning gravity-defying bike rides to working out how to fake water with hair wax, this is a role where creativity meets leadership in the most hands-on way.

Find out how we helped a stop motion animator bring their puppet to life with a custom 3D printed skull and chest block, fully compatible with our ProPlus Armature Kit. With a movable jaw and eyebrows, this expressive setup proves just how far custom parts can push your animation potential.

The new Animation Supplies site offers a better way to shop for stop motion armatures and ball & socket joints. We have introduced 3D models of all our armatures, joints and components. These help you choose with confidence, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned animator.

How to go about designing and making a simple Plasticine character. Start with a simple sketch, break the design into basic shapes, and sculpt using plasticine. Add features and details before refining with sculpting tools. Consider adding wire for animation. Share your finished creation!

In the world of stop motion animation, a producer is the driving force behind a project, ensuring that everything runs smoothly from concept to completion. Their role encompasses a mix of creative vision, project management, and financial oversight, making them essential to any successful animated production.

Check out the trailer for the new Wallace & Gromit film looks great. It'll be on BBC 1 on Christmas Day

Stop motion animation has captivated audiences for more than a century, evolving from simple frame-by-frame experiments in the 1800s to Hollywood masterpieces and modern digital hybrids. From The Humpty Dumpty Circus to Laika’s groundbreaking features, explore the rich history of this timeless and imaginative art form.

Animation captivates audiences by creating the illusion of motion through "Persistence of Vision". This is the brain’s ability to blend rapid images into continuous movement. From early zoetropes to CGI, animators harness this phenomenon to make still images come to life!

Squash and stretch is a core animation principle that adds emotion, weight, and personality to characters. Though challenging in plasticine stop motion, it enhances storytelling by exaggerating motion and emotion. Through careful resculpting or replacement techniques, animators can apply squash and stretch effectively, creating dynamic, expressive, and visually compelling plasticine animations that captivate audiences.