For anyone about to shoot a few seconds of stop-motion with a toy on a table.
On TwosYour everyday move, broken down like a stop-motion shot
Stop-motion animators move a puppet a hair at a time, twelve times a second. Describe one ordinary move and see it planned their way: key poses, the principles that make it read, and every frame on an exposure sheet.
1 The move
2 The stage free
Exposure sheet - tap a cell to jump there
circle key pose · box breakdown · wave hold
The page's quick read
3 Plan the shot
One run rates the move, gives 3 to 8 numbered poses with a puppet shape and frame count each - together they fill your length exactly - ties 2 to 4 classic principles to those poses, and adds one tip for shooting it with a toy on a table. The page re-checks the reply.
The shot plan - none yet
-Principles at work
The page's check
4 Saved shots
How it works
Film runs at 24 frames a second. Shooting on twos means one puppet position for every two film frames - 12 a second, the usual pace for stop-motion at home; on ones is 24. A key pose is a main position, a breakdown shapes the path between keys, and a hold keeps the puppet still. A move is one shot when it is one action with its start and end in the words, missing a key when the words leave out how it starts or ends, and split it when it is two or more separate actions.
The quick read only counts words such as "then" and looks for start and end words; the run reads meaning. The puppet has sixteen shapes and eases between them, so it sketches the timing, not every detail. This is a playful animation exercise, not coaching on how to move your body. Nothing is kept unless you press save.