Here are the tips and tricks I've learned for animating off-the-shelf toys. Part one looks at the supplies I like to use, animating a vehicle, and toys that stand on their own. Part two will involve animating toys that need help standing up.
Please see my other tutorials on other stop motion subjects.
Software: Dragonframe. iStopmotion (Mac only) is a good frame-capturing app for the price. I understand MonkeyJam is a good free option for Windows. If you have a favorite stop motion app, please tell us about it in the comments.
Camera: I'm using a DSLR, but if you don't have one, a good option is a camcorder that can run a live video signal to your computer. For best results, set the camcorder to fully manual to prevent focus and white balance flicker.
Shopping:
Specifics are in the tutorial, though just about everything here can be found on Amazon if you don't have all these kinds of stores in your area. You can also get animation supplies from stopmotionstore.com.
