Build a stop-motion studio out of cardboard and an old phone

What you'll need

• A shoebox or any cardboard box
• An old smartphone with a camera
• Stop Motion Studio (free app, iOS/Android)
• A desk lamp or strong torch
• White paper or a coloured sheet for the backdrop
• Lego, clay, drawn paper characters — anything that doesn't move on its own

Step-by-step

1. 01

   Build the stage

   Cut the lid off the shoebox. Tape white paper inside the back and bottom so the corner curves smoothly — this is called a 'cyclorama' and it makes things look professional.

2. 02

   Mount the phone

   Cut a phone-shaped slot in one short side of the box, or tape the phone to a stack of books in front of the open side. The camera CANNOT move during a shot.

3. 03

   Light it

   One desk lamp from above and slightly to the side. Block the room's main light with a curtain so it doesn't change as clouds pass.

4. 04

   Plan 24 frames per second… ish

   Stop motion at 12fps looks fine. So 1 second = 12 photos. A 10-second scene = 120 photos. Sketch what happens in 5 keyframes first.

5. 05

   Shoot, move, shoot

   In Stop Motion Studio, take a photo. Nudge your character a few millimetres. Take another. Repeat. The 'onion skin' overlay shows you the previous frame faintly so you can keep movements smooth.

6. 06

   Add sound and export

   The app has free sound effects and music. Add a whoosh, a thump, a soundtrack. Export at 1080p. Send to your group chat.

Tips

• If something goes wrong in frame 80, you don't have to start over — just delete the bad frames and reshoot from there.
• Tape the phone to the box. Anything that moves the camera mid-shot ruins the illusion.