Stop-motion animation in games is rare to say the least!
It's a technique that's often celebrated and beloved for its charm. It shows its creator's unique fingerprint (sometimes literally) in a time when generative AI is making art increasingly impersonal and homogeneous.

If you're a  stop-mo lover or wanting to try something new then... join the club! :P

During the month of July we'll share our art- we'll upload whole games, embed Vimeo or Youtube links, upload asset packs, make GIFs, share PDFs of flipbooks... there are so many possibilities!!

There'll be no rankings, no prizes, just sharing cool handmade art with like-minded people!

Join the >Discord< here!

(GIFs of stop motion games- Feltopia, Neverhood, Harold The Halibut and Derrick the Deathfin)

What is stop-motion?

It's a fun and fulfilling animation technique where you take photos, move things by small increments between shots, and string the images together!
It can be claymation, puppet animation, pixilation (using real people as puppets), paper cutout animation, sand animation- any real thing can be animated this way!

(GIFs of stop-motion masterworks- The Wrong Trousers by Aardman, Midsummer Night's Dream by Jiří Trnka, Hedgehog in the Fog by Yuri Norstein, Cinderella by Lotte Reiniger, MTV Stratacut by David Daniels.)

Stop-Motion Software

You'll be wanting a program to compile your images. Here are just a few options:

٭  Dragonframe- Linux, PC , Mac. The industry standard, difficult for beginners. Expensive but a one-off purchase.
٭  Stop Motion Studio- Android, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac. Good solid basic features, ages 9+. Free but with a very reasonable one-off paid version.
٭ qStopMotion- Linux. Very basic functionality. Free and open source.

Equipment

Besides software all you really need is a camera, some light, something to shoot, and a little patience!
🎥 Basically any camera will work- phone, tablet, DSLR, webcam- as long as it's compatible with your software.
💡 Having your lights at 45° angles is a good place to start. Experiment with different positions!
✂️ Use whatever materials you want- paper, paint, clay, sand, lego, figurines, wire, leaves, fabric, carboard, human people.
Here are some basic stop-motion set ups to get you started: 

(Images of set ups- DSLR on tripod, lego phone stand and multiplane tablet rig)

Other traditional forms of animation are welcome to join the club too- shout out to hand drawn, cel animation and direct-on-film!

(GIFs of drawn and cel animated games- Dragon's Lair, Cuphead, Gris, Hollow Knight: Silksong)

Rules

٭ Strictly no AI content.
٭ Entries must include stop-motion or traditional animation (can be in addition to computer generated)
٭ Stop-Mo Club is for everyone- No hate.
٭ Follow the Itch.io Terms of Service.
٭ No NSFW content (stuff you wouldn't show your nanna, your boss or a child). 
٭ Only use assets and things you've got permission for. No plagiarism.
٭ Number of teammates- any.
٭ State of completion- send in what you have. We love WIPs!
٭ Any software but must be web playable/viewable (no required downloads).
٭ All skill levels are welcome.
٭ Short or long-term projects are all welcome but entries must be at least partly made during the jam period.
٭ Feel free to enter your work into other jams too.
٭ Irrelevant spam and general nuisances will be booted.

Have fun :)


(GIF- Hedgehog in the Fog by Yuri Norstein)