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Prepare images for stop-motion videos
Before starting to take pictures for the stop-motion video, users can perform a quick calculation to determine how many pictures need to be taken. WeVideo’s video timeline is set to 25 frames per second (FPS), which means a smooth video will contain 25 images per second. A minute-long video will therefore require 1,500 pictures. Most stop-motion videos use a 6, 12, or 15 frame rate to reduce the number of images needed. To calculate the number of pictures required, users can multiply the desired frame rate (FPS) by the video's length in seconds. For example, a 30-second stop-motion video with a frame rate of 6 FPS will require 180 images.
After capturing all the images, users can rename the files in numerical or alphabetical order. By doing this, the files can be sorted correctly when added to the project, allowing users to add them to the timeline all at once.
Upload images to WeVideo
To organize the uploaded images, users can create a folder on the Uploads page for storing the images. Click on Uploads in the left sidebar menu to navigate to the Uploads page, then click on Create Folder to set up a new folder for the images.
Enter the name for the folder and click Create to create the new folder.
Click on the newly created folder to enter it.
Click Add Media and select Upload to upload the image files from your device.
Create a project for stop-motion video
Click the Create button on the top left of the window to launch the editor for the new project.
Select the Uploads tab on the left sidebar menu and select the folder created in the previous section.
Click the Sort icon, change the sort option to Name, and change the sort order to Ascending.
Select all images in the folder by clicking the first image, holding the Shift key on the keyboard, and clicking the last image in the folder.
Drag all the selected images to the timeline.
Set the number of frames for each image. The timeline is set to 25 frames per second, and you can divide 25 by the desired frame rate (FPS) to determine how many frames should be allocated to each image. For example, if the stop-motion video is captured at 6 frames per second (FPS), the frames for each image should be 25/6, which is approximately 4 frames per image. Please refer to the following table for some frame settings for frame rates in stop-motion video. The Ken Burns effect option should be automatically turned off if the allocated frames are fewer than 25 frames. If the effect is on, please ensure it is unselected when adding the image.
| Desired Frame rate for the stop-motion video | Frames allocated to each image |
| 2.5 FPS | 10 frames |
| 6 FPS | 4 frames |
| 12 FPS | 2 frames |
Click Done to add these images to the timeline.
If the items are too crammed on the timeline, users can use the zoom button and slider to zoom in on the timeline.
Examine the imported images to make sure there is no space between each image. Users can drag the image on the timeline to move it around and remove any empty space.
Preview the project by clicking the play button on the preview player.
To speed up the video or make it smoother, users can lower the number of frames taken by each image. Conversely, to slow down the video or enhance the stop-motion effect, users can increase the number of frames taken by each image. To adjust the duration of the images, hold the Control/Command key and press the A key on the keyboard to select all items on the timeline, right-click on the selected images, and then select Adjust Duration.
Enter a new frame setting and click Done to complete the edit.
Optional steps to enhance the stop-motion video
Record voiceovers for the project
Click the Add Media button and select the Narrate option. Please note that the Narrate option has a 10-minute time limit for audio recording. If you need to record audio for longer than 10 minutes, please break it into sections of no more than 10 minutes each. Alternatively, use the Record option to capture audio and video simultaneously, without a time limit.
Select the audio input source and click Start to launch the voiceover recorder.
Click Record to start the recording.
Click the play button to preview the recorded voiceover and click Save to save it to the project.
The voiceover will be added to the timeline automatically. For more information on adding and adjusting voiceovers in WeVideo, please refer to this article.
Add narration to the project through the text-to-speech function
Click the Add Media button and select the Text to Speech option.
Enter the content for the speech, select the lounge, and select the voice for the speech. Click Generate to generate the speech from the input texts.
Click the play button to preview the generated speech and click Save to save it to the project.
The generated speech will be added to the timeline automatically. For more information on text-to-speech features in WeVideo, please refer to this article.
Add music from the stock audio library to the project.
Select Audio from the sidebar menu to launch the stock audio library. Users can search for audio files by keyword in the search bar or click See all to view all audio files in each category.
Click the stock audio file to preview it and drag it to the timeline to add it to the project.
Add other items to the project
Like other video projects in WeVideo, users also have the option to add text, transitions, or other effects to the project. Please see this article for more information on adding items to the project.
Export the project
Click the Export button on the top right of the window to expand the export menu.
Enter the title for the project, adjust the project type to Video, and select the resolution for the exports. Please see this article for more information on adjusting the export settings for the project.
(Optional) If voiceovers are added to the project, users can toggle on the Auto-generate Subtitles While Rendering option to generate the captions while exporting.
Click Export on the lower right of the window to start the export process.
The exported project can be found on the Exports page in the Multimedia Creation space.
FAQs and best practices
How to adjust the speed for the stop-motion video?
The playback speed of stop-motion videos is determined by the number of frames taken for each image. The fewer the frames, the faster the playback speed will be. To speed up the video or make it smoother, users can lower the number of frames taken by each image. Conversely, to slow down the video or enhance the stop-motion effect, users can increase the number of frames taken by each image.
How to fix the out of order images on the timeline?
If only one or two images are out of order, users can drag and drop them to reorder them on the timeline. It might be easier to create a new, empty track to reorder the images with. To create a new track, click +Track and select Video/Text to add a new video/text track.
If multiple images are out of order, it may be better to reorganize them in the project bin first and then add them to the track. To reorder the images in the project bin, locate the images in the Uploads tab, right-click on an image, and select Rename. Name the images in numerical or alphabetical order.
Click the Sort icon, change the sort option to Name, and change the sort order to Ascending.
Select all images and drag them into the track.
Best practices for taking pictures to use in the stop-motion video
- Consistent lighting: When taking pictures for stop-motion videos, make sure the lighting of the scene remains consistent throughout each shot. Inconsistent lighting can cause flickering when added to a stop-motion video.
- Consistent movement: Maintain consistency in movement throughout each photo and keep the movement in each image subtle to create a smoother final result with a consistent playback speed.
Create a short sample project before taking all the pictures for the stop-motion video: It might be challenging to determine whether the photos have the right amount of movement or if the lighting is good. Users can take around 20 to 30 photos first and import them into the project using the steps outlined in this article to create a short sample project for previewing, ensuring the movement and lighting meet their expectations. If everything looks good in the sample, users can then proceed to take more pictures to create the full version of the stop-motion video.