stop motion

American  

noun

Movies.

1. Also called stop frame.  the process of filming puppets and other objects one frame at a time while incrementally moving or modifying them, giving the illusion of lifelike motion when the captured film frames are viewed in rapid sequence (often used attributively): a stop-motion film.

   stop-motion animation;

   a stop-motion film.

2. Also called stop action.  a special effect in cinematography, carried out while shooting, in which the performers stop their motion and the camera is stopped while an object or performer is added to or removed from the scene, with camera movement and action then resumed for the remainder of the scene: used to create an illusion of sudden appearance or disappearance of persons or objects (often used attributively).

3. freeze frame.

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stop-motion British  

noun

1. 1. a technique used in animation and photography in which a subject is filmed then adjusted a frame at a time

   2. ( as modifier )

      stop-motion animation

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Example Sentences

The breakup of a plate doesn't just stop motion -- it reshapes the planet.

From Science Daily

From “Gumby” to “Rudolph” to “Wallace and Gromit” to “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” stop motion is of all forms of animation most magical and in its real-space, three dimensional, handcrafted way the most like life, if not necessarily the most lifelike.

From Los Angeles Times

L.A. has also offered puppeteers and puppet builders a wide range of opportunities working in film and television, including claymation, stop motion animation and good old-fashioned hand puppetry.

From Los Angeles Times

And I knew even as a child how they did it because I was already doing clay monsters and stop motion.

From Los Angeles Times

The stop motion animation had been filmed in Mr Firmin's barn in Blean, just outside Canterbury, Kent.

From BBC