Stop motion is an animation technique in which physical objects are photographed frame by frame, with small incremental adjustments made between each capture so that when the frames are played back in sequence the objects appear to move independently. The technique transforms static physical materials - clay, puppets, found objects, paper cutouts, food, or any tangible medium - into animated subjects through the patient accumulation of individually photographed positions.

Stop motion has a long history as one of the earliest animation techniques and remains in active use today for both artistic and commercial purposes. Different variants of the technique include claymation, which uses malleable clay figures that can be reshaped between frames; puppet animation with articulated figures over internal armature skeletons; object animation that animates everyday items; and pixilation, which applies the frame-by-frame technique to real human performers. The physical, handmade quality of stop motion gives its outputs a distinctive tactile character that differs fundamentally from the smooth precision of computer animation, and this imperfection is often central to its aesthetic appeal. Studios like Laika and Aardman Animations have developed stop motion into a sophisticated professional art form, while the technique also has a strong tradition of independent and experimental practice.

AI generation tools can produce imagery that references or evokes the stop motion aesthetic through careful prompting. Descriptions like "stop motion animation style," "claymation look," "handmade puppet animation aesthetic," or "frame-by-frame tactile animation quality" communicate the visual character of the technique and can generate content that captures the textural, slightly imperfect quality associated with physical stop motion production.