‘Stop motion is an animation technique that physically manipulates an object so that it appears to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Dolls with movable joints or clay figures are often used in stop motion for their ease of repositioning. Stop motion animation using plasticine is called clay animation or “clay-mation”. Not all stop motion requires figures or models; many stop motion films can involve using humans, household appliances and other things for comedic effect. Stop motion using objects is sometimes referred to as object animation.’ (Wikipedia)

it’s one of the earliest, simplest forms of animation, yet it is still used frequently, for the technical advantage of being able to animate inanimate objects without digital manipulation. Think of the current advert for voting in the federal election for example or this piece by Youtube artist Pez.

Stills from one of my found object stop motions.