Clay animation
In clay animation, each object is made in clay, usually around a wire skeleton called an armature. The object is put on the set (background) and a still picture (one frame of film) is taken. The object or character is then moved slightly by hand. Another picture is taken, and the object is moved slightly again. This is repeated over and over. To get the best results, special care is taken to make sure that each frame is the same as the one before. For example, the lighting has to be the same and the object has to be put back in exactly the right place. The only thing that should be different is the slight change the animator makes to the object.