Instagram is without a doubt, my favorite social media platform, especially when it comes to promoting my brand and showcasing my work. I also love how this platform has connected me to other like-minded strangers that have turned into friends, many of whom have stepped beyond a screen to become a familiar face over coffee and in-person conversations.   

If you follow me on Instagram and watch my Stories, you may have seen some of my recent Stop-motion videos I posted to my Stories section. These Stories got so many views, and my inbox flooded with comments and questions, so I decided to break down the process step-by-step in this blog post tutorial. 

These videos led to a dramatic increase in my engagement and helped to add nearly 100 new Instagram followers to my account in less than four days-PLUS Stop-motion Stories are so much fun to make! 

Here is one of the Stop-motion videos I shared recently, showcasing my breakfast. 

Stop-motion is the sibling to the Boomerang video effect everybody loves. This feature, allows you to take a series of photos and automatically stitches them together into a short video. My favorite part of this feature is you can take as long as you need to stylize and curate your frames and create as many photos for the video as you wish! You can even drag and drop a frame you don't like in the trash by sliding it towards the top of the screen. This Stop-motion feature allows you to create, customize, and share your own personally branded gifs with your audience with a few simple clicks!

Step 1: Create a Concept

Animated gif Stories can work with just about any subject. Yourself, your work desk, your pre-workout snack, or your product. Anything that can move, (and this can even mean your phone) is fair game so get creative and have fun! 

I've done a number of flat-lay gifs, and I like to gather all my related props together for natural inspiration as I stylize each frame.  

Step 2: Set Up Your Studio

Or in this case two white foam boards, and some marble contact paper! You can see a post I created on how to DIY your own marble flat-lay backdrop here.

Lighting is a crucial factor in creating a successful image. Be sure to place your subject out of direct harsh sunlight when outside and far enough away from the window if you are shooting inside so your frames are still adequately exposed but things like your white balance and shadows aren't varied from frame to frame when and if the sun shifts.  

Step 3: Find the Stop-Motion Feature

Open your Instagram app, and on the top left of your home feed, click on the circle icon image of yourself or your business logo to open the camera app on Instagram. Scroll to the right to select Stop-motion. 

Step 4: Stitch them together and What Do You Got?

Bibbity Bobbity Boo! Press the capture button in the center to take your first photo. Keeping the frame the same, move the different elements of your gif in the direction you want them to go. Capture another picture for each movement. Repeat until your heart's content! 

Step 5: Save, Upload, and Share

When you're satisfied with your collection of frames, click "Done" at the top of your screen to view your animation and "Save" to add the video to your library for future use. Now you can upload this video to your Stories with the tap of the upper right-hand corner arrow! 

Voila! Simple and as straightforward as that. Stop-motion is such a cool and creative feature, and I cannot wait to see how everyone will be using it! If you found this tutorial helpful, tag me @rachelsmak in your next Story and show me your creation!