Claymation Play World Supplies

The Break Down

Modeling Clay:

recommended 2 of each color and 1 pack white (1 or 1.75 pounds)

You can also get these at Michaels Craft Stores.

Blick on Lincoln in Santa Monica has Sculpey for $2.49 each (2oz) in all colors

Index Cards

for story boarding and script writing

School Glue & Glue Stick

mood boards and building structures

Modeling Tools (optional)

for creating details while sculpting [parental guidance recommended]

can be substituted with pencils, silverware, and other tools around the house

Craft Sticks

for building structures

Clay Softener (optional)

only needed if clay has become hardened

Acrylic Paint Set

any brand of acrylic paint will do! a primary mixing set of black, white, yellow, red, and blue will allow you to make all the colors in the rainbow. This will be part of our color theory section.

Paint Brush Set

for painting set and characters

Colored Pencil Set

coloring and drawing (pre-production)

Hard Case for Art Supplies and Clay (to keep it from drying out!)

can be substituted with Tupperware or zip lock bags

Smartphone Tri-pod & remote photo trigger

steady camera for stop motion

LED Clamp Spotlight

any reading light or clamp light will do!

Gesso

for priming the set if using wood

can be substituted by any white paint or house paint, or primer.

Foam Core Boards

for ‘film set’ and mood boards (substitute for wooden set)

Pencil Sharpener

incase you don’t have one

MORE INFO:

You can use the amazon links provided or if you prefer, order from your favorite art supplier.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, Blick, Michael’s, and Target should have everything on the list

simple art and craft supplies like glue, tape, pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, and paint brushes will be needed

if you were to buy everything on this list brand new, the cost will be around $200. If this investment feels a little hefty right now, there are many ways to work around it and still have the supplies needed (it just might take a little more time and effort!) Feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to help you navigate this list.

Building a Set

The Two main things you will need for your stage is a floor surface and a background surface that can be painted. I personally think wood works best and have built the stage in the first image using scrap wood around the house. you can also buy two pieces of 2x2 wood, sand them down for smooth edges, and press them against the wall (one as the back wall of the set and one as the floor). It will be best to lift the ‘floor’ off the ground so that the camera on tripod is at a level height.

(If you need to simplify this step, you can use a poster board or canvas as the background of the set)

In the second image I am showing the set-up I developed for taking arial stop motion pictures. I like using storage shelves because they create three even levels where I can place a plank in between. My phone lays on the plank for arial stop-motion and time lapse videos. These drawers are great because they also double as storage for all my art supplies when I’m not using them for claymation. You are welcome to figure out your own method and you can always reach out to me for assistance.

Going to the hardware store can be overwhelming if you are not used to it, but the workers are always pretty helpful and they will usually cut the wood for you. Often times they have scrap piles where you can have the wood for free!

(If you need to simplify this set-up, find any two even surfaces like crates to lay the plank across )

2 storage drawers with three levels for arial stop motion.