What is claymation?
Claymation is a form of stop motion animation in which characters and sets are sculpted from modeling clay or plasticine, moved by tiny amounts, and photographed one frame at a time. When the frames play back in sequence, the clay figures appear to move on their own.
The word itself is a trademark. Animator Will Vinton coined and trademarked "Claymation" in the late 1970s (sources give 1976 or 1978), and today most people use it as a general name for clay animation of any kind.
A short history of claymation
Clay animation is almost as old as cinema. Short films were using sculpted clay in the early 1900s, and the technique grew steadily from there:
- 1950s: Art Clokey created Gumby, one of the first long-running clay characters on television.
- 1970s: "Closed Mondays," a clay short by Bob Gardiner and Will Vinton, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1975.
- 1980s: Vinton's studio produced the California Raisins commercials, which made the look mainstream in advertising.
- 1989 onward: Aardman Animations in the UK brought clay to feature length and global audiences with Wallace and Gromit and later Chicken Run.
How claymation is made
A clay scene is built and shot much like a tiny live-action set, only one still photo at a time:
- Design and sculpt. Characters are modeled in non-drying clay, often over a wire or ball-and-socket armature so limbs hold their pose.
- Build the set. Miniature props, backdrops, and lighting are fixed in place so nothing shifts between frames.
- Pose and shoot. The animator nudges the figure, takes a photo, and repeats. Mouth shapes are often swapped out as replacement pieces to match dialogue.
- Play back. Frames are assembled at a set frame rate. Many productions shoot "on twos," meaning each pose is held for two frames, so 12 new poses create one second of 24 fps film.
- Clean up. Editors remove rigs, fix flicker, and add sound, music, and effects.
The process is slow. A skilled animator on a feature may complete only a few seconds of finished footage in a full day, which is why clay films take years to produce.
Claymation vs stop motion
Claymation is one type of stop motion, not a separate technique. The difference is the material.
| Claymation | Stop motion (general) | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Modeling clay or plasticine | Any object: puppets, paper, toys, people |
| Look | Soft, handmade, visible fingerprints | Varies by material |
| Flexibility | Shapes can morph and squash freely | Depends on the puppet or object |
| Fragility | Clay smudges, softens under hot lights | Usually sturdier |
| Famous examples | Wallace and Gromit, Gumby | Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas |
AI claymation
A newer approach is AI claymation, where an image or video model generates footage in a clay style from a text prompt or a reference image. Instead of sculpting and shooting every frame, you describe the character, the set, and the action, and the model produces a short clip that imitates the texture, lighting, and slightly jittery motion of hand-made clay.
AI claymation is faster and cheaper for short clips, concept tests, and social content, but it trades away some control. Handmade clay gives you exact poses, consistent characters across long scenes, and the genuine imperfections that audiences associate with the craft. Many creators treat the two as different tools: AI for quick drafts and short-form posts, traditional clay for signature pieces and longer stories. Prompts that name specific qualities (visible fingerprints, soft studio lighting, miniature set, shallow depth of field) and negative prompts that exclude glossy or photoreal textures tend to produce a more convincing clay look.
Where claymation applies
- Short films and feature animation
- Television series and children's programming
- Commercials and brand mascots
- Music videos
- Social media shorts, explainers, and loops
- Education and classroom projects
Why claymation matters
Claymation stands out in a feed full of polished 3D and live action. Its handmade texture signals warmth, humor, and craft, which makes it memorable for brands and storytellers. Understanding how it is built, from armatures to frame rate, also helps you judge what a clay style can realistically deliver, whether you shoot it by hand or generate a clay-style clip with an AI video tool.