Stop-motion animation requires concentration, patience and hard work. But it doesn’t have to require fancy equipment; in fact, with this app you can just use your smartphone. Stop Motion Studio makes it easy to create your own stop-motion movies, so that you can string together photos for your own animations or time-lapse films. (It’s perfect for spring science projects.) The app lets you take a series of pictures then string them together and even add audio for your own mini-films.

As a video app, this will require access to your camera. The basic app is good for creating simple shorts — or animated gifs — but if you want to get a little more fancy, you will have to spring for the optional add-on. Extra functions such as the ability to import photos from your phone’s gallery, set your films on a “green screen” or to paint on your frames are up for purchase for either $5 as a pack or 99 cents per feature. Free, for iOS and Android devices.

— Hayley Tsukayama