Cutout animation is a way to tell a large-scale story that may be too big for your stop motion stage. But it is also an esthetically pleasing style in its own right that may be the best option for your animation ideas. This tutorial covers techniques that can be done with a phone or camera and no additional software.
Software: Dragonframe. iStopmotion (Mac and mobile) is a good frame-capturing app for the price. I understand MonkeyJam is a good free option for Windows. Stop Motion Studio is a good mobile app. If you have a favorite stop motion app, please tell us about it in the comments.
Camera: I'm using a DSLR. But if you're not there yet, a good option is a camcorder that can run a live video signal to your computer. The principles discussed in this video will also apply to animation recorded with a mobile device.
Just about everything here can be found on Amazon if you don't have all these kinds of stores in your area. You can also get animation supplies from stopmotionstore.com.
