Stick figure animation
Stick figure animation, made from one idea
A stick man acts out every line of your script, presents a real place over footage, or lives the story among real people. Unfaced writes the script, voices it and builds every scene.
Stick figure animation: what it is
Stick figure animation is the ball-head character you know from explainer channels, acting out an idea one line at a time. On Unfaced it is one style with three ways to make it: an illustrated stick cartoon, a stick guide who presents over real footage and maps, and stick life, where the figure lives the story in short generated clips.
A stick figure reads instantly on a phone screen, so the viewer's attention goes to the idea itself. You pick the story format, the look and the character, and the same character can host every episode, which gives a faceless channel a face people recognise. You review the script and the voice, fix any scene, and approve the video before anything publishes.
Good for
- Psychology and habit explainers
- Comparison and versus channels
- Travel, history and science facts
- Storytime and comedy Shorts
Stick figure animation: the variants
Each is its own choice in the studio, with its own look. Pick one when you create a video or a series.
Illustrated Stick Cartoon
Make it as Illustrated Stick Cartoon →A ball-headed stick figure acting out every line in bright, painted cartoon scenes. Stills can be upgraded to video animation later (~10–12 credits/scene). Best for psychology, habits, comparisons and storytime. You pick one of ten story formats, the look and the character, and decide whether scenes stay illustrated, use the 2D rig or mix both.
Stick guide
Make it as Stick guide →The stick presenter explains one topic with real footage and facts. Pick the topic below. Best for travel, geography, history, science and money channels. Pick a topic, then choose documentary cutaways or the guide taking part in the scene, and add an opening teaser if you want one. Only the guide speaks.
Topics the guide presents
- Places
- Geography
- History
- Space
- Science
- Nature
- Money
- Business
- Politics
- Technology
- Engineering
- Body
- Food
Stick lifeBeta
Make it as Stick life →A little stick figure lives your story with real people, in short generated scenes: handed tools, squeezed into trains, rowing with the crew. Best for history and how people used to live. Each scene is a short generated clip made from a drawn keyframe, and you choose how the story moves: images with stock and key moments, or full video.
What you can set
Every channel style renders vertical 9:16 for Shorts, TikTok and Reels, and horizontal 16:9 for YouTube episodes. The look, the voice and the review flow stay the same.
Story formats
- Explainer
- Slide-deck gag
- Studio metaphor
- Sketch explainer
- What-if skit
- Duo
- Versus
- Levels
- Then vs now
- Storytime
Looks
- Bright
- Clean
- Soft studio
- Pencil sketch
- Colour comic
- MS Paint
- Cinematic
Characters
- Ball-head
- Clean cartoon person
- Ball-head in shades
- Ball-head boss
- Ball-head with cap
- Ball-head with ponytail
- Ball-head with glasses
- Describe your own
Production
- Illustration only
- 100% programmatic 2D
- Illustration + 2D rig
- Stock images
- Paper, colour or photo background
- Real photos and documents
- Comic marks
- Speech bubbles
- Period costumes
- Mostly animated or mixed
Guide topics
- Places
- Geography
- History
- Space
- Science
- Nature
- Money
- Business
- Politics
- Technology
- Engineering
- Body
- Food
Video
- Vertical 9:16
- Horizontal 16:9
- Shorts 15 s to 3 min
- Episodes up to 30 min
Video ideas for Stick figure animation
Topics that suit this style. Pick one, or bring your own idea: one sentence is enough.
- 01Why you remember embarrassing moments at 3 a.m.
- 02Morning person vs night owl: who gets more done?
- 03Levels of getting lost in a new city
- 04What if you could never feel bored?
- 05Why Venice hasn't sunk yet
- 06A day hauling stones for the pyramids
Made to keep viewers watching
Hook scored before you render
The opening line gets a hook score while you can still change it, so a weak first three seconds gets fixed before the render.
Every scene checked
An automatic scene review compares each picture with what the narrator says. A scene that fails stays out of Ready until it is fixed or you accept it.
Measured after you publish
Retention curves show where viewers left, and the next episode is planned from your own numbers.
From idea to video
01
Describe the idea
One sentence is enough. Pick the style, the language and Shorts or long-form.
02
Review the script and voice
Unfaced writes the script, voices it and builds every scene in the style. Change any line before the render.
03
Approve and publish
Watch the result, fix a scene if you want, then schedule it to YouTube, TikTok or Instagram.
Questions
How do I make stick figure animation without drawing?
Describe the idea in one sentence. Unfaced writes the script, suggests a look from the story format and builds every scene with the stick figure acting out the line. You review it before anything publishes.
Which kind of stick video should I pick?
The stick cartoon suits explainers, comparisons and storytime. The stick guide presents real places and topics over footage and maps. Stick life (a figure living history among real people) is in beta.
Does stick figure animation work for YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Every stick style renders vertical 9:16 for Shorts, TikTok and Reels, and horizontal 16:9 for YouTube episodes of up to 30 minutes.
Can the same stick character appear in every video?
Yes. Pick the ball-head, the ball-head boss, the clean cartoon person or another character, or describe your own, and keep it for the whole series.
Is it free to try?
You can start free. Nothing publishes until you approve it.
More styles
See all examples →Animated map videos
One continuous map, no faces. Every figure said becomes an object on it: coins, a country rising, shares, calendar pages. Relief for today, sepia for the past.
10 examples · 3 ways to make it
Documentary
Real footage, source excerpts, maps and charts that explain the actual subject.
8 examples
Editorial explainer videos
Objects, people, ideas and evidence build one canvas through comparisons, processes and timelines.
7 examples · 2 ways to make it