Cut-paper stop motion is one of those effects everyone recognizes and almost nobody makes, because the honest way to make it is shooting a frame, moving the paper, and shooting again a few hundred times. The signature move is letters that flicker: the word holds still while each letter keeps being swapped for a different clipping. Jodu fakes the whole rig. You type a word as cut-out ransom letters, tap one button in the Animate panel, and the letters shuffle themselves on every frame of the exported video.
TL;DR: Make a cut-out word in Jodu (Text tool, then the Cut-out style). Select it, open Animate, and pick Shuffle In or Shuffle Loop from the Shuffle section. Export as Animated Video and the flicker is baked into the MP4. Free, rendered on your phone.
The two shuffle modes
The Animate panel shows a Shuffle section whenever a cut-out word is selected. There are two modes.
| Mode | What it does | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|
| Shuffle In | The letters flicker fast through different cut-outs as the word appears, then settle into your chosen mix | A title that should land and then stay readable |
| Shuffle Loop | The letters keep swapping for the whole video, never settling | A looping post, an ident, or anything that should feel restless |
Shuffle In ends on the exact letters you picked while editing, so all the per-letter tweaking you did still shows in the final frame.
Why it reads as stop motion
The effect swaps each letter's cut-out about twelve times a second, and every swap comes with a small wobble in place, a slightly different tilt and size. Crucially, the layout never moves. Each letter flickers inside its own fixed spot, the way a paper letter would if someone kept replacing it between frames while the rest of the note stayed glued down. That fixed-layout detail is what separates it from a generic jitter effect, and it's why the word stays readable while it churns.
How to do it
Make your cut-out word. Tap the Text tool, type the word, and pick Cut-out in the font row. Shuffle until you like the resting mix. The full walkthrough is in the ransom note post.
Pick a shuffle. With the word selected, tap Animate and choose Shuffle In or Shuffle Loop. Hit Play to preview it right on the canvas.
Stack more motion if you want. The same panel has entrance animations (slide, pop, drop, and friends) and ambient loops. A word that drops in and then shuffle-loops is a nice combo.
Export as Animated Video. Tap the share icon and choose Animated Video. Jodu renders the flicker into an MP4 and saves it to your camera roll.
The preview is the export
The shuffle isn't random each time it plays. Every frame is generated from a fixed per-word seed, so the preview you watch on the canvas and the MP4 you export flicker through the same cut-outs in the same order. What you approve is what you post.
The render happens on your iPhone, offline, and free exports carry a small Jodu watermark that Pro removes.
It plays with everything else
The shuffle is a layer animation like any other, so it composes with the rest of the canvas:
- Over video. Drop a video clip into the collage and put the shuffling word on top. Both bake into the one exported file.
- Next to animated text. Regular text layers have their own type, stagger, and shimmer motions. A shimmering subtitle under a shuffling headline works better than it sounds.
- Across carousel pages. In a multi-page seamless carousel, each exported page keeps its own animations, the shuffle included.
Tips
- Shuffle In for titles, Shuffle Loop for loops. If the video is meant to replay endlessly, Loop hides the seam. If people need to read the word and move on, In settles down and lets them.
- Keep the word short. Twelve letters all flickering at once is noise. Three to seven letters reads as intentional.
- Don't stack a twitchy loop on top. Shuffle plus a shake or wiggle loop is two kinds of jitter fighting. If you add a loop, pick a slow one like float or sway.
- Let it be the only flicker. One shuffling word per scene. Animate other layers with smooth entrances so the cut-outs stay the star.
FAQ
How do I animate ransom note text on iPhone?
In Jodu, type a word with the Cut-out text style, then open the Animate panel and pick Shuffle In or Shuffle Loop. The letters flick through different scanned cut-outs like stop motion. Export as Animated Video to save it as an MP4.
What's the difference between Shuffle In and Shuffle Loop?
Shuffle In flickers fast while the word appears and then settles on your chosen letters. Shuffle Loop keeps swapping letters for the entire video. Use In for titles people need to read, Loop for endlessly replaying posts.
Does the animation survive the export?
Yes. Jodu renders the shuffle into the video file frame by frame, so it plays identically on Instagram, TikTok, or anywhere else. The exported flicker matches the canvas preview exactly.
Can I put the animated word over a video clip?
Yes. Add a video clip to the collage, place the cut-out word on top, and export as Animated Video. The footage and the shuffling letters bake into one file.
Is it free?
Yes. The cut-out letters, the shuffle animation, and the video export are free. Free exports carry a small Jodu watermark, and a Pro upgrade removes it.