Lighting
Let there be light!
Most
of the time, you will want nice, crisp shadows in your movie
to add to the 
3-Dimetional
effect. That's part of what really brings life to this type of
animation. It's good to work in the dark except for one bright but
soft light. Using just one light source will create a single shadow for
each object, and that helps add depth and realism.
Because I'm trying to spend as little money as possible, I use this simple
painters light. I clip it to the fixture over the kitchen table, and turn
off every other light in the house.
It's also a good idea to avoid natural light. Unless you cover all your windows (done that), you will end up with a time-lapse version of the changing light of day... clouds passing over etc... I usually try to shoot at night for the best effect. Don't be discouraged though, you'll still be proud of your clip if the lighting varies a little bit.
I've seen some nice lights for sale in camera shops. Some can accept matte-black, grid-like filters to columnate the light into a narrow beam. This helps prevent light from bouncing off of you as you move around your "stage". I'm trying to make a homemade version. When I figure it out, I'll post the results here.
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