By positioning my camera in a fixed place (in front of the zoetrope) I was able to use the turning mechanism of the record player to take a photo of each of the 10 frames. I then put these into a stop motion program and the result was far more impressive that my zoetrope. The technique was essentially the same, instead of taking a picture of each sculpture with your eyes and the strobe, you can do the same with a photograph.
All I had to do next is place the above clip on a continuous loop and edit the lenth of the first frame so that it would flow. I am very happy with how the animation now looks after trying a new technique.
The piece is supposed to echo the movement of Saint Thomas's hand as he pokes Jesus' wounds. However, there are fairly comical connotations provided; the poke, the 'fingering of the air' could be seen as sexual. The animated fingers are encroaching on the observers space, the poking seems rather ambiguous; perhaps the religious aspect is lost without any more information. To improve on this it would seem that a setting or backdrop could be added and generally more 3D pieces to contextualise the hands. Perhaps I can try to make a 2D zoetrope first, as this can be as complicated as I like at a much faster pace than sculpting with polymer clay.