Animating in the real world – a deep dive into stop motion
When people think of animation, most of the time they are imagining hand drawn frames by talented artists at Disney. There are a lot of other types of animation that we sometimes don’t think of.
Stop motion is the art of creating an animation out of objects photographed in the real world. You physically move the pieces of your animation little by little and take a photo of each step. Once you put them all together, you get a fluid animation that looks real.
It is incredible to see what people can do with this. Everything from title cards in short videos to full-length movies have been made.
I wanted to take my own dive into creating one of these animations, so I began by doing some research and planning. I found some inspiration which can be seen below.
First, I created a simple test animation using a golf ball and a silicon hole I had laying around just to get a feel for the process (which can be seen at the top of the page). I think it turned out decent and it gave me an idea for just how time-consuming this could be.
Keeping that in mind, I created to possible stories. The first depicts a stick figure that wants to get up a hill to get to a bench, but there is a boulder (a golf ball) in the way. He thinks for a minute on how he will get past the boulder to get up the hill. He attempts to push the boulder up the hill, but as he works his way up it gets too heavy. He falls down the, almost getting crushed. After another minute of contemplation, he gets an idea. He runs off screen and grabs a fan which blows the ball up the hill for him. After successfully blowing the ball up the hill, he heads to the top to realize the boulder crushed his bench.
The second story is a nonlinear retrospective about an apple core sitting on a table. A thought bubble will appear, showing the apple before it became how it was. In the thought bubble, it will show the apple getting eaten quickly by a worm, ending on the same sequence the story started at.
I’ll have to think logistically about each story before jumping into production for one or the other. If you are interested in reading more, both preproduction documents can be seen below.
Readings
Animated Storytelling by Liz Blazer (Chapters 5, 6)
Chapter 5 discusses the crucial role that color plays in setting the mood for a story. A well-thought-out color palette can enhance narrative depth. For example, bright reds can signify anger and evil, while light blues can signify innocence. To effectively use colors, filmmakers and animators should start by identifying a dominant color that reflects the story's theme. Using this hue to guide your choice of secondary colors will help the colors to better complement each other. A pre-color script serves as a preliminary visual map, ensuring key moments are emphasized while unnecessary colors are minimized.
The chapter also provides practical advice for color application, such as limiting the palette, using saturation mindfully, and ensuring background elements do not overpower the main subject. Techniques like employing high contrast, surprise colors for dramatic effect, and maintaining a balance between a primary and accent color can guide viewers’ focus and reinforce storytelling. Ultimately, while established color conventions exist, filmmakers are encouraged to experiment and establish their own consistent rules to enhance their narrative’s visual impact.
Chapter 6 encourages experimentation in animation to come up with new and innovative results. The “Weird Science” approach is based on trial and error which results in failure before success, similar to research and development in other industries. A crucial part of the creative process is making intentionally "bad" art—going against instincts, breaking design conventions, and testing ideas without fear of judgment. This practice frees artists from creative constraints and often results in unexpected brilliance.
Research
Stop-Motion Parkour by Corridor Digital
Corridor Digital is a small production company focused mainly on creating high-quality visual effects with a small team and budget. They have been making short videos for YouTube for over a decade now. This video is their take on stop motion and how creative you can be with it.
Right off the bat, I will say that the camera seems to be tilting a lot in between their frames which makes the whole sequence a bit jarring to watch. That being said, I love how creative this is. Using humans as the subjects of the piece gives life to it while allowing them to do things they otherwise couldn’t. I also think the pacing and mixture of the stop motion and normal video create a great narrative overall.
Lego Breakfast by tomosteen
I first saw this video and the other versions of it on Instagram a few years ago. The mixture of real-life objects and Lego is so surreal and fun to watch. What really ties everything together though is the sound design. The satisfying bumps and clicks make this video such an overall pleasing video to watch. This piece emphasizes the effect that good audio can have on the piece that I am looking to create.
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Wes Anderson
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a full-length film directed by Wes Anderson that uses stop motion dolls and scenes to create the whole movie. In general, I am a fan of Anderson’s work and his use of symmetrical scenes with straight-on shots of the subjects. This gives all his movies a whimsical and somewhat dystopian feeling.
This movie is a masterclass in stop motion animation. The scene building, the motion, the consistency – it has it all. The biggest thing to take away from it is that the basics are still king, even in stop motion. It can be easy to use stop motion as a gimmick to try and carry your piece, but without a solid narrative, good compositions, and properly pieced editing and sound design, the piece will not be as successful.
Good Mythical Morning
Good Mythical Morning is a late-night style show that has been running on YouTube for many years. During the span of their career, they have used several introduction sequences, many of them being created using stop motion.
This intro from 2017 is just one that I that was particularly pleasing, however all of them are very good. The transitions between elements and the interactions with the music stand out in this piece and provide the viewer with a familiar and engaging piece that gets them mentally prepared to watch the show.
CitiBikes are a Pain in the Ass by Casey Neistat
Casey Neistat is an independent filmmaker who has had massive success on YouTube for his creative style and personality that show through his videos. Although not primarily a stop motion piece, Neistat uses visual elements created with stop motion to illustrate and support his thesis along with the b-roll he has filmed.
None of the stop motion work is particularly complicated, but it is just interesting enough to help visually support his piece. It also fits his visual identity very well, and the sparring use of it keeps it fresh.
Hi! My name is Peyton McKenzie.
I am a professional graphic designer, photographer and content creator.
I encourage you to explore my portfolio to get a better idea of the work I create. If you are interested in working with me or have inquiries of any kind, don’t hesitate to reach out over email.
