Cinema Without Borders Blogs

Stop Motion Creation

I am drawn to the art of stop motion animation, I think it’s an enchanting device delivering wonderful results on screen. Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion creatures had my mouth hanging in awe, my favourite; Clash of the Titans appealed especially to my girlish nature. Who wouldn’t want to be rescued from the Cracken by a sword wielding hero on a flying horse?

The Science of Sleep (2006) is a modern example which uses stop motion amongst live action to dazzling effect. Michel Gondry’s film follows the sleeping patterns of a young man who confuses his reality and dream-like state. The narrative blends this technique within the film instilling the viewer with the same emotions. Eagle Vs Shark (2007) employs it as a symbolic vehicle for the development between the two central performers.

Jan Švankmajer is one of Europe’s best stop motion filmmakers. His film Little Otik (2000) is based on the Czech fairytale of a farmer who carves a wooden baby for his infertile wife. In Little Otik the baby comes to life with an appetite so insatiable he eats the family cat, the postman and the social worker. Stop motion is used to animate the character emphasising a macabre image with broken audio of a child crying. Švankmajer mixes puppetry, stop motion and unsettling narrative in his work to create dark themes.

Filmmakers are now reaping the benefit of the web to showcase their work. I have found several fantastic examples of stop motion animation by amateur artists. I encourage anyone with a camera to make an attempt. I myself experimented with line drawings feeling like Dr Frankenstein on completion ”It’s alive, it’s aliiiive!”. It is one of the simplest, if time consuming techniques available literally bringing a story to life.

www.hollie-miller.com

Tagged as: animation, clash of the titans, eagle vs shark, jan svankmayer, little otik, michel gondry, ray harryhausen, science of sleep, Stop motion