Animation has had a huge surge in popularity recently.
Film makers, restricted to the amount of people they can have in a film studio, are getting creative with animation to recreate that human touch. Today, we’re talking about stop motion.
Think stop motion animation and you would normally be thinking “Cheese, Gromit!”
But in 2021, stop motion animation is being refreshed as a trending format, reclaiming a personable and hands on feel to animation, in contrast to the polished realism of CGI.
Wallace and Gromit Cheese
via GIPHY – Not just for kids- many animation studios utilise stop motion for its versatility.
Stop frame animation comes in many forms, not limited to:
• Cutout animation- a 2D form often using paper, photographs or hand drawn illustration
• Object animation- using real life physical objects
• Claymation- popularised by the renowned Aardman Animations which creates miniature puppets, set and scenery from the plasticine or in recent years utilises 3D printing.
Orange Armadillo – Cutout animation by Cintascotch
via GIPHY – Combining Cutout animation in 2D with an everyday object is a eye catching and cost effective way to incorporate stop motion animation into your video.
So, how does stop motion work?
Instead of filming, an item is moved in front of the camera and a photo is taken, then moved again and a further picture is taken. This continues frame by frame. When these frames are played sequentially it creates the illusion of movement and can be applied to anything- drawings, objects or purpose-built puppets. It takes about 12 photographs to create one second of movement so as you can imagine the process is very time consuming, and that in turn has a profound effect on budget – with many feature films taking over 5 years of work to complete. At Square Daisy, we know your time is precious which is why we have some fantastic ideas of how you can incorporate stop motion into your project without the hefty price tag.
Coraline Behind the Scenes
via GIPHY – On the set of Carline, a puppeteer shows us how much work goes into a single second of animation.
Using stop frame animation for your video adds a wonderfully human and approachable feel to your brand, welcoming your audience in and adding a playful and engaging energy.
It is perfect for adding personality to your explainer video or product demonstration video. Below we took Object Animation and explored its different uses across different potential price points.
* Please note these videos were not created by Square Daisy
Herbarium: Pavel Pazukhin
Using found objects and a natural background, this short but effective video captures a mood of thoughtfulness and curiosity. Low budget, friendly and perfect for use in an Instagram story or as an introduction to a longer video.
Herbarium | Stop Motion from Pavel Pazukhin on Vimeo.
Body Shop – Body Butters
This slick and colourful short animation series showcases the personality of their product and its environmentally contentious attitude in a matter of seconds. By filming on a flat but dynamic background saves time for the animator and adds a pop of colour. It would be a memorable series to schedule for timely release on an Instagram story.
The Body Shop – Satsuma Body Butter from Picturesmith on Vimeo.
Bellroy: Designer for the Better
This slightly more advanced object animation combines hand drawn computer animation with traditional stop motion showcasing clearly the smooth and sophisticated personality of their product. For those willing to invest a little more time, a superior outcome.
Designed for the Better from Bellroy on Vimeo.
A stop motion energy can also be created using exclusively computer animation but with an added handmade feeling referred to as Tactile 3D.
Filters and effects are used within our animating software to create the illusion of plasticine, fabric or paper and movement is given a handmade feel to create that familiar handmade look. The benefit of working with the concept of stop motion in this way is that you save a lot of time and money on setting up and filming shot by shot. You also have a product which is more easily editable when it comes to alterations and updates further down the line.
Wardrobe Change by Jonathan Lindgen
What actually looks like a real physical puppet is actually cleverly computer generated. A popular trend for 2021.
Wardrobe Change from jonathan lindgren on Vimeo.
Idea Bank
Expedia: Let’s take a trip Stop-Motion
The possibilities are endless- Combining object animation with Pixilation- a term used to describe the stop frame animation of people, Expedia brings the world to your living room- all filled from home in a covid safe environment.
Gif – Car
Stop frame animation doesn’t have to be fluffy and cute. It can be slick and contemporary too.
Gif- Paper Cars on Road
Cutout Animation is a simple and tactile alternative to it’s computer generated equivalent.
How can you use it for your business?
There are lots of examples above, and while some are relatively straightforward to achieve, stop motion and puppetry is a painstaking process and takes time. It isn’t just the process of creating the assets – whether puppets, paper cutouts or plasticine models – you have to invest the right amount of time to really come up with a compelling concept, narrative and storyboard for it to have the effect you want. On the flip side you don’t see much stop motion, so it is an opportunity to really stand out from the crowd.
Think about how it may help with challenges filming at the current time, and for several months to come, with Covid 19 still prevalent amongst the population. Rather than filming in an office or in a new property you are trying to sell, you could use a dolls house with small characters. You may have a product that you want to launch and show in practical use, or perhaps you are a local authority encouraging people to shop locally and rather than film on empty High Streets, create mocked up town centres.
The great news is that while we could always offer stop motion animation from our existing in-house team, we now have a qualified puppeteer in our team. So if you really want to stand out, come and talk to us for some ideas (over Zoom of course!)
Welcome to the team Alicia!
