Learn all about what stop-motion animation is and why we love it so much.
When you think of stop-motion animation, what are the movies that come to your mind?
Is it “Coraline,” “The BoxTrolls,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” “Corpse Bride” or maybe “Missing Link?”
Whichever it may be, all of these titles have been made by the animators, designers and writers of LAIKA Studios. There is something about stop-motion that makes these movies stand out. From the slightly eerie worlds of “Coraline” to the beautifully detailed landscapes of “Kubo and the Two Strings,” stop-motion has a way of making animation feel different. It feels tangible. It feels handmade. Most importantly, it feels alive.
That is where the magic begins, and that feeling is exactly what LAIKA Studios has built its identity around.
Since Coraline, LAIKA has continued to push the boundaries of stop-motion, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. Now, the studio is taking that process even further with its newest film, “Wildwood,” which has been described as their most ambitious and technically sophisticated film yet, according to LAIKA Studios.
But what is it about stop-motion that keeps audiences coming back?
According to LAIKA animation supervisor Brad Schiff, part of the answer is that you can actually see the artist’s work. I had the chance to interview Schiff and learn all about the behind-the-scenes of “Wildwood.”
With stop-motion, a character doesn’t simply exist inside a computer. There is a physical puppet that an animator moves, photographs and moves again — one frame at a time. Schiff describes the process as being able to “see the hands of the artist at work,” because the audience is watching something handmade come to life.
Think about watching a character move across the screen. In traditional digital animation, it can be easy to forget how many people and hours went into creating what you see. With stop-motion, the process feels much closer to the surface. You know that the character is a real object. You know someone physically moved it.
And yet, somehow, you forget.
You start believing the puppet is alive.
Schiff explained that when audiences become emotionally connected to a stop-motion character, they aren’t really connecting with the puppet itself. They are connecting with the animator who gave that puppet life. The character may be made from materials like steel, silicone and plastic, but the performance comes from the person moving it frame by frame.
That human element is one of the reasons stop-motion can feel so magical.
It is also what makes the process so difficult.
For “Wildwood,” LAIKA Studios has created an enormous world filled with intricate characters, creatures and environments. The studio has combined handcrafted models with advanced technology to create movements that would have been nearly impossible for stop-motion animators years ago. For example, the giant golden eagle in “Wildwood” required an incredibly complex puppet, including a sophisticated armature and motorized components to create more subtle movements.
But even with all of that technology, the heart of the process remains the same: move, photograph and repeat.
That patience is part of what makes the final product so satisfying.
When audiences watch “Wildwood,” they won’t necessarily think about every tiny movement that went into a character walking across a room or flying through the sky. They will simply see a story. But behind every second of that story are hours of work from animators, designers, puppet makers, costume artists, set builders and countless other people.
Schiff calls stop-motion a “huge collaborative medium,” and that collaboration is visible in the finished product.
Maybe that is why stop-motion has managed to stay so special even as animation technology continues to evolve.
Today, entire worlds can be created digitally. Images can be generated almost instantly. Movies can use computers to create characters and environments that look completely real. But stop-motion takes the opposite approach.
It slows everything down.
It asks artists to build the world with their hands.
And maybe that is exactly why we love it.
There is something comforting about knowing that the strange creatures, tiny costumes and enormous worlds on screen actually existed somewhere outside of the movie. Someone built them. Someone painted them. Someone moved them. Someone spent hours trying to make a tiny character take one convincing step.
To me, “Wildwood” is the latest example of that dedication. “Wildwood” releases in theaters Oct. 23, and you won’t want to miss it!
Watch my full interview with LAIKA animation supervisor Brad Schiff here.