How does a limited
budget drive a creator to explore alternative visual storytelling methods in
stop-motion animation?
Stop-motion animation has always been one of the first
methods of animated storytelling that many reach for in their infancy learning
the craft. The tactile nature of it – puppets, clay, cardboard – is a
compelling force that pulls the creator in, urging them to bring life to the
(often crude) materials. However, in an industry that is growing quicker than
ever, many of these simplistic animations are rejected by audiences in favour
of high-budget, high-concept features, complete with 3D printed faces and
digital compositing to build a fantastical world. In this landscape, how do
smaller filmmakers with a much more modest budget create stop-motion animations
that stand out and hold their own against the multi-million dollar productions
that dominate the conversation surrounding the medium? What methods do they employ
to create films that engage audiences and aren’t lacking visually? Importantly,
how do they find those audiences without a dedicated marketing team?
This essay will explore these questions and delve into
the world of amateur stop-motion production, looking at different filmmakers
methods of creation, the process of the auteur, and the power of the Internet
in finding an audience. The power of the viral, the influence of crowdfunding,
and the niche for stop-motion animation are all areas that are worth exploring
and researching, gathering first-hand accounts from creators who have been
through the process.
Practically, the ideas of the budget being imitated
intentionally in the produced work that stems from this essay will help to
shape the reflections that come into the analysis. The idea currently centres
around using typical student-associated products (Pot Noodle, beer bottles,
coffee cups, birth control) as characters, and using paper cut out faces and
pipe cleaner (or equally cheap, expressive material) limbs. Using soundbytes
from real-life will add authenticity, while also keeping costs down (no need to
use soundrooms, expensive equipment).
It’s worth exploring the privileges granted to filmmakers in
other ways. Students are paying £9k a year for high end equipment, even the
phone in our pockets cost something. There is no “free” film, there are always
costs involved.
For case studies, there are a range of relevant
practitioners and films for me to look at, and where possible, contact them to
learn about their experience in this area. Currently I have identified:
Guldies, PES, Kristen Lepore, Mark Cope and Carlo Moss, as well as studying A
Town Called Panic. However, I want to continue finding new sources and
discovering artists that work in this kind of way. I am especially interested
in how many of these artists have at one point or another created a
food-related stop motion animation, and the value of a cheap, accessible
commodity as the focal point of stop-motion.
Here are some sources I have identifies so far:
Nahon, K. and Hemsley, J. (2013) Going Viral. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Purves, B. (2008) Stop
Motion: Passion, Process, and Performance. Oxford: Focal Press.
Gasek, T. (2013) Frame-by-Frame
Stop Motion: The Guide to Non-Traditional Animation Techniques. Oxford:
Focus Press.
Bancroft, T. (2014) Directing
for Animation: Everything You Didn’t Learn In Art School. Oxford: Focus
Press.
Priebe, K. (2011) The
Advanced Art of Stop-Motion Animation. Boston: Course Technology, Cengage
Learning.
