How can the material requirements of stop-motion puppet animation production be balanced with the affordances of digital effects and processes in order to best exploit the unique attributes of the technique?

Abstract

Despite the increasingly digital domain of contemporary animation, stop-motion appears to remain a popular subset of animation. This research project attempts to account for its continued appeal by examining its unique features. I assert that many current big budget stop-motion features utilise digital technology for seamless high production values at the expense of stop-motion’s particular charm and idiosyncrasies. I propose that a balance can be struck whereby the craft and artistry of traditional stopmotion— its emphasis on materials and tactility, on real-world space and lighting, and on signature performances—can be enhanced rather than compromised by digital processes. Central to this investigation is the production of an eleven-minute stop-motion animated film, Peeping Winkle that attempts to balance traditional and digital methods. This exegetical paper provides context for the Peeping Winkle project, an account of its production, and a reflection on its achievements in the light of the research question: How can the material requirements of stop-motion puppet animation production be balanced with the affordances of digital effects and processes in order to best exploit the unique attributes of the technique? A key innovation of the Peeping Winkle project is a hybrid puppet head design that draws on the respective advantages of traditional elements of plasticine and internal armature-controlled components and the digitally facilitated techniques of 3D face replacements and animated eye composites. This exegetical account of the Peeping Winkle project details the ways in which a balance has been sought between the appeal of traditional stop-motion animation and the aesthetic and procedural affordances of digital technology. New methods are indicated in synthesising the material considerations of fabrication and a traditional straight-ahead approach to animation with the advantages of pre-determined lip sync and secondary digital processes.