The Art & Craft of Stop Motion Animation, from historical to current modern use ... including Retro & Classic Special FX ... miniatures, models, matte paintings, forced perspective tricks, in-camera effects, etc.
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Below is a behind the scenes of of a special effects sequence that Tippett Studio did for the feature 'Alien: Romulus'. It is somewhat short and some scenes are time-lapsed and speeded-up. Remember this trick ... in the Youtube video players you can change the playback speed. This is a useful tool if you want to slow down the video speed. You will be able to observe animation or movements in more detail including videos of real animals or people. Click on the gear icon at the bottom of the player. For this video I recommend speed .5, or you can even go slower at .25. I do this on a laptop computer. I do not know if this works on your mobile phones. First, watch it at regular speed then afterwards you can watch at slower speed.Geez ... I sure went off topic and down a rabbit hole ... LOL!😄
Here you go ....
Befores and Afters is an online special effects focused magazine by subscription service, however many times they provide free teasers & samples of their magazine content. B &A did a very good article about Tippett Studio doing this special effects for this sequence. You old schoolers may remember Cinefex magazine. Well, Befores and Afters has captured that similar vibe. Click the link below to read the article which includes some photos.
About a month ago the behind the scenes of the Disney Skeleton Crew series was posted. You can revisit here >> What's a Tet'niss? (Star Wars) . Well, Disney or Tippett Studio posted another follow-up behind the scenes of the Crab Creature. So this could be called a Part 2. It is short about 2 minutes, and so,do not forget that you have the option to change the speed and watch it in slow motion so that you can study more of the details.
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This just popped up online: Adam Savage has had a long-standing online presence, starting years ago with Mythbusters on the old analog Discovery Channel. Later, he joined YouTube with a group under the channel name 'Tested'. Now, this channel is primarily associated with Adam Savage himself. His studio shop is equipped with every imaginable tools, allowing him to create physical props, models, mechanical objects, and costumes for practical effects or cosplaying. His studio is the envy of us DIY enthusiasts (home craftsmen/artists).
Adam can build just about anything. I am not sure but I think this might be his first attempt constructing a Stop Motion Armature. He is using the >> Tom St.Amand - Phil Tippett >> T-Rex Armature that was used for Jurassic Park (animation motion testing), as his reference guide. Every armature fabrication has its own methods. Here, we can see that Adam has chosen to build the T-Rex armature skull first. My way of doing this would be to leave the skull for thelast step. I would have detailed blueprints of the entire armature, with an exact scale outline of the T-Rex skull (front, top, side view). I would then complete the armature first, and then build and attach the skull as the final step. In the end, the results are the same ... whatever works!
Maybe this is a spoiler. You will not see the completion of the T-Rex armature in this video. In the description, I do not see an upcoming part 2, or possibly the follow-up video might be reserved for his membership group.
In the photo below Randal M. Dutra is doing the hands on animating of the T-Rex striding-walk test. Online this has the label as 'Go-Motion', however it appears to have been very smoothly animated traditional Stop Motion (not Go-mo). I think it was more of a test demonstrating the highly realistic puppet fabrication and its appearance, especially the T-Rex's external skin characteristics, where you see the illusion of the skin sliding over the muscles underneath and also the Belly Sway Jiggle effect. Nature Artist >> Art of Randal M. Dutra
This is the infamous finished test walk-striding T-Rex that you may have seen online.
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This was about 12 years ago (2012-13) and was produced by a couple of professionals in the special effects business as a fan tribute to the original 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980). What we have here, added to the original 'Empire', are Stop Motion inserted scenes and digital compositing & tweaking so that it would blend with the original. The artist-creators were >> Joe Schultz and >> Jim Davidson. If you are on facebook, in the >> Stop Motion Monsterland Group, I think Jim Davidson may have posted some photos of the puppet fabrication.
Reminder - Lower Right of video player you can click Full Screen icon button
Original Wampa Attack scene ...
Here is the completed fan made, modified version of Wampa attack An additional note, I believe the stop motion armatures were made by >> Tom Brierton. This video below is about 4 minutes long but the actual scenes starts at about 2 min & 20 sec
Behind the scenes 1
Behind the scenes 2
Behind the scenes 3
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Among the few craftsmen who specialize in classic stop-motion creature and character puppet fabrication, Eduardo Oropeza stands out. Hailing from Mexico, Eduardo brings a unique twist to the tradition. Unlike many of his peers who gravitate towards CGI or digital effects animation, Eduardo has chosen to immerse himself in this hands-on creative niche. By doing so, he continues the legacy of the iconic stop-motion animation master, Ray Harryhausen.
Eduardo has collaborated with the exceptionally talented animator >>> Justin Rasch. I hope they continue to work together, as they would make a formidable team. As an independent production studio, they could offer their services in mixed media and stop-motion animation. Traditional animation will always captivate audiences, despite the prevalence of CGI and the current surge of A.I. generated animations.
Justin collaborates with various puppet fabricator artists, tailoring each puppet character design to be more stylized or cartoon-esque as needed. Eduardo contributed to the Del Toro / Gustafson, Oscar winning 'Pinocchio', working with the 2nd unit production team in Guadalajara, Mexico. If Eduardo were to come to Portland, Oregon which is currently a hotbed for stop-motion animation, his creative talents would undoubtedly be in high demand!
Eduardo has much social media content and I cannot post the many photos or videos here, but instead, these are the links ... his handle is TRexProduction3190
Take a look at this unique collaboration ...Eduardo Oropeza's detailed realistic stop motion puppets and Justin Rasch's awesome animation ... fabrication & stop motion, all hands-on tactile REAL!
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Perhaps you have not watched these documentaries, or if you have, you can revisit and experience the golden era of the maybe less stressful past, where the mind assault of today's excess of the internet juggernaut did not exist. Relax & enjoy.
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Karel Zeman was a pioneering Czech filmmaker known for his innovative use of animation and special effects. Often referred to as the "Czech Méliès," he masterfully blended live-action footage with various animation techniques to create fantastical worlds. His notable works include "Journey to the Beginning of Time," "The Fabulous World of Jules Verne," and "The Fabulous Baron Munchausen". Zeman's unique style and creativity have left a lasting impact on the world of cinema. >>> Karel Zeman - IMDb
The Special Effects of Karel Zeman (1980) - 17 minutes
Film Adventurer Karel Zeman (2015) - It appears that the only way to watch the newer Zeman Documentary is by rent streaming it. Some streaming platforms require you to subscribe to a monthly fee, but you have option to cancel anytime and not pay.. I found VIMEO offers to stream this for only $3.00. No subscription, no cancellation red tape. You pay once and you can watch as many times within 48 hours. Click >>> VIMEO Stream
It is a completely new documentary produced in 2015, with the older Zeman works having digitally improved resolution, and it is a substantial 1 hour 36 minutes long - Here is a preview.
Ray Harryhausen was an iconic American animator and special effects pioneer, best known for his innovative use of stop-motion animation, or "Dynamation." His groundbreaking work on films like "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms," "Jason and the Argonauts," and "Clash of the Titans" has inspired generations of filmmakers and special effects artists. Harryhausen's unique ability to bring mythical creatures to life left an indelible mark on the world of cinema. >>> Ray Harryhausen - IMDb
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2011) - 1 hour 37 minutes
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Phil Tippett is a renowned American visual effects supervisor and producer, celebrated for his expertise in creature design, Stop-Motion, and computer character animation. He has made significant contributions to iconic films such as the original "Star Wars" trilogy, "Jurassic Park," and "RoboCop." Tippett founded Tippett Studio in 1984, where he continues to innovate in the field of visual effects and also, continues to produce various classic style stop motion effects. His work has earned him multiple awards, including two Academy Awards. >>> Phil Tippett - IMDb
Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters (2019) - 1 hour 23 minutes - Youtube will not allow placing this video in websites, but you can click >>>HERE or the screen arrow below and you will be transferred to Youtube, and watch there. It is free to view and has some Ads.
You can also watch Mad Dreams and Monsters at TUBI streaming for free and no ads. It is available in USA including, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador >>> WATCH HERE
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Once upon a time there existed 'Flying (Aerial Wire) Rigs'. In those bygone days, techniques were used to control the stop motion puppets so that the models/objects can jump or rise off the ground or fly suspended in the air. How is that done? The animator would attach wires to the puppet, then
the wires would go up to an overhead control rig device.With the control
rig, you can incrementally move & adjust the wires, frame by frame, which are
attached to the animation puppet.
For more clarity, a similar example are marionette
puppets (which is not stop motion), that have wires or more likely 'nylon
fishing-type lines' attached to the puppets. Look at this photo > Diagram 1, Diagram 2. You can see the lines attached to the puppet appendages (wrists, feet, torso, etc). However, for a
stop motion puppet, you do not need so many attachment points. You are
primarily suspending or hanging the puppet for general body
motion when the puppet is floating in the air. All the other additional movements are done by hand animating
the puppet (which has an armature inside) to hold the frame to frame poses. Special effects master, Ray Harryhausen, often used Wire rigs. Here is a photo of his rig, which is of more intricate design using gears.
Many of you may think that flying wire rigs for stop motion are arcane or an outdated technique and perhaps so, BUT the thing I LIKE about suspending the puppet by nylon wires, is that the wires/lines are practically invisible to the camera lens. The entire wire rig shot is done 'in camera' and almost NO (or minimal) post production to erase the wires. In old school stop motion days, there was NO techy post production digital photo-shop or Cgi. You HAD to try to get the shot done on the stage with the illusion or special effects mostly being created IN the Camera, on the film.
Of course today, the stop motion animation 'holy grail' tool is the the prestigious, geared controlled Winder Rigs > Link 1, Link 2.With winder rigs ... when you attach it to the puppet, the attachment arms will be seen by the camera lens. When using external rigs mounts (on the puppet), post-production digital rig removal is a requirement. This is significant more work to complete the animation scenes. Most of today's stop motion animation whether it's an indie short, for commercial ad work, or a feature stop motion, this is now the protocol ... post production digital rig removals. In addition, sometimes the stop motion puppet scenes (with rigs attached to puppet) are shot against blue/green screen, so that is extra work to digitally composite the animation with a background.
I will post below, some examples of specific finished flying scenes that used Old School Flying Rig methods.I am Nostalgia-biased and for me, these classic shots exemplifies the sweat & effort to create these scenes. The skill & patience of the animators with their bare hands, manipulating both, the puppets and flying rig, incrementally frame by frame controlling the wires. The results are a stylized-surreal organic otherworldly aesthetic! Not the hyper slickness perfection of CGI. Also, do not forget that the early stop motion work of the past, did NOT use video previewing or computer frame grabbers.which did notexist back then.
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Earth vs the Flying Saucers (1956) All scenes of the UFO saucers. Remember ALL flying & hovering done use aerial rig controlling the models frame by frame. There were small models for distant shots, and larger saucer model for close-ups and for crashing into buildings. Some scenes there were 3 saucers = 3 Flying Rigs!
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) Harpies Attack Phineus. Two flying puppets, two separate aerial rigs used
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) Capturing the Harpies - Multiple puppets and separate flying rig
One Million Years BC (1966) Two pterodactyls in same scenes, so likely two separate aerial rigs were used
Valley of Gwangi (1968) Carlos vs Pteranodon
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) Man vs a Pterosaur (rhamphorynchus). This deserves much MORE recognition as a supreme execution of Stop Motion special effects for it's time in 1970 ... Jim Danforth a special effects artist extraordinaire. Very advanced in realism, including adding of Motion Blurs. This was before any computer special effects that did not exist.
The Legend of Hillbilly John (1972) A flying vulture-like bird creature. Likely, a fly rig was used
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) Real BIG MUTHA WASP 😨
High-Rise (1980) - Variety of stop motion animated using flying rigs the alien craft & buildings hovering and and traveling through the sky and outer space. This short indie work created by Mark Sullivan
Sinbad - The Fifth Voyage (2014) - Giant Roc Bird protecting its egg. (homage to Harryhausen). This was also created by Mark Sullivan. At beginning of clip, the bird flying towards the mountain edge, it might have used a Flying Rig. It looks like it was shot blue/green screen, then the background added later. Or maybe, it was a large background painting..Also note the excellent detail work of the puppet fabrication.
Of course, there are more examples of other films or indie works out there where Flying Rigs might have been used but takes time to search them out. Also unfortunately, back in the early days of special effects, 'Behind the Scenes' was not common, so there is less documentation available.
The construction of flying rigs, can be simple or intricate. Many moons ago in the late 1980's when I worked on the New Gumby Adventures TV series, we would make our own temporary fly rigs with hot glued foam core pieces and wooden dowels. Nylon fishing line would be wrapped onto the dowels. I will post some links here to give you an idea. The rigs are of any size, custom made for the specific shots and puppets. The additional modification to a flat animation table, must be some kind of overhead support beam ... it can be long lengths of narrow wood lumber strips. that will hold the flying rig device. Study the photos and you will understand. Click on each thumbnail image below, to see full large size.
About 25 years ago, I did fabricate a test 'Flying Rig'. I thought I had lost it or accidentally tossed in garbage, but I found this rig buried in my storage area. I got the design idea for this flying rig from an old special effects magazine. I did not use it much and just mostly did tests with it. The rig required ceiling space for the overhead X-Y sliding movement set-up using long lengths of aluminum tubes. It was slightly wobbly. Testing the rig, it was somewhat okay and it might have worked better if I spent time tweaking it. The flying rig control, used geared spools, which can be slow to turn if you need to make large movements. CLICK on each of the thumbnail images if you want to see Whopper Super Sized Photos.
In the above photos, you can see its design. It was made from aluminum flat plate and aluminum tubing. Both plates are 5 inches by 5 inches square (127mm by 127mm square). One can instead, use thin plywood about 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch thick (9.5mm - 13mm). It does not need to be made from metal. The gear drive pegs are used in guitars to tension tune the strings.You can get them here > Guitar Tuners and the spools here > Wooden Thread Spools The tuners mounted to the metal plate or plywood with these > One Inch Corner Braces Or if you want more space between Spools and plate or wood piece, longer length > 1-1/2 inch Corner Braces NOTE: Looking at this Flying Rig again, I would change the design and have the Spools (pulleys) facing outside i.e., the spools should NOT be underneath the plate. Here it is ... I flipped the guitar tuners so that the spools (pulleys) are completely accessible and lessen the possibility of nylon lines getting tangled. Click on photo ....
ANTHONY SCOTT'S Stop Motion Animation website is no more, however he has an archived a few important informational pages. Here is a brief overview about > A SIMPLE FLYING RIG
MARK WOLF is very knowledgeable about Classic Special Effects, including Stop Motion. He has met Ray Harryhausen, Jim Danforth, Marcel Delgado, etc. many of the heroes & pioneers in special effects. Mark is on Facebook he can be reached at the Facebook group - Stop Motion Monsterland / Mark Wolf
With regards to my article/blog topic here, it was somewhat difficult to find photos or information about Flying Puppet Rigs ... it is as though, they are indeed, Extinct!
I am curious if any Stop Motion Practitioners still use old school PUPPET FLYING RIGS, using nylon fishing lines? If you have any photos, at your option, maybe share your photos of your rigs or stage set-ups ... contact me ... email or message me at my > Facebook Page
>
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Being an old schooler neo-luddite, I basically have not paid much attention to the plethora of Star Wars sequels, prequels, spin-offs, different iterations. For me, it's Star Wars (1977), Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). THAT'S IT ... no more, no más, nicht mehr, pas plus!!
This series is titled Skeleton Crew under the Star Wars banner. It is not a theatrical movie. Series is online stream available if one is subscribed to Disney+. Since I have been out of touch with all the different incarnations of the Star Wars franchise, this is my first time seeing trailer about this specific series.
If you cannot hear the audio below, look for speaker icon (lower left) and turn on sound (unmute)
There are only a few behind the scenes.They are more like 'making of' shorts.
This one is moderately longer
At one of the Facebook groups, Webster Colcord who works at Tippett Studio, said, that in post production some motion blur added and also digital tweaking where the stop motion slightly chattered.
Below is a behind the scenes of of a special effects sequence that Tippett Studio did for the feature 'Alien: Romulus'. It is somewhat short and some scenes are time-lapsed and speeded-up. Remember this trick ... in the Youtube video players you can change the playback speed. This is a useful tool if you want to slow down the video speed. You will be able to observe animation or movements in more detail including videos of real animals or people. Click on the gear icon at the bottom of the player. For this video I recommend speed .5, or you can even go slower at .25. I do this on a laptop computer. I do not know if this works on your mobile phones. First, watch it at regular speed then afterwards you can watch at slower speed.Geez ... I sure went off topic and down a rabbit hole ... LOL!😄
A.I.)
