It is what it says on the tin, I look at theories and people behind the animation format.

1. Context Research
Joe Duffy

2. Research Intentions
The purpose of this Research PowerPoint is to look into the most renowned
Animators and Theories that link to my chosen subject for the FMP, being
stop-motion.
I want to see what beliefs they have when it comes down to the process of
animation and what inspires them to create in such a time consuming but
ultimately satisfying style.

3. Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen was an American Artist, Designer, Writer and Visual Effects Creator who notably created the form of stop-motion model
animation known as “Dynamation”. The films he worked on include The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Mighty Joe Young, Jason and the Argonauts
and Clash of the Titans.
Harryhausen has had a significant impact on the world of animation, with stop-motion especially. The work he did in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi
departments of cinema from the 40s, with Mighty Joe Young, all the way to the 80s with Clash of the Titans has influenced world renowned
filmmakers of today. George Lucas said that, after Ray’s passing, “The art of his earlier films, which most of us grew up on, inspired us so much”.
He went onto say without the Animator, Star Wars would likely not exist. The same can be said of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson,
who described “Without his lifelong love of wonderous images and storytelling it would never have been made - not by me, at least”. These
quotes truly show the impact his creations have had on many generations of aspiring children, including me. The menacing Medusa with her
rattling tail, from Clash of the Titans, and the Mighty Talos with his formidable size, from Jason and the Argonauts, have such immense presence,
that in my childhood I would never have thought they are little models being moved over many months of meticulous images.
The man himself believed it was best to oversee as much as possible in the film’s creation, and actually do a lot of the film's other aspects like
story, script advising and location scouting. In a 2012 interview, Harryhausen said “I’d have to be on set to make sure the effects sequences were
shot properly which was a problem for some directors… And I’d do all the animation myself. It was just simpler that way”. This description of his
process truly shows how much passion the Animator had for each of his projects, knowing how he wanted the scenes to play out and making sure
nothing would mess with his ideas.

4. Ray Harryhausen
Ray Harryhausen himself was inspired by his own idol in the film animation business, Willis
O’Brien, after watching the Fantasy Classic, King Kong on the opening weekend with his
Aunt. The thirteen-year-old was left awed and in a sensory overload that beat modern
cinema visits like 3-D or IMAX. He was extremely interested in the Skull Island’s creation
and needed to discover how it was done. Harryhausen said in the interview, “I wasn’t even
looking to get into movies. I was a diorama kid at school,… making these little prehistoric
scenes. Well, here was a way to make my dioramas move”. Ray began making crude stop-
motion in his garage with the little information he knew about the subject, later taking up
evening classes to refine the skill he was so passionate for. He learned character building
and motion from his short-lived acting classes, a crucial lesson that gave his creatures
memorable performances.
His true film-making profession began once he met the man behind King Kong, working as
O’Brien’s assistant for Mighty Joe Young. Ray commented that he “ended up doing about
90% of the actual animation” on the film which must have been a learning experience,
especially with Willis O’Brien as his mentor.
After meeting Charles H Schneer, who would become a partner on many films as he
understood Harryhausen’s need to have a direct impact on the films he was a part of, he
created a further 11 films. During this 30-year run, Ray invented a whole new form of stop-
motion that allowed his models to be in frame with live-action footage. Dynamation was
and still is an impressive feat to be made by one man and helped creatures like the Kraken
look very menacing as it stared down towards such little people.
Finally, Harryhausen decided to move to London as he felt Hollywood unfairly restrictive,
saying “The unions wouldn’t let me even move the cameras or lights”. In London, he had a
lot of access with the film studios which he said were “easily as good as anything in
Hollywood”, and could go to other countries like Greece and Spain.

5. Nick Park
Nick Park is an English Animator, Writer and Director who is famous for his creation of Wallace and Gromit, as well as Shaun
the Sheep and the TV show, Creature Comforts.
Park used stop-motion in a far more different way than that of Harryhausen. Instead of portraying large scales or threatening
creatures, he liked to put a twist on things he liked. For example, for Wallace & Gromit's first adventure, Nick says "I love the
way Herge drew like graphic on cars, underwater submarines, you know the rocket" in reference to Tintin and the vehicles used
in his adventures. Through this, he thought it would be funny to have a person make a rocket in the basement and went from
there. This correlation also comes into effect with 'The Wrong Trousers' as Park enjoyed heist films, and the villainous Penguin
being taken from Alfred Hitchcock films "where there's a stranger staying in the spare room" adding that humourous twist on
the short film. Nick decided that to make the Penguin as sinister as possible without it talking would be for it "to float across
like a milk bottle" so it looks unnaturally calm.
Nick Park's inspiration to begin his creative process began with his childhood, in the Beano with Dennis the Menace and Lord
Snooty. In an interview, he said, "There's a certain quirkiness" and "a slightly bizarre incongruity to it" where extraordinary
things happened in normal settings. For Nick Park's works, this can be seen with 'The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' which was, in
his own words, "a Universal horror movie set in the north of England".

6. Nick Park
Wallace & Gromit themselves were based on parts of Nick Park's personality, with Park saying "I probably relate to Gromit
more, being quiet as a youngster" which may be a reason he can make Gromit so expressive as Nick can relate to the dog's
emotions. Speaking of Gromit, while he originally did have a mouth and voice, the mouth became too difficult to adjust so
Park didn't bother with I and soon found the eyebrows did far more expression than words would for him. Nick thought it
suited the character as introverted but intelligent and a great juxtaposition for Wallace.
For me, Aardman, with Wallace & Gromit specifically, take up a large role in my childhood. I remember being truly terrified of
the Were-Rabbit when I first watched the Oscar winning film, whereas now I watch the film without cowering behind the
cushions. And their sheep companion Shaun, entertained me continuously on CBBC as I grew up.
Nick Park said in an interview that he would like to learn more about computer generated animation but at the same time
"I'm also very happy with plasticine... that's my technique" and " a lot of the humour for me comes from the fact it's
plasticine". While he thinks studios like Pixar do a great job, Park thinks that Aardman's use of plasticine makes them
different and so more unique, especially as CGI becomes more of the norm. In another interview, Nick describes how
"Everyone knows what a lump of clay is and seeing it come to life is quite a magical thing", saying how that gives it more
character by knowing it's there.

7. Tim Burton
Tim Burton is an American Director, Artist, Writer and Animator. He is well known for his
gothic and eccentric horror films which include Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and The
Nightmare Before Christmas.
Burton took what was expected of animation, that being a light-hearted adventure, and in all
his films, twisted the form into his own style. In an interview, Tim reminisced about classic
films when asked why death has such a pivotal role in films he has created like The Corpse
Bride and Frankenweenie. He said "In those old Disney movies there is death and horror all
the time. Children need that, I believe. It's how they understand the world". This opinion is
spread across many of his films, taking what would seem to be child-friendly imagery like
Batman or Christmas and warping their design to give the younger audience a different
perspective as done with Disney and its many Princesses.
During the interview, Burton begins talking about his own childhood experience and how
that led him to become an animator. Tim grew up close to a cemetary and that perhaps gave
him the desire to bring things to life. The Director even suggested it wasa little unnerving
how isolated he was as a child, and his outsider persona has kept with him, but animating
has become his "antidote". Burton talks of the simplicity of stop-motion, especially as a kid,
saying "You take a Super 8 and make some models, and move, click, move, click. All that." As
for the unique character designs that would define his animated films, Tim Burton
remembers it coming around while being an Art Student. "It was a kind of drug expereince"
he describes, as one day Burton decided to stop copying other people's styles and drew what
came naturally to him, feeling liberated while inventing this new look he would continue to
use.

8. Tim Burton
Tim has a certain soft spot for stop-motion animations. He once remarked "I love all forms of
animation, but there is something unique and special to stop-motion: it's more real and the set
is lit like a set." This is a sentiment shared with fellow animator, Nick Park, with the type of
animation allowing the creator more control of its movement and appearance which Burton
clearly feels strongly about from his previous description as a student. This could also give
reason to his beginning as a Director, having a confident vision for what he wants the setting
and characters to express. However, Burton also suggests a darker side to his preferred
medium, later saying "But I think it's also a kind of lonely and dark thing to want to do." He may
believe this as he spent a lot of his childhood using stop-motion while alone so the feelings he
had then have seeped into his perception of the technique.
Tim refers to his more heavily computer animated film with a small twinge of disdain, that
being Alice in Wonderland. "It was like working back to front. I don't think I will do anything in
that way again." Burton describes how it felt odd to work on each part of the look of the film
separately rather than have the entire shot put together as he had with his stop-motion pieces.
He said that CGI is scary for a film maker as it appears boundless and yet there are limitations
so for such a visually dynamic Director, it can be stifling. When Burton returned to stop-motion
with Frankenweenie, he told "It's great that you can pick up the puppets and touch them"
along with the feeling of an old-fashioned film where you have to work out things while on set.
On that Tim thought "I liked the idea of going back to that, it does re-energize the spirit."
For me, I find Tim Burton's works to be truly inspiring when it comes to the pure aesthitic. Each
frame of his films is so creative and filled with things to analyse that they always leave a clear
image in my head of what occurred during the watch time, just by the visuals. Add on top of
that the dark and bizarre tones each of his films flows with, and I can always feel emmersed in
the story telling.

9. Animation Theory - Silhouette
This theory from The Art of Animation details that using
silhouettes is useful while making a stop-motion
production. By making the characters simply black shapes,
this makes the animator aware of how they position these
models and what they represent in that still. What this
means is, which each frame the animator should try to
make the character's motivation or action clear just by how
they placed in that single frame.
This is very useful to me especially as none of my characters
speak, so their body language is how the story and their
personalities are shown. The theory therefore depicts a
technique I could attempt to make sure each movement
given by the model and even the inanimate objects that act
in the scene. This could make my animation livelier by
exaggerating body movements to easily depict a certain
mood or thought the characters are feeling. The audience
may feel more attachment to the story by seeing these clear
emotive movements and find it more engaging as a
consequence.

10. Animation Theory - Motion
Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation's theory speaks about how
animated characters perform on screen. First, the piece talks about why we
don't make animated people move exactly as regular people would with
Snow White's dance as an example. The Author believes that simply
replicating human body motions, an animation is therefore lifeless as the
technique is more than a skill, it's an art. The animator should try to
present a performance from their characters, rather than just imitation.
The use of caricature is therefore useful in depicting motion and emotion,
as it allows creatures to articulate certain aspects that would realistically
be impossible to do. An obvious example of this is Gromit, who can use his
brow to convey his entire personality to the audience which any regular
dog would never be able to.
In my animation, for the plasticine character especially, asking their
motions drastic would, I assume, be a large component in describing the
emotions they feel. This could be with overly large eyes or movements that
are clearly exaggerated to get a point across. I would probably design the
character to be far from a real human in detail and probably proportions so
I don't feel limited in how I can articulate them, and I don't try to treat
them like they are meant to be human.

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