Discover the fascinating history of stop-motion clay movies

Have you ever drawn a series of stick figures around the edges of a pad of paper? As you go through the pages, the character appears to be running, jumping, or moving in some way. This is the theory behind all cinema; it is a series of similar images which, when displayed in rapid succession, trick the eye into seeing movement. Animators draw thousands of frames and film strips capture individual frames compiled into reels.

Some films combine art and photography in a technique known as stop-motion. Using this approach, sculpted figures or puppets are arranged and slowly moved through a series of photographs for stunning animation effect. When the figures are in clay, the technique is commonly referred to as clay.

Read on to learn more about the history of stop motion and how you can make your own.

First stop-motion films

The early days of cinema were experimental out of necessity. The animators used cel animation, the standard illustration technique employed by creators such as Disney, until the advent of computers. Clay figures were sometimes incorporated into works featuring live actors or two-dimensional illustrations. During the first two decades of the 19th century, filmmakers also created the first full-length plasticine shorts. Most have been lost to time, but these early works played on the very novelty of claymation with names such as Modern Sculptor and miracles in the mud.

The oldest complete and extant clay short is titled Long live the bull. Created by Joseph Sunn and released in 1926, this black and white silent film tells a love story set in Barcelona. The crudely sculpted main figure, named Bologna, woos his wife. However, she asks him to fight a bull to prove his love and bravery. In collusion with a sympathetic bull, the amateur matador puts on a show to claim the heart of his wife. Although just under fifteen minutes long, the tale is an excellent example of the painstaking effort put into early clay works.

The golden age of clay

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The mid-20th century saw the rise of several famous clay figures that are still recognizable today. Artistic pioneer Arthur Clokey modeled a blocky green character with vivid cartoonish features. Known as Gumby, the character was given wide feet to stand on during filming and a pony sidekick named Pokey. This strange figure debuted in 1955 on The Gummy Showa children’s program that continued to run throughout the 1960s. Gumby has since been revived countless times on television and in film.

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer is another classic stop-motion film that made its television debut in 1964. The special was created by Rankin/Bass Productions at the MOM Productions studio in Tokyo. Host Tadahito Mochinaga and production manager Arthur Rankin, Jr. joined forces to create the 55-minute film. The dynamic duo developed what is known as “animagie”: a stop-motion technique using puppets that move slowly for each frame. Movie puppets were made of wood, yarn, and wool (as opposed to clay). However, the technique of subtle posing and maneuvering each figure between frames is much the same as in clay.

New technologies for a traditional approach

Stop-motion cinema techniques have been used in modern masterpieces. Nick Park, a British animator, created the popular series Wallace and Gromit. The first short debuted in 1989 featuring an adorable inventor and his trusty pup. Created from modeling clay, the malleable figures were posed between frames. Special techniques, such as creating motion blur, were used for dramatic effect. A 2005 feature film starring the duo hit an ambitious milestone. To achieve characters of flames and floating bunnies, some scenes combined stop-motion characters with traditional animation. The team went to great lengths to blend the two storytelling methods into an indistinguishable whole.

Park, along with Peter Lord, also made the most commercially successful stop motion film of all time, Chicken coop (2000).

Beyond clay and puppets, 3D printing has allowed animators to create interchangeable parts and highly complex figures, as seen in stop-motion projects such as the film Coraline. Directed by Henry Selick, the film used 150 miniature sets and 28 animators. By printing new parts, the character of Coraline could make more than 200,000 faces. But even with these resources, stop-motion techniques allow for a slow progression to around 100 seconds of script produced each week.

As Coralinemodern classics like the Corpse Bride and The Boxtrolls have redefined what is artistically and commercially possible with stop-motion techniques.

Make your own stop motion movie

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Although most people don’t have the design expertise and resources to make a movie like Coraline, making your stop-motion movie is surprisingly easy and fun. You can sculpt your own figures from clay available at any art store. However, you can also use dolls, moving stuffed animals, or even human friends to create your movie.

First think of a story. It may be helpful to create a rough storyboard to work from. Then take pictures with your phone or digital camera, ideally on a tripod. It is important to keep the frame stable. Characters should move subtly in each frame unless they are meant to stand still. Once you’ve captured your footage, use simple video software to quickly “flip through” the shots. You will have created your own work of film history for all to enjoy.

Learn how to create your own stop-motion animation in the video below.

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