41st Annie Award Winners!

Best Animated Feature

Frozen - Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated Special Production

Chipotle Scarecrow - Chipotle Creative Department, Moonbot Studios, CAA Marketing

Best Animated Short Subject

Get A Horse! - Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial

Despicable Me 2 - Cinemark - Illumination Entertainment/Universal

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children

Disney Sofia the First - Disney Television Animation

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children’s Audience

Adventure Time - Cartoon Network Studios

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Futurama - 20th Century Fox Television

Best Animated Video Game

The Last of Us - Naughty Dog

Best Student Film

Wedding Cake - Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES___________________

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production

Jeff Budsberg, Andre Le Blanc, Louis Flores, Jason Mayer - The Croods - DreamWorks Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production

Michael Balog, Ryan Hopkins, Patrick Conran, Florian Witzel - Pacific Rim - Industrial Light & Magic

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

Kureha Yokoo - Toy Story OF TERROR! - Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production

Jakob Jensen - The Croods - DreamWorks Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production

Jeff Capogreco, Jedrzej Wojtowicz, Kevin Estey, Alessandro Bonora, Gino Acevedo - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Gollum - Weta Digital

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Angus MacLane - Toy Story OF TERROR! - Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production

Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee - Frozen - Walt Disney Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Christopher Willis - Disney Mickey Mouse - Disney Television Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production

Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Christophe Beck - Frozen - Walt Disney Animation Studios'

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Angela Sung, William Niu, Christine Bian, Emily Tetri, Frederic Stewart - The Legend of Korra - Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

Michael Giaimo, Lisa Keene, David Womersley - Frozen - Walt Disney Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Daniel Chong - Toy Story of TERROR! - Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

Dean Kelly - Monsters University - Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Tom Kenny as the voice of Ice King - Adventure Time - Cartoon Network Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

Josh Gad as the voice of Olaf - Frozen - Walt Disney Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Lewis Morton - Futurama - 20th Century Fox Television

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production

Hayao Miyazaki -The Wind Rises - Studio Ghibli/Touchstone Pictures

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Illya Owens - Disney Mickey Mouse - Disney Television Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Feature Production

Greg Snyder, Gregory Amundson, Steve Bloom - Monsters University - Pixar Animation Studios

Comments

Vincent & Puppet Scales

Tim Burton's Vincent is a masterpiece; the short was animated by the brilliant Stephen Chiodo . I do love that the short was shot in black and white film, ask any true film-lover and

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Interview with Lucy J. Hayes, Producer of Stop Motion Love Story, "Lost & Found"

Knitsune in Lost & Found . Photo courtesy of Andrew Goldsmith. Ever since her childhood, Lucy J. Hayes – the producer of Lost & Found , an extraordinarily beautiful short film that make for a profound mediation on the impermanence and imperfection of life and beauty – she’s wanted to play some part in the creative industry, in some way, shape, or form. For Hayes, that dream went unquestioned. However, the challenge turned out to be figuring out quite where she belonged in the creative industry. “I dabbled in acting and directing, however, I was terrible!” Hayes tells Stop Motion Geek. It wasn’t until she began to put on plays with her friends in her adolescence and early adulthood that the answer to her search dawned upon her: All that Hayes found came innately to her – everything from her ardor for creative work to her love for working with creatives to bring an idea, the kernel of a story, to fruition – she found in the title of “producer.” Knotjira (left) and

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Phil Tippett Launches "Mad God (Part 2)" Kickstarter

In 2012, Phil Tippett ( Empire Strikes Back , Indiana Jones , and is ILM veteran), along side of a small group of dedicated volunteers Kickstartered, storyboarded, shot, and edited, his passion project Mad God . Now, comes the 2 part in this four part epic. In the Kickstarter video for Mad God Part 2 , Phil announces that there will be four parts in this epic. I find it very funny the way he puts this though, "I got four parts. Four parts, and I know what I'm doing! I'm not making it up as I go along, (laughs), honestly! His goal for the sequel is to raise $60,000. Though there is a number of stretch goals he has incorporated, for instance, if Mad God Part 2 raise $70,000, all backers receive a 'family photo' of Phil and his crew. Today is day 29 of the total 30 day campaign, and they have raised $1,500 so far. I recommend supporting this project. If you haven't yet watched the first part of Mad God , you can do so by going to their website (link b

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Short Flicks: Bent Image Lab's "Fruity Pebbles"

What could be better than starting your day off with part of a whole breakfast, Fred Flintstone, and Stop Motion? We couldn't think of anything either. Nevertheless, these awesome commercials/BTS will bring out the kid, and nerd, in all of us. Directed by Rob Shaw for the incredible Bent Image Lab (a studio that just moved to Manhattan , by the way), these TV spots encapsulates everything we know and love about the modern stone-age Flintstone family who establish how we now think of Prehistoric times. Fire House : http://vimeo.com/45991027 Cocoa Pebbles "Fire Hose" from Bent Image Lab on Vimeo . Cop Rock : http://vimeo.com/42010097 Cocoa Pebbles "Cop Rock" from Bent Image Lab on Vimeo .

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Interview with Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter, Directors of Oscar® Nominated Stop Motion Short Film, "Negative Space"

Sam walks to his car in Negative Space . Source: Vimeo. Across the Baltimore-based director-duo Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter’s Oscar® nominated short film Negative Space ’s 5 minute runtime, rooted in the profoundly emotional soil of the film’s essence , an extraordinary spectrum of deep themes are explored – death, grief, what one’s childhood means once one has “grown up” – yet perhaps none are as front-and-center than that which binds all of the film’s themes together: that of the relationship between father and son. Negative Space , a film inspired by a 150-word poem of the same by Ron Koertge , is, at its heart, the story of Sam, a young man, as he internally processes his relationship with his father throughout his life as well as the grief and emotion that come with the loss of his father as he travels to his recently-passed father’s funeral. Sam looks upon a toy taxicab in Negative Space . Source: Vimeo. Undoubtedly the primary visual motif as well as the crux of t

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A Trip to the Moon!!

Today, on Stopmotion geek we are going old school, and I really mean old school. Why this is so old is that were discovering, well, your discovering, I'm giving you info that I already know, so, you know, not really discovering... so what, I can rediscover, mmmhun! Georges Melies, was the first-ever Stop Motion animator, in fact, he invented Stop Motion; therefore, we'll

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"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2" End Credits

A few nights ago I sat down and watched the sequel to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs ; correctly titled Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 . And, I must say... it was enjoyable and entertaining. Though the first film was comedic brilliance animated, dubbed, and packed in a box we like to call a movie. Cloudy 2 wasn't any where near as good as the first one but on the other hand the original directors/writers of the first film, Phil Lord and Chris Miller didn't direct the sequel. But they are the creative team behind the recently released The Lego Movie . Which looks great and is getting incredibly positive reviews from the critics. So, i am excited to partake in that movie experience. All the 'end credits' work was done by the amazing people over a Screen Novelties. Lots of cool stuff here in the end credits including grown men in strawberry suits, puppets, and of course, Stop Motion. So grab a snack and enjoy! Link: http://vimeo.com/85201368 End C

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Interview with Mark Smith, Director and Writer of Stop Motion Short Film, "Two Balloons"

A still from Two Balloons featuring the character of Elba. Photo courtesy of Mark Smith. As I sit, listening to Peter Broderick’s moving composition for piano More Of A Composition , I close my eyes and envisage an enormous funnel cloud skimming across the crystalline face of an ocean – the skies are murky and unusually dark, lightning crackles, spider-webbing across the darkened skies before then vanishing, and still, after its gone, an electricity continues to hum in the air and I simply know that it’s going to soon strike again. And as the scene presents itself to me, I suddenly feel something similar to what director Mark C. Smith felt when he saw the same image as he sailed to a small island called Grenada along with his wife in a timeworn sailboat. For him, in that moment inspiration struck, and the idea suddenly came to him for his heartfelt stop motion film, Two Balloons . For me, I open my eyes and feel as I did the instant Two Balloons faded to black – as if I’ve j

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Frankenweenie armatures

These are armatures and puppets from the Tim Burton film "Frankenweenie."

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Interview with Matt Bollinger, Painter and Animator Behind Stop Motion/Painting Hybrid Short Film "Between the Days," a Beautiful Portrait of Routine, Unfulfillment, and Despair in Middle America

"Before Work" finished painting featured in Between the Days . Photo courtesy of Matt Bollinger. Often – far too often – we forget the true weight of our actions, our everyday decisions, ranging from those big to small. And, in forgetting, we forget ourselves – who we truly are, where we have been, what we have done, how we have gotten here, to this very place in this very moment. For we are nothing if not the sum total of all our decisions, our actions…even the most minute, even those – perhaps especially those – made in the thrumming humdrum of the everyday: the act of rising from our bed and reaching over to flick off the alarm resting on our bedside table, lighting a cigarette, collecting yesterday’s trash before moving on to more, equally menial tasks. Moments spent alone, in ostensible comfort – the comfort provided us by 21st century accoutrements so many of us have grown to take for granted. Whether we are aware of it or not, each of our actions leave a ma

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