Stop Motion Geek

Shaun the Sheep, the beloved Aardman character is getting his first half-hour special that's due to premiere in the UK on BBC One Christmas 2015.  The title of the episode of it is Shaun the Sheep - The Farmers Llamas .  This makes me, a long time Aardman fan really happy in my sole.  It's also a great release time for Shaun because the special goes straight into production following the completion of Shaun the Sheep The Movie (which comes out in February in the UK). Aardman's original press release went into the plot's detail and also announced that it's going to kick off a further 30*7 season of Shaun that will be released over the 2016 year. "The new adventure will see the Farmer getting himself into trouble again – when he goes to market to buy pigs, mischievous Shaun goes along for the ride and gets the Farmer to return home with a trio of exotic llamas instead! Shaun is delighted with his prank and convinces the Flock that the Llamas are just what...

This is a really neat video that I found on YouTube this morning.  It's an interview with  Mackinnon & Saunders .  They're the company who has pretty much been the go-to for Tim Burton's films for [Stop Motion] puppets, Corpse Bride , Frankenweenie , Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox , and a plethora of other famous puppets have been made there for Stop Motion features, television, and commercials.  So check it out below! Link:  http://youtu.be/WUU7R3jsWwo

Fantastic news in the Stop Motion World y'all! Laika and Focus Features, the team behind the Stopmo flicks The BoxTrolls , ParaNorman , and Coraline , have announced a new three film partnership.  Focus, as before, will distribute the animation house's next the flicks with Universal Pictures International handling the overseas releases. The BoxTrolls marks Laika's best opening ever at $17.3 million.   BoxTrolls is also one of the top contenders for the 2015 Oscar animated feature category (fingers crossed!). Go read the full announcement here .

Ever wonder what Stop Motion looks like between frames? - One of the lead animators on Laika's The BoxTrolls (now in theaters), Brad Schiff ( ParaNorman , Coraline , Corpse Bride , and Fantastic Mr. Fox ) explains the process in depth in this video... Link:  http://youtu.be/RYAvq24hMrE This is a wonderful explanation of many terms you'll often hear in a Stop Motion production house: shooting on 2s and 3s, exposure sheets, modular sets, and lives (reference videos).  I will say that the people at Laika are truly special.  Very creative, wonderful, and all around great people.  They're a very good role model for a creative team of persons working on an animated film. I absolutely love that the interviewer cannot wrap his brain around that there's only one animator on a single set, regardless of how many puppets are on set and the insane amount of work ahead of you.  Wait -You do this alone ?  Brad once says something that I feel "It's just the anim...