Stop motion animation, also known as claymation, is a form of animation which uses posable puppets that are manually moved and photographed. The photos are then played back in a faster sequence to create the effect of movement.

The technique dates back to 1898 but is speculated to have existed previously. In any case, this was the year that it had its first commercial release, a work titled The Humpty Dumpty Circus by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith.

As the years progressed, so did the sophistication involved in stop motion animation. Advances in object animation as well as more detailed and versatile puppet making helped captivate a broader viewing audience.

 In the beginning film, cameras were used in production which meant the animators were not able to see their work ahead of time. Later in 2005 The Corpse Bride became the first stop motion feature to be shot with a still camera. The DSLR camera, unlike earlier versions, provided a live viewing feature giving the animator the capability to see what the camera did.

Today stop motion may not be the most popular style of animation, but it still encapsulates the same type of magic and handmade charm that it did back then, while also incorporating more modern technique and equipment. Companies like Laika are stretching the boundaries of stop motion with puppets as big as 16 feet, and some, mere inches.

Laika, best known for movies like Coraline and Paranorman, is currently one of the biggest stop motion studios to date. Testing the limits of the technique by continuing to further innovate and perfect it. Each film becomes more ambitious than the next. Everything you see on screen is made by hand. From the largest painted backdrop, to the smallest hand-stitched shoe.

The process of puppet making is different for each film. Directors all have differing visions as you might imagine, and each project demands something different from its puppets in accordance with the story. One of the most complex puppet designs was in the film The Boxtrolls. The standard boxtroll stood at four inches with a 3d printed face with wires and lights inside along with the armature. The biggest challenge the creators faced was the compactness the design required.

Stop motion, coined “animagic” by Rankin/Bass, has withstood the test of time from Rudolph to Gumby and now characters like Jack Skelington.