TLE 10 - ICT Animation (Hand-outs)
What’s more, the animator must always keep in
Lesson 8: Puppet Animation
Stop-motion Animation
● Stop-motion animation is made by moving, then
photographing real world objects frame-by-frame to create
the illusion of movement on the screen. We can divide
stop-motion animation into four categories.
Puppet Animation
● Puppet animation is a type of stop-motion animation
involving puppet figures that are animated frame-by-frame.
Usually, the animators create a physical three-dimensional
scene, similar to a small theatre, where the action will take
place. The puppets generally have an armature (flexible
skeleton) inside of them so they can be positioned and
animated smoothly. This also prevents the puppet from
moving and allows it to stay steady when the animator has
to photograph a frame of the scene.
1. The first puppet animation film in history was made by a Russian
ballet choreographer
Puppet animation was born at the beginning of the 20th century. In
1906, the ballet master of Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater,
Aleksandr Shiryaev, created the world’s first puppet animation film,
with figures dancing in ballet steps against a still background of
theatrical decorations.
2. The first narrative-based puppet animation film portrayed a battle
of insects
The birth of puppet animation is also connected with the name of
Stanislav Staryevich, an outstanding cinematographer, artist, and
director. In 1912, he gave the world “The Beautiful Leukanida,” also
known as “The War between the Antennas and the Horns.” The
performers of Staryevich’s stop-motion film were dead beetles,
dragonflies, and grasshoppers – thus the widespread impression that
he was not an animated film director but an excellent insect trainer.
3. The biggest puppet animation film ever made required 1,500
handmade puppets
The years between 1927 until the beginning of the Second World War
in 1939 were marked by the experimentation of director and
cinematographer Aleksandr Ptushko. The pinnacle of his work was the
feature, “The New Gulliver,” a hybrid of animation and live-action
filming that enjoyed worldwide success. Few films in the history of
animation have had such a profound influence. Over 1,500 puppets
were employed for the shoot.
4. The size of puppets has been shrinking
On October 17, 1953, a specialized puppet animation department was
launched at Soyuzmultfilm. Not only was it equipped with the
infrastructure for filming, but a talented and inventive team of
directors and artists came together, united by the goal of developing
this particular art form.
The earliest puppets preserved in Soyuzmultfilm’s archives are “rod
puppets” about a meter tall and operated by puppeteers as in a
puppet theater. Over time, they have become smaller, and today the
average height is rarely over 20 centimeters.
5. The process of creating a puppet animation film has barely changed
in over 100 years
Just like in the beginning of the 20th century, animators at
Soyuzmultfilm today film a single frame for each tiny movement of the
characters. It is a labor-intensive process demanding incredible
precision. An entire group of characters may require simultaneous
movement of hands, legs, clothing, and even hair – in addition to
facial expressions.
mind the previous frame and overall scene while “playing” the role of
the characters.
6. Soyuzmultfilm is home to a rich variety of puppet animation and
Claymation styles
The character, speed, and rhythm of a figures’ movement all offer rich
potential for experimentation. Technology, form, material, texture,
volume, plot, dialogue, music, acting ability, and a host of other
factors have stimulated animation teams at Soyuzmultfilm to search
for new ways of perfecting their art for almost a century.
7. Several versions of each character are created for every animated
film
Each animation puppet is built around a metal skeleton with ball joints
and hands made of flexible wire, a construction that produces stability
and precise movements. The frame is then covered in layers of foam
and wound in thread to give it the required physical form. Skin and
visible extremities are made from dental plaster; eyes from large ball
bearings. Costumes are sewn individually not only for each character
but for all the versions of each character, since “wardrobe change” is
impossible due to the complexity of a puppet’s construction. Puppet
makers as a rule create not only a “troupe” of duplicates of each
“actor” but often separate components. In Soyuzmultfilm’s animation
“38 Parrots” (1976-1991) for instance a separate tail for the boa
constrictor was shot in several scenes.
8. A full day of shooting produces on average five seconds of material
Around 24 frames must be shot for each second of an animated film,
and a second of movement amounts to, say, the sweep of a puppet’s
hand. What’s more, this only includes the shooting itself, not
preparation. In all, about six months is needed for one minute of
animation. An animator’s daily plan is usually to film five seconds.
9. It’s impossible to rehearse for a puppet animation film
Filmmaking may have unlimited possibilities in one sense, but the
world of stop-motion animation has strict limitations. Puppet
animators do not have the luxury of rehearsals and many films –
especially in the early period – were shot with only one take per
scene. It’s also worth remembering that puppets are moved frame by
frame, so the final result can only be seen on screen when everything
has been put together. If it doesn’t work, the entire crew has to
reshoot from the beginning. The creative team must weigh its daily
work with the overall visual and technical requirements of the film –
even more so if the film is attempting something new.
10. The most recent puppet-animation feature from Soyuzmultfilm
took 17 years to make
“Hoffmaniada” (from director Stanislav Sokolov) is based on the
writings of the German Romantic author Ernst Theodore Hoffmann.
Each of the film’s 100 puppets took a month and a half to craft.
The film boasts the largest “crowd scene” in the history of Russian
puppet animation: the final episode shows 42 puppets moving
simultaneously. “Hoffmaniada” was shot, although not continuously,
from 2001 to 2018.
Reference:
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/10-facts-about-puppet-anim
ation/5gWRuyKy4Fv5KA?hl=en