Ricardo Roehe's Sketchbook: [Live!: AHoA] Week 5 Discussion Prompt: stopmotion animation and “nature morte” (“still life”)

There are really many stopmotion animations that explore the mortality and supernatural (in the spiritual way). Many artists do explore the cadaveric and creepy appearence of stopmotion puppets and props. Besides Tim Burton, it reminds me of Will Venton ("The Adventures of Mark Twain: Mysterious Stranger"), Jan Švankmajer and Doug TenNapel (and other animators from The Neverhood and Skullmonkeys games).

Mysterious Stranger from "The Adventures of Mark Twain", animated by Will Venton.

The Neverhood

So, one can imagine a connection between animation and “still life” - because of the morbidity,
but also because of the use of still frames (frozen/dead movement/life) to build the animation. But I believe the links stop there.
Animation is not about capturing life, but "releasing" it. Is about tricking the eyes to see what is not there (in opposition to exact representation of "still life"). The techniques applied there are used thinking about the complete collection of frames, not a single frame. In animation, more important then what you see is what you don't see: the work is well done only when you don't perceive its parts, but when you see (and "feel") the whole.
That way, the approach of animation and "still life" must be completely different.

Faces used to create illusion of movement in the film "Paranorman". Not very life-like.

Also, I believe some of those stories and characters are justified by the media used: (stopmotion) animation allows you to represent the impossible - monsters, places, movements, shapes. So it is natural to explore the supernatural (in every way) and out of ordinary with it.

However, I do believe it is a pity that we have today this trend of "creepy" or "weird" visual style when making stopmotion animations. I find that bad, because it stigmatize the technique with just one of many themes and styles.

Fortunately we have significant productions that helps to change this stereotype.

My favorite stopmotion animation is actually an old series called "Plonsters".

Plonsters.

It is a children's television program produced by Anima Studio in 1987 and 1997. Although it has stories produced for kids, it wonderfully explores the liberty of movement and shapeshifting the claymation technique allows us to do.
It is funny, colourful and joyful - one would hardly finds it scary.

There is also a very cute and recent short film called "Room on the Broom", mixing stopmotion and 3D CG animation - a combination that is more and more explored everyday. It tell the story of a witch, but it is not even a bit spooky.

Room on the Broom.

Another mix of techniques, using both 3D and stopmotion, but also 2D traditional animation is the short film "The Bear & The Hare". It has absolutely astonishing visual, with a sensible and touching story.

The Bear & The Hare.

And, of course, we have Aardman Animations, that worked with many famous titles: Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit, Flusehd Away, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and, my personal favorite, Purple and Brown.