3D Modelling for Stop Motion

Due to the growing digital age, stop motion has had to compete with major 3D films that were being released around the same time. However recent stop-motion films such as 'Coraline', 'Paranorman' and 'The Boxtrolls' had a refined technique that makes good use of the modern technology which has been available during recent years.

The company behind these three films is Laika; founded in 2005, so far they have had great success with combining 3D modelling and stop motion. They create the facial expressions on a computer, which were then printed (the time it took varied with how big the face is) using their 3D printer, the printed facial panels were covered with a special white powder while in this process; After the white powder is brushed away the artist is left with a facial panel, in colour, which are then sanded, dripped in glue, tested and sprayed with a few clear coats. This is done with every single print in order to keep them consistent with each other.

Compared to 'Coraline', 'The Boxtrolls' characters have a lot more detail, such as rosy cheeks and more panels which allows more of the face to move; This shows that they are improving their work in all aspects, even within their current technology, which you can see below with the main character from each film:

Coraline's facial expressions

Norman's facial expressions (Paranorman)

Egg's facial expressions (Boxtrolls)

This process has helped stop motion practitioners achieve detailed designs that would have been hard to consistently re create had they gone through the process by hand. It has overall helped companies such as Laika make better quality films with subtle details that help audiences believe their stories.