Enzo’s Monday Motion #165: Stop Motion Cast
A story can be told through many production techniques. Budget and time are the obvious important variables for the final choice. But sometimes the (productional) side effects shift the final focus. Five odd stop motion spots that deliver the job.
Uncompromising
Some of the free features of a stop motion production are craftsmanship, the love for labour and attention to details. Guess what the key characteristics are from London Gin Sipsmith…
It won’t come as a big surprise that half of the production team worked on multiple Wes Anderson (stop motion) films. The concept by Ogilvy not only finds a fit with the production technique but also in its tone fo voice: dry humor, just like the drink itself.
Most probably you don’t have a bottle of Sipsmith on hand. No worries, the making of is just as good.
The Wind in the Willows
If you work with an old technique like stop motion, tradition and heritage are next in line with the key features. Add the voice of Sir David Attenborough and you’re sure you have people’s attention.
Creative Agency Don’t Panic smartly edited the commercial as a teaser for a feature film. This makes the campaign, directed by Matthew Day and Thomas O’Meara, instantly feel bigger.
The act of surprise
What have film titles and airline safety videos in common? Lack of interest due to the repetition of the same old story. A fresh approach can truly make a difference.
KLM took a good look at their own features. As the Royal Dutch airline with a long heritage, they searched deeper into Dutch tradition. The typical Delft blue was the perfect metaphor (not to forget matching their own style guide). A very clever concept of DDB Tribal which is in style of the making of hype (showing of the craftsmanship). In this case, even smarter embed in the actual execution itself.
The fast version
For the ones who don’t have the patience for the slow production process, there’s a short cut: live action puppeteering.
Traditional stop motion artists have many tricks on their sleeve. Still, this can’t prevent a touch-up or to in post-production. Director Catherine Prowse deliberately chose to leave the art of puppeteering through sticks on screen. It gives the video a unique style which breaths craftsmanship, just in a slightly different way.
Free to Roam
As if the art of stop motion isn’t hard enough, Gianluca Maruotti adds a difficult material and perspective to the equation.
Maruotti is a true clay artist with a sharp eye for composition. In the behind the scenes video it becomes clear how hard it is to give depth to a scene when it consists of few flat layers of clay. A single man’s creation from concept to post-production, thus turning him into a Homo Universalis Stop Moticus. At least for me he is.
