The Current State of Stop-Motion is Looking Rosy: MOMAKIN Give Their Perspective
Skwigly
MOMAKIN – the Polish company behind the ever successful and growing stop-motion event Animarkt – continually have the finger on the pulse of all things #stopmotion, and in this article they look at the current state of the industry and their predictions for the future…
The domination of computer-generated animations is passing, with stop-motion productions making a comeback in the movie world, and strongly marking their presence in the world of advertising. They are receiving awards and Oscar nominations, and with the help of Netflix series’ they are reaching the mainstream. There appears to be good times ahead for animation and puppets in particular…
Although 2020 has just started, puppet animation has already recorded significant successes. The Golden Globe for the best feature-length animated film was awarded to Missing Link, by Laika, who celebrate their 15th anniversary this year. We already know that February’s Academy Awards will go down in the history because, aside from Missing Link‘s feature film nomination, the Animated Short Film category sees 3 out of the 5 nominations given to films made using the puppet technique.
Daughter by Daria Kashcheeva
Among them is the film “Daughter” by Daria Kashcheeva, which we have partnered with from the very beginning, since the first idea of this project was presented at the ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum held by us in 2017. We are also having high hopes in connection with last year’s edition of the event. There were some really great projects in pitching. We are glad that among the awarded films there is also a Polish project “Au” by Katarzyna Majsner.
– Katarzyna Gromadzka, MOMAKIN
Gromadzka adds that national finalists from previous Animarkt pitching forums are also entering production, including:
- “Astra” by Michał Łubiński (produced by Centre for Audiovisual Technology in Wrocław),
- “Bridge” by Izumi Yoshida (prod. WJTeam/Likaon), and
- “The Forgotten Book” by Agata Gorządek (Likaon)
Moreover, this year should see the end of work on the adaptation of The Great Sorrow, Leszek Kołakowski’s fairy tale directed by Zbigniew Kotecki; as well as the Polish-Czech co-production Even Mice Belong in Heaven directed by Jan Bubeniček and Denisa Grimmova (Fresh Films/Animoon).
Even Mice Belong In Heaven
The biggest players on the world film market are also investing in stop-motion animation. A few days ago, Marvel Studios announced a casting for the voices of the “M.O.D.O.K” series produced in stop-motion animation. In turn, Netflix – which has just triumphed at the Annie awards ceremony with 7 statuettes – in April 2019 premiered the first season of the puppet series Rilakkuma and Kaoru, produced in Japan. This year, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio will also start production, with some of the shooting to be done in the newly created stop motion animation center in Guadalajara, Mexico; del Toro’s hometown. Work on Henry Selick’s project – “Wendell and Wild” is still in progress.
Netflix’s Rilakkuma and Kaoru
For 2020, Netflix has also announced the production of the dark comedy The House, in cooperation with Nexus Studios, whose individual segments will be directed by young but already established stop motion artists Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels (This Magnificent Cake), Niki Lindroth von Bahr (Bath House) and Paloma Baez (Poles Apart). Plus, since November 2019, a new Aardman production has been underway; Robin Robin – a 30-minute animated musical about a mouse-raised chick – which hits Netflix Christmas 2020.
Aardman & Netflix’s “Robin Robin” by Dan Ojari & Mikey Please
Stop motion has also penetrated the world of advertising for good.
We all remember the successful campaigns of Biedronka and Browar Książęcy, the viral-returning spot with Nokia 8 or Aardman’s realizations for the British furniture producer DFS, for whom Wallace and Gromit advertised last year’s winter sale. We see here a huge area of application of animation, so we intend to support its presence in Polish commercial projects.
– MOMAKIN
The stop-motion technique will also be used by many independent artists who presented their ideas in 2019 at the most important pitching events in the world. At the CEE Animation Forum there were 5 such projects; while Cartoon Forum 2019 saw some of the most important studios, such as Pedri/Submarine, Vivement Lundi! and Nukufilm, pitching their latest animation series. Half of the young artists who take part in the Berlinale Talents programme during this year’s jubilee edition of the festival use stop motion technique in their projects.
Mousse and Bichon by Vivement Lundi! – pitched at Cartoon Forum 2019
What will be the trend in puppet animation this year and the following years? First of all, a change in thinking about the way of making films in the context of equality and environmental issues. There is a growing awareness of the use of natural materials in the production of puppets, costumes and props. Hence, the use of wool or felt is becoming increasingly common.
An interesting change is also the general trend of sustainable film production. This is already visible in the activities of the Łódź Film Commission, which for the first time this year, as part of a pilot for nationwide activities, in its application for funding from the Łódź Film Fund, requires producers to declare and subsequently evaluate the activities aimed at reducing the amount of rubbish, energy used or carbon footprint, accompanying the shooting.
– Katarzyna Gromadzka, MOMAKIN