Developers
These developers are essential for the development of stop
motion and animation. They, individually, set the bar for animation and/or
designed new techniques which revolutionised the industry.
Willis O’Brien:
O’Brien was an American Motion picture special
effects/stop-motion animation pioneer who is widely renowned as the ‘Father of
stop motion’. He was inspirational for generations, and still is due to
spending years developing innovative and new techniques.
O’Brien’s early work, after being hired by the Edison
Company, consisted of many prehistorical themed shorts. His characters
consisted primarily of clay, but as time grew and he gained more knowledge, the
intricacy of his models developed. Complex articulated armatures covered with
rubber skins were used by O’Brien in his later work. Some even included a
rubber bladder which meant his characters could essentially ‘breathe’. This was
achieved by inflating and deflating that bladder. His characters were able to
also fight, move, and give the appearance of breathing.
His most famous development was King Kong, His Kong model was 18 inches high and the film had a new
style of rear projection film effects. Thus meaning it exceeded all previous
films of its type. Also the fact he used his animation alongside live action,
at the time, was innovative, and all though he wasn’t the first person to do so
it was still a monumental advancement in film at the time. He also began using
a blue screen to essentially place the actors within the scenes.
O’Briens creations would have influence on many upcoming
people in the industry, one example is…
Ray
Harryhausen
Harryhausen was well known for inspiring magic and visual
strength on motion picture special effects like no one had before.
Harryhausen was inspired by King Kong by Willis O’Brien when
he was 13 and therefore he began researching the film’s effects works, thus he
learnt as much as possible about O’Brien and stop motion photography.
Harryhausen’s first piece was with George Pal, the video was
of an Apatosaurus being attacked by an Allosaurus, he made this piece for
paramount and his work was even used in the army for training films.
Harryhausen is most famous for being the creator of classic
science fiction and fantasy movies. And also for his amazing use of special
effects. He was also very well known for working with Frank Capra to animate
many training films for the U.S. military.
Jan
Svankmajer
Svankmajer studied at ‘The Institute Of Industrial Arts’ and
the ‘Marionette Faculty Of The Prague Academy Of Fine Arts’ during the 50’s. He
began work as a theatre director, in association with the theatre of masks and
the black theatre. His first short film was in 1964, the same year he began
making short films, he then continued to pursue this path for 20 more years, it
was after these 20 years, in 1988, that Svankmajer made a feature film based on
Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’ he called it Alice. During his ban from
film-making due to the Czech authorities in the mid 70’s he drew, collaged and
sculpted multiple things which were exhibited.
Svankmajer is of course most well-known for his Alice (1988)
production which included a lot of stop motion, as well as live action. Thus meaning
Svankamjer would’ve taken inspiration from Willis O’Brien’s King Kong which
paired a stop motion Kong alongside live action actors.
Other Svankmajer pieces productions that he is well known for
consist of his Food productions in 1992. Lunch, which had stop motion using realistic people (Clay figures), is one of his ‘Food’productions.
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