Since the earliest days of the motion picture, people have been using the art of stop motion to breathe life into seemingly inanimate objects. Read on for a whistle-stop tour of stop motion history, meet some notable icons, and learn about the evolution of the craft over the years!

In the third and final part of our series on the history of stop motion animation, we examine the continued evolution of this timeless art form in the digital age. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the earlier parts of our series to fully appreciate the rich history of stop motion animation.

Stop motion in the digital age

1993 saw the release of Jurassic Park, with its astonishing digital dinosaurs created entirely with 3D computer graphics. Nobody had ever seen anything like this before; Phil Tippett, who had initially been hired to develop stop motion dinosaurs for the film, was shocked when he witnessed the first test animations and said, “I’ve just become extinct!”. Luckily, Phil knew a lot about dinosaurs and was still able to work on the film as ‘dinosaur supervisor’. He also worked on some shots using stop motion dinos with computer-animated robotic metal armatures. However, he knew that the golden age of stop motion visual effects was over, and quickly started to teach himself to make computer-generated imagery (CGI).

From the late 90s to the modern day, CGI has dominated visual effects and animation, making stop motion techniques seemingly obsolete. But stop motion has still managed to find its place in the digital age…

In the same year as Jurassic Park, The Nightmare Before Christmas was released. Directed by stop motion legend Henry Selick, with the help of acclaimed film director Tim Burton, the movie is now a beloved classic. The two went on to create James and the Giant Peach (1996) and Burton has since directed his own macabre yet charming stop motion movies like Corpse Bride (2005) and Frankenweenie (2012). Henry Selick went on to direct Coraline (2009), the first movie made by Laika Studios, who are now known for combining their stop motion work with CGI, blending the two mediums to great effect.

Aardman Animations have also had great success with their enormously popular Shaun the Sheep franchise, a Wallace and Gromit TV spin-off which now includes two movies!

Movie director Wes Anderson loves to use traditional techniques in his films and often uses stop motion and scale models for visual effects. He released his first fully stop motion film Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009, followed by Isle of Dogs in 2018.

With films like these, as well as Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) and Aardman’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023), it’s clear that stop motion is still very popular despite no longer dominating the mainstream. People love the charm of stop motion. It’s appealing because of its handcrafted nature and the impressive amount of effort it takes, which is what makes it remarkable. 

Filmmakers will still often use stop motion effects in place of CGI, simply because it’s cool and a lot of fun. Phil Tippett Studios often provide miniatures or animation for modern-day Star Wars shows.

Where stop motion has really flourished in the digital age is in the realm of hobbyists and homemade videos. With the accessibility of technology such as digital cameras and software for capturing and playing back frames, it is now easier than ever for budding artists and filmmakers to get started creating their own masterpieces.

And you can too! Buy a HUE Animation Studio kit now to discover the timeless charm of stop motion animation.

See all episodes in this series:
The history of stop motion part 1: Early cinematic experiments
The history of stop motion part 2: The rise of stop motion special effects
The history of stop motion part 3: Stop motion in the digital age

Author: Ruari Chisholm. Ruari works as a content creator for HUE, making animations and artworks. He has been classically trained in animation and loves everything stop motion!

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