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This is for a scene where Mr. Link is kind of, like, doing calisthenics, Jones continues.
(Mr. Link is the films titular Bigfoot.)
Hes about to try and jump over a wall, so he bends over and his pants split open.
The wildly intricate setup, so detailed that you could see the unique threads that snapped to bear Mr.
Links posterior tufts of fur, will appear onscreen for just one or two seconds.
Its a lot of work for not a lot of frames, Jones says.
Of course, thats the M.O.
You do the math.
The meticulous, labor-intensive process of stop-motion is something of an anomaly in these days of computer-generated animation.
But the people at Laika, a stop-motion animation studio near Portland, Oregon, like it that way.
I think theres something about stop-motion thats so tactile.
Kids come out of a film still having no idea how we did it.
This is definitely the most ambitious thing weve done, says Chris Butler, the films writer and director.
We say that every time, but every time its true.
If it sounds like hes giving the picture a hard sell, its understandable.
So theres a lot riding onLink.
Its creators are understandably pushing it as more mainstream than the work that came before it.
On the face of it, its lighter and brighter, says producer Adrianne Sutner.
Butler concurs: Its more playful, for sure.
But theres still elements of irreverence in it because I cant help myself.
Its not that our brand is creepy, Butler continues, immediately summoning images ofCoralines grisly button eyes.
Thats the thing with stop-motion historically, its always had these dark overtones …
I think its inherent in the medium.
People animating inanimate objects, its almost necromantic.
A Laika set in motion is a sight to behold.
Links pants together, to allow maximum range of movement.
Were shooting in 3-D but we cant get two cameras close enough together because our increments are tiny.
It is, as you could imagine, time-consuming.
Our animators target is 4.3 seconds per week of approved footage, in the can, Pascall tells me.
Thats in an ideal world, all very well.
Animators edited their work to the actors verbal tics.
Music and sound effects are added after.
Links eyes and smile.
Butler remains either tight-lipped or optimistic.
Sutner agrees: There are incredible places out there, as you know youre seeing these movies.
And they do what they do so well.
But I think nobody else is doing exactly whatweredoing so well.
Its image as a button-eyed necromancer in an otherwise tame industry served it well.
Hopefully, audiences the ones that helped turnDespicable Me 3andIce Age 5into hits will take notice.
