"PUI PUI Molcar" was a huge hit on social media in 2021, but did you know that it uses a technique called "stop motion"? Stop motion animation is an expression technique that has produced many fascinating works, but it is not easy to learn about it in everyday life. So, this time I would like to introduce the charm and history of stop motion animation, which is attracting attention again as a technique used in "PUI PUI Molcar". Among the many techniques, it is an expression technique that is particularly easy for amateurs to reproduce, so please try making animation with the technique of this work in your private life!
What kind of technique is stop motion?
First, let me explain what stop-motion animation is. Stop-motion animation is a technique that uses optical illusions by repeatedly moving still images over and over, making them appear to be moving. It is an ancient technique in anime production, and it can be said to be the most basic technique.
The Basics of Animation!
The principle of stop-motion animation is the very foundation of animation production. Therefore, among the many animation works, it is an expression technique that has been used to create many particularly simple and easy-to-understand works, and therefore it can be said that it is a technique that makes it easy to create interesting works depending on how you use it.
Can be seen in many other works besides this one
Stop motion animation can be seen in many other works besides this one. There are many educational works, so you may have seen it in your childhood. Anyway, there is no doubt that it is an expressive technique that has been used to create many works that are particularly meaningful to us, the anime generation.
Give it a try!
As such, this work is the most basic expression in animation production, and it is an expression that anyone can use easily. Anyone can easily create animation with just a smartphone camera, so please try it for yourself.
Considering the evolution of expressive techniques
Now, I would like to introduce the evolution of expressive techniques in stop-motion animation. The evolution of video expression techniques and the history of the evolution of animation can be said to be the history of the evolution of stop-motion animation, so be sure to check it out!
The Rise of Stop Motion
Originally, stop motion animation was a visual expression that only existed in live-action films, but it emerged as a kind of trick art depicted in live-action films. At first, it was just a way of adding depth to live-action films, but eventually animations based on stop motion animation began to be produced.
Weaknesses of stop motion
Stop motion animation has evolved from a single expressive technique into a new genre that has produced a wide variety of works, but it has a major weakness. Because each still image is layered on top of the other, the movements are inevitably jerky and unnatural.
More realistic images! !
As a result, the film industry began to explore ways to overcome the weakness of stop-motion animation, which is that it cannot depict realistic images.
The emergence of go-motion technology
Amidst this situation, a new expression technique was born called go-motion animation, an evolution of stop-motion animation. This technology, like stop-motion animation, also appeared as a supplementary expression technique in live-action films.
More realistic expressions are possible
In contrast to stop-motion animation, which uses still images, go-motion animation is an expression technique that allows for smoother movement by using images with a slight afterimage. It has been used in Star Wars and other films, and unlike previous stop-motion animations, it has become possible to express more realistically.
The emergence of CG (computer graphics)
A formidable opponent appears in the world of video techniques that have evolved from stop-motion animation to go-motion animation. This is a technique called CG (computer graphics), a video technique that utilizes computers. CG is a form of expression that allows you to draw anything you want completely from scratch, making it possible to create complex expressions that were not possible with previous video expressions.
Stop motion survived
As a result, go-motion animation, which evolved from stop motion animation to become even more complex, was pushed out by CG and disappeared. However, on the other hand, stop motion animation, which is an ancient technique and adds a touch of flavor to the images, was instead appreciated and survived.
Let's take a look at works of each expression
What did you think? We introduced the history and characteristics of three expression techniques: stop-motion animation, go-motion animation, and CG. From here, we would like to introduce some works that you should definitely take a look at to better understand the characteristics and fun of each work.
Stop motion: "PUI PUI Molcar"
The masterpiece of stop motion animation is undoubtedly "PUI PUI Molcar," which is the main focus of this introduction! In modern Japan, at the dawn of feature-length animation, this work took on the challenge with a short animation of only 3 minutes and successfully gained national popularity, and it can be said that this work most vividly depicts the good points of stop motion animation.
Go-motion: Star Wars Episodes 4-6
Star Wars Episodes 4-6 are examples of works where you can enjoy go-motion animation. One thing to note is that Episodes 1-3 were produced later in the series, so CG was used and no go-motion animation was used at all. This is one of the few works where you can enjoy the short-lived go-motion animation, so be sure to check it out.
CG (Computer Graphics): "Jurassic Park"
There are many works that allow you to enjoy CG, but one that you should pay particular attention to is "Jurassic Park." This work was originally intended to be produced as a go-motion animation, but the director was so surprised by the realism of the CG visual expression that he suddenly switched to a CG work, so it can be said that this work was the catalyst that brought CG animation to attention, so be sure to check it out!
Stop motion and CG
As such, with the rise of CG animation, stop motion animation has been relegated to a minor technology, but did you know that stop motion animation has been gaining attention in recent years? From here, I would like to introduce the coexistence of CG and stop motion animation.
There was a time when it was all CG
When CG animation first appeared, it was so shocking that it was used a lot for a while. Even in the animation industry, where hand-drawn animation was the norm, CG works became more prominent, and it seemed like most works would become CG. However, viewers gradually became tired of images that were all CG.
The flavor of stop motion
That's why stop motion animation, which has been around for a long time, has started to attract attention. The jerky movements that were said to be unnatural are actually more flavorful to viewers who are accustomed to CG movements, and attention is being paid to the flavorfulness of stop motion animation, which can be enjoyed casually.
More diverse expressions
Stop-motion animation can easily become monotonous, so it has become especially important to come up with ways to make it more interesting as a visual expression. It is a technique in which the extra alpha becomes more important than ordinary expression techniques.
Stop motion as a short animation
In recent years, it has become popular as a short video, and is well-received by young people who prefer short videos. Over the years, the superiority of stop motion animation as a short video has become widely recognized.
Summary
What did you think? This time, we introduced the history and characteristics of stop motion animation. In addition to this work, there are many other attractive stop motion animations, so please check them out as well!
