EVALUATION

AN EVALUATION OF THE STOP MOTION FILM

Georgia Scannell

COMPARISONS TO CURRENT WORK:

Having completed my stop motion movie, it was possible to note a number of similarities-and
differences-between the products of established filmmakers and my own. Whilst a number of these
references were intentional and used in homage to the greats of the genre, many were subliminal; I
discovered that elements which I thought bore no profound influence did, in fact, help to forge the
foundations of my drama.
It is impossible to deny just how significant
an inspiration that Jan vankmajer was
during the planning and recording
processes.
His
Claymation
entitled
Darkness, Light, Darkness aided in my
decision of how to create the appropriate
aesthetic for my set, and general
atmosphere. I knew with certainty that I
wanted the appearance of the rooms to be
homely and contrast with the content; it
should not conform to horror movie
conventions, i.e. it need not be decrepit with
endless, winding corridors. This lapse in
safety in what should be the securest of
places is captured perfectly within the
aforementioned example. The rooms are
typical with no overt indications as to the
peculiar occurrences within, not unlike the
living space of an older individual. Despite
this, the lack of furnishings does create a
sense of unease, something I feel I failed to
achieve in my piece. Whilst the dcor in
mine is not excessive or luxurious, I believe
that with a few adjustments to their
colourings and quality a hint of the
unsettling events set to play out could present itself.
Furthermore, the use of lighting in vankmajers is relatively neutral, giving rise to the possibility that
the story could manifest in any given way; it is not bright and sunny as we would expect in a childrens
show, nor is it cloudy and rainy as we might anticipate from a drama etc. Instead of replicating this
concept exactly, I expanded on the notion of forging a feeling that would be familiar to many of the
viewers; a warm, musky tone not unlike that of the houses of our Grandparents, or a sitting room
with a roaring fire. Where Darkness, Light, Darkness allows us to completely inject ourselves into the
scenario through the lack of personal or identifying objects, my piece commands helpless
spectatorship of the audience, forcing them to recognise that the husband and wife are being forced
to endure such unimaginable circumstances.
The single lampshade which hangs from the ceiling in vankmajers work is symbolic of how it is
sometimes the smallest of things which provide us with immeasurable comfort; if the film was lit by

candlelight, it would be far more disquieting and

truly reinforce the horror theme. This would be due
to the flickering and temperamental nature of the
light source and how shadows are elongated and
distorted in an environment of that nature.
Similarly, it conveys the age-old (and arguably
clichd) phrase things are not always as they
seem; before this lamp illuminates the room, we do
not suppose that we will soon be bearing witness to
a disembodied hand roaming an otherwise normal
house. The attaining of the eyeballs, as opposed to
them being a product of biology, represents that we are blind until we choose to see what surrounds
us and alludes to the fact that we do not only look with our ocular organs. Whilst I do not feel that I
was able to tell my story with the same level of depth, I did attempt to make it interpretative, like the
said filmmakers. Essentially, I tried to record it in such a manner that the audience could read into it
anyhow they chose, and inferred whichever meaning(s) that they wished. It was this incorporation of
layers and lack of answers that I derived from vankmajers piece and reworked to fit into my plotline.
Much like with the hand gaining the ability
to see, the characters in my film do have
metaphorical qualities. The removal of
gentlemans face is designed to show that
how we look can be the antithesis to how
we feel, and that we can interchange
between these emotions at will-all we wear
are masks and these are but a disguise to
guide those around us into believing what
we will have them to. When a blank
expression arises, it tells us that there are
points where we are numb to all that
surrounds us; more importantly, perhaps, it reminds the viewer that this is normal and it is not strange
to sometimes feel like a blank placeholder or alienated from those surrounding us.
One of the more profound differences between the work of vankmajer and myself is that of our
differing choices of character materials. To provide unparalleled manipulation and manoeuvrability,
the former utilised modelling clay and,
presumably, armatures. I, on the other
hand, used a rudimentary artists
mannequin as it provided a similar,
although slightly narrower, range of
movements. This was a decision that was
based purely on time and my level of skill; I
did not wish to overstretch myself with
ambitions that could not be adequately
realised. I also do not think that plasticine
figures would create the same atmosphere; the models I used were humanoid without be too
realisticI created a fantasy that could (potentially) fit into a dystopian, alternative Earth. The form
does, however, work well for vankmajer; he stokes the flames of impossibility by providing the fuel

to make us wonder what if as we visualise the creature synthesising in our presence. In other words,
he brings an imaginary world into the real world.
Comparisons can also be drawn with the work of one of my idols, Tim Burton. What strikes me as
being one of the more obvious similarities is in relation to the storyline; both his and mine are dark
fairy tales; positive stories or situations are taken and rewritten to be less optimistic and idealistic.
The Corpse Bride, for example, takes the traditional love story and twists it until it is as much about
Victor, Victoria and Emily as it is vengeance and loss. For the murdered bride, there is no true Prince
Charming to save her, and it is left to the audience to decide whether or not she is actually content
and at peace at the end of the film. My work takes a slightly different approach, examining whether
our feelings for another and the memories of our past actions can haunt us, blurring the lines between
fiction and reality. Like with Burton, the ending to my piece remains rather ambiguous; where Emily
turns into Butterflies on setting Victor free from his vow, the man is seemingly eaten by his zombie (?)
wife. This, in turn, presents us with a stream of questions. Did he actually want to put an end to his
suffering by the hand of his beloved? Or is this a decline into insanity, where nothing can be as it
should?
In the creation of my characters, I tried to encompass what makes Burtons so popular. Being
incredibly familiar with his work, I was able to identify that they are they are whimsical variations of
ordinary peoplewe can associate with them, whilst, to a degree, their normalcy enables us to
imagine ourselves in the situation that they are in. The protagonists, those we are meant to like, are
not obnoxious and irritating, but vulnerable and subject to a transformation; the film does not end
with them being the same as when they started. When considering the traits of the old man, I tried to
design him to resonate with everyone to some
degree; whereas the set was to help us recall
the comforts of a family home, I wanted this
character to be reminiscent of the kindly old
fellow who we all likely know and, as pleasant
as he is, is nothing short of an enigma.
Although Burton uses speech to dictate how
aware we are of the individuals situation, I did
not adopt this technique as I wanted the
audience to ponder what they were seeing and
fill in the blanks for themselves. Instead, I
chose to include subtle clues which, when combined, provide a brief overview as to what this man has
been through.
A common trend within the films of Tim Burton is a musical score. This serves as a fantastical and
alternative description of the events being relayed. The Nightmare Before Christmas, for example, is
famed for its soundtrack, and is effective at
allowing characters to explain, in a more
eloquent and artistic manner, how they feeling.
Perhaps the most well-known song from the
said movie, Whats This? conveys Jack
Skellingtons confusion at the sight of
Christmastown in such a way that would be far
less entertaining and accurate if it was a
segment of conversation. As such, I chose to
carefully consider the music I would be using so

as to provide meaning and depth. Aware that I did not have the resources to create a fully orchestrated
score, I decided that I would use contrapuntal sound. As opposed to Burton who often uses song to
clarify and reflect, I felt that having upbeat and contrasting music would serve to further unsettle the
viewers and give the impression that something is wrong in with the situation which is playing out. By
using Cant Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley, we can infer that the man cares for the woman,
regardless of her state and whatever has happened.

EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK:

First and foremost, I was pleased with how my piece conformed to the horror genre, and more
specifically, the psychological niche. With a peer noting that it was creepy and intense, I felt confident
that I had created a video that succeeded in using inanimate objects to terrify. During the planning
and production stages, I made a continual and conscious effort to avoid falling into the trap of relying
on gore and jump scares. Whilst I did include blood, I do not believe it was so excessively that it
overshadowed the real threat; the loss of sanity and becoming engulfed by grief.
Furthermore, I decided that I would do as much as possible to overtly avoid the conventions of a horror
production. For example, I did not use a large, cavernous house, plagued by the spirits of the lost and
damned, nor did I make the antagonist clear; is the villain the mind, ghosts, or nothingness? By losing
the stereotypical and blatant paranormal entities or homicidal maniacs, I was able to create something
which raises questions and uncertainty and provoke a paranoia.

In hindsight, I would have made the escalation of events slightly slower so as to draw the tension out.
This would have been done by having more periods containing the subtle degradation of sanity, before
reaching the climatic stage. Consequently, this would be made all the more effective as it would not
be anticipated, resulting in a shocked audience.
The content was designed to be interpretative and intentionally ambiguous. As such, the audience are
forced to infer their own meanings and finer details of the story. I chose to do this as I believe that too
many films eliminate the need for thought and deduction by giving us all the information that we could
possibly need; not only can it serve as an overload, but it removes any enigma or interest. Ultimately,
the paranormal and the unworldly remain as vague and uncertain as the workings of the brain and I
wanted to merge the two topics to create something which does not allow for easy differentiation.
This attempt appeared to be successful, with one respondent to my survey stating that they saw the
story as a widowed mans hallucinations about a dead loved one and another as a loving family
which is changing and going mad. On reading these answers, I was impossibly pleased; it
demonstrated the sheer breadth of the interpretations whilst still identifying the underlying theme of
madness.
I would have liked to have made the storyline
slightly darker, with more allusions to the
protagonists past behaviour. In actuality, he
has cannibalised others to feed his zombie
wife, a fact which is not clearly investigated in
the storyline. Additionally, I should like to
include flashbacks which show how events
have reached this point, with suggestions of
how they have influenced his choices and
actions. Moreover, I would have worked
harder to convey just how much upset his
ghosts are causing him and the disruption they have inflicted on his life in the weeks leading to this
point.
In a similar vein, character backgrounds would
be better investigated so as to provide more
meaning and context; this gentleman is not just
losing his mind, and the he and the woman are
not just mere acquaintances. This criticism presented itself in the feedback with one answer reading
that they wanted more of a backstory. On reading this, I was glad that someone else could
corroborate my own thoughts. I believe that editing this area would provide greater clarity as we
would know exactly who was who, what has shaped them into who they are and why they behave the
way that they do. In turn, this would allow us to empathise with those featured, hence heightening
our emotional response. It is this type of feeling which I want to evoke from the viewer; if they begin
to care for the protagonist, they will be more effected by the resolution and his death. This will make
the piece more powerful and thought-provoking as it will not be a senseless conglomeration of images
and acts but an insight into the thoughts of the man.

Stylistically, I tried to make my work as realistic yet dystopian as possible. As such, I attempted to give
the impression of the mannequins having humanoid movements and physical mannerisms, but a more
curious appearance. To achieve this, I only manipulated the models a little at a time and tried to keep
to a frame rate of 25-30 frames per second. As I progressed with the production, I realised that
managing the number of photographs per
second was more challenging than I anticipated;
it was too easy to lose track of the number of
images which had been taken, or underestimate
how many were required. This was noticed by one of the reviewers who thought that the movements
could be a bit smoother. I accept this as a valid point and will strive to use this feedback to improve
upon my future productions. Despite this, I do feel that the occasionally jerky actions do contribute to
the eerie style I was aiming for and are not entirely detrimental to the film-I think that these motions
introduce a slightly discerning quality, although these could be completed in a more controlled
manner.
I also feel that the costumes for the characters could have been better planned and more suited to
their role.
Although I
like
the
simplicity
of the womans skirt, by taking the time to make a
longer, fabric nightgown, it would have been possible
to give a better indication of her old age. Additionally,
by giving the man a pair of trousers and a clearer
apron, i.e. an overhead variation, we would be able to
identify him more easily and minimise the risk of it
being mistaken for a dress or skirt. With these edits,
I believe that it would be possible to increase the
viewers comprehension of the narrative as the cast
would be put in a greater visual context.
As touched upon previously, the narrative was not written to be clear in its intentions but left open to
the viewer. I used a number of techniques to help put this into motion and ensure that the storyline
conformed to the codes of the horror genre. One method I adopted was that of the inclusion of
contrapuntal sound.
By playing the largely upbeat Married Life from Up, a whimsical and offbeat tone is forged, with a
reviewer stating how its happiness make everything more twisted. As it would not seem out of place
in an ordinary situation, it could be that the music is indicative of this being the definition of normal
for the protagonist. The song
is somewhat reflective and
allows us to ponder on the
events being shown, with
another peer noting how it
backs up the story and gave
a creepier effect. Elvis
Presleys Cant Help Falling in Love also plays in the concluding scene. This is a statement as it tells us
that despite the womans transformation into a zombie-type creature, the protagonist cannot

disregard his feelings for who we presume is his wife. It is also ironic as it is because of these feelings
that he allows himself to be killed by her.
In addition, I made the pace of the film faster when it approached its conclusion. This was to
demonstrate the increase in paranoia and the suddenly frenetic series of events. This was received to
positive effect as was shown in the feedback; one person noted how it was almost like you were going
crazy as a result of it spiralling out of control whilst another mentioned that it showed the pace in
which things can decline. Inevitably I was happy with the reception, but I cannot help but fear this
was a section which demonstrated a poor frame rate. Should I have the chance to improve, I would
reshoot this so as it does not serve to ruin the film.
The
character
development was
rather
poor,
although
there
were suggestions
as to sections of
their pasts. The
photographs on
the wall near the beginning were designed to hint at the past, i.e. the marriage of the two characters
and the death of someone close to them. This was picked up on by one of the reviewers who felt that
the two characters were husband and wife, as a consequence of viewing the mounted images.
Another elaborated by noting that their closeness was their downfall as he could not let her go. As
also touched upon earlier in the document, I would include a history to the characters so that their
circumstances were clearer and placed in more of a context. This would also introduce a new level of
interest as we could ponder on this information and gain a heightened emotional response.
The overall aesthetic of the piece was strong. I used actual wallpaper to decorate the wooden walls
which gave the shots a realistic texture; as opposed to having plain, ordinary paper, I was able to
create
a
minature living
area
which
would not look
too out of place in our own homes. This was a strong factor in creating the homely feel-it was essential
that the viewer could envision this as being their own residence or domicile. Furthering this, a peer
stated that it appears warm and cosy
which is a complete contrast to the
animation. This served as a
confidence booster as I knew that these efforts were not in vain and helped to create the creepy
appearance. To create the warm atmosphere, I implemented a number of measures. Primarily, I
worked in a windowless attic so that I not only had enough space, but did not have to concern myself
with blocking out daylight. In order to compensate for this, I turned off the white, overhead lights and
used a lamp with an orange hue to replicate the tones of a roaring fire. This was relatively hard lighting
which shone directly onto the set. It created dark
shadows which helped to show depth, whilst making
everything seem slightly more sinister.

I was able to evoke the desired reaction from the audience at the end of the film, with the reviewers
noting that they felt weird because it was something different and gave {me} room to think and
uncomfortable as it was creepy. This reinforced the horror themes and told me that I did not have
to increase the intensity of the conventions. As well as this, it served as proof that I had understood
the brief and the requirements for
submitting a film in the horror
category. I will try to utilise this in
future productions as I can now say
that I better understand how to
create an intiguing, unsettling movie without overt and stereotypical jump scares.

HOW DID I MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BRIEF?

Whilst in the planning stages, I ensured that I remembered the requirement of having only two
characters. This directly affected how I designed my storyline; I could not include flashbacks or ghosts
of anyone but the man and his wife. Ultimately, this proved beneficial as it enabled me to focus on
more specific elements and not create a piece so broad that it loses all meaning-I could narrow my
field of focus to forge something of importance, not something which tries to cover everything at
once. This, in turn, helped to accentuate the close bond between the man and woman and create the
overwhelming feeling of loneliness.
The brief notes that the piece must be at least 30 seconds. Mine exceeded this by approximately one
minute. This regulation served to help me design my film and control the amount of content; I knew
that I had the scope to explore themes such as the mans psychological breakdown in detail and give
a humanistic approach. I was also aware of the amount of work that would go into creating a product
of this length-it would have required at least 900 photographs and I was very conscious of
overstretching myself. As such, I made a conscious decision to give something of an overview to the
couples circumstances, but hone in on how the male copes with the passing of his wife. As such, the
lack of limitations in regards to the time, provided me with the freedom I required to provide the best
insight into the story.
Fundamentally, it tells a tale, as is required from the brief. Whilst it may not be conventional in its
narrative structure, it demonstrates the sheer depth of the pairs relationship and how he has begun
to spiral out of control as a consequence of his wives death. Essentially, it seems to twist our typical
perceptions of the term story by causing us to pay close attention and reflect on what we have seen.
Moreover, the genre conforms to that of horror. As noted, I have incorporated the genres sensibilities
by including blood and supernatural themes (there is the suggestion of a ghost as well as of a Zombie);
the psychological aspect is introduced in how we are unaware of the reality of the situation and what
is true and what is imagined. I liked the fact that I did not resort to making it a slasher or a bloodbath
but a more intelligent variation of the horror style.

ACTION PLAN:

1. KEEP TO THE SAME FRAME RATE THROUGHOUT

When recording, I will pay more attention to how many images I have taken for each section.
As such, this will mean that I shall have to refer more frequently to the Dope Sheets. This will
not only help the overall appearance of the animation, but teach me the invaluable skill of
referring to my planning. The continuity will be improved and help the film flow better as
there will not be points where the footage appears smoother than others. I believe that this
will not only help improve my future stop motion work, but each of the future projects I
engage with.
2. MAKE SMALLER ADJUSTMENTS TO THE MODELS
By making smaller adjustments, the motions will look more seamless which will increase the
realism and professionalism of the piece. Essentially, these elements combined shall help
introduce a sense of possibility to the impossible; if the cast possess some of the same
characteristics that we do, we can associate with and relate to the scenarios being presented
to us. This would couple with the frame rate as more movements would equal a higher frame
rate, and a smoother appearance; this would, however, have to be considered when choosing
the frame rate.
3. SPEND MORE TIME CREATING THE COSTUMES
Considering the lack of speaking in my piece, the costumes should have been one of the few
indicators as to the identity of the characters. By spending more time creating these in the
future, I will be able to better convey personalities and the finer details relating to who they
are; for example, the man could wear a pair of beige slacks with braces to show his age.
Ultimately, this would have furthered the meaning of the piece and added additional depth
as we would not have had to put so much attention to trying to make inferences about whose
lives we are witnessing.

SUITABILITY TO THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY:

In reflection, I feel that I could be suited to the animation industry. Whilst my work was far from
perfect, I enjoyed creating it and experimenting with new materials and notions. I will look into using
Claymation armatures like Tim Burton, Jan vankmajer and Ray Harryhausen as this shall enable me
to create a wider range of actions; they are not as restricted as artists models and have humanoid
appendages such as fingers. In addition, using plasticine would permit me to look into creating moving
faces to show emotion and correspond with speech, i.e. the character will look like they are actually
saying the words that are heard.
Moreover, I now have a greater knowledge of briefs and how they can be manipulated-within reasonsso as they satisfy the interests of the client and the creator. This would be beneficial in the industry as
I would not have to limit myself to working in a niche or only producing my own films which, in the
long run, could be prove to be insecure in terms of finances and constant jobs.
I did surprise myself by discovering that I was more patient than I could ever have imagined. As such,
I would not struggle with just sitting down and creating the animation. There is, however, an issue
with overstretching myself and not comprehending my limitations; I must begin to understand that
not everything is possible on a small budget and a small timescale.
Perhaps most importantly, I have learnt how essential keeping a constant frame rate can be and how
this can, quite literally, make or break a piece. Likewise, I have learnt from my feedback and will know
what strengths to utilise and what weaknesses to work with and improve upon.