Stop Motion Animation

Stop motion/Stop frame is an animation technique that is used to manipulate an object into appearing its moved on its own. This is done by moving the object in question slightly between individually photographed frames. This creates the illusion of movement when the series of frames are played in a continuous sequence. 

Stop motion animation is most commonly used to allow dolls and clay figures to appear moving. However, not all stop motion requires figures or clay models, many stop motion movies use humans, household appliances and other things. 

I’ve researched stop motion animation because it’s a technique I’d like to incorporate in my music video. I love the visual effect of pause and movement it brings, this would be something I’d like to experiment with and believe will be a great effect within my music video. 

I then went on looking at music videos that have used stop motion animation creatively. My favourite example is Gotye ‘Easy Way Out’.

Following the massive global success of ‘Somebody I used to know’, the video for Gotye’s new single ‘Easy Way Out’ continues the theme of creative and artistic videos by using stop motion animation. Directed by Darcy Prendergast, this video took 9 months to make and used a massive circular set in the middle of a studio. To film the video footage was shot using a complex mathematical formula and a 360 pan motion that was able to rotate around their five room set. Each piece of set that is featured in the video has been crafted with care and displays the level of technical skills of the modelling team. 

Darcy used a combination of stop motion and pixilation to bring to light the destructive cycle of the 9-5 day to life. This director has brought us an impressive piece of cinematography that represents  the repetitive routine to an office worker’s life, connoting a graphic spiralling descent to disaster. 

For me this video is creatively brilliant, however is refreshingly downbeat unlike Gotye’s previous music videos. I love how director Darcy has used stop motion. I believe that this technique compliments the message of the song, as it creates a pause, repetitiveness and almost a sense of entrapment.