Why don't we watch these movies more?

There’s very few people who want to just make beautiful films that make money, when they can make films that make huge money.—Henry Selick

In a world dominated by CGI and digital animation, I think that is why stop-motion stands out as a beautiful, unique, and captivating art form. Yet, it often goes overlooked. So, what exactly is stop-motion? Many of you are probably familiar with films like Coraline or the Wallace and Gromit series, both stunning examples of the technique.

You can see that all the main set pieces are real, but there is a green screen in the background to add other details in post-production

But if you’re not, stop-motion is an animation method in which physical objects. Whether that is clay figures, puppets, or paper cutouts. They are photographed frame by frame. When the frames are played in sequence, they create the illusion of movement. While many studios use other forms of animation to enhance their films, stop-motion remains a genuine work of craftsmanship, with major sets and characters being 99.9% handmade.

A Labor of Love 

I believe stop-motion is highly underrated. While there have been several highly successful stop-motion films, I feel much of the genre often goes overlooked. Many people don’t realize how much effort is spent creating these films. To be fair, this may stem from audiences not giving them a chance because of the “uncanny” feeling some associate with stop-motion. But honestly, (sorry in advance) I think that simply comes from a lack of appreciation for the true artistry behind it.

Artists working on puppets for Time Burton's 2005 film, Corpse Bride.

Artists dedicate years of their lives to crafting these beautiful films, sometimes spending months perfecting a single scene. The sheer amount of time and effort poured into stop-motion often results in a more well-crafted and engaging film. Unlike many modern films that feel rushed or like sloppy cash grabs. Directors and artists pour their love and care into these projects. Why would they spend years creating something they don’t care about, knowing it could fail? That, I think, is one of the most charming aspects of stop-motion films. You can see just how much these filmmakers care. How much they want to create something meaningful that will last. Rather than another Avengers Disney+ series that might make millions now but will be forgotten in five years.

Coraline: A BTS Look

If there’s one film that proves stop-motion is a true labor of love, it’s Coraline. Directed by Henry Selick and released in 2009, this masterpiece is a great example of the patience and craftsmanship that defines the medium. Every single frame, every tiny movement, and every facial expression were meticulously animated by hand.

Coraline took 4 years to animate, even with a team of over 500 people working on it. Keep and mind that's not the entire process from start to finish. That is just the amount of time they took to translate those ideas to the screen. The production required 28 handcrafted Coraline puppets, each built through an incredibly meticulous process. To make just one, artists first created an internal “skeleton” from various metals, allowing animators to carefully pose and move the character frame by frame. Coraline’s facial expressions were another massive undertaking.  6,300 interchangeable face pieces were printed and swapped out for every tiny movement just for Coraline alone.  Even the characters’ clothing was entirely handmade. Take Coraline’s signature striped sweater, for example. It wasn’t just sewn, but knitted with miniature needles.

Althea Crome knitting Coraline's sweater

A process so intricate that the artist, Althea Crome, had to use a magnifying glass to complete it. And this level of care wasn’t just for Coraline, all the characters required the same painstaking attention to detail. The sheer amount of work that went into bringing just one puppet to life is mind-blowing, let alone an entire cast of characters.  

Beyond the puppets, animators had to construct the film’s elaborately detailed world from scratch. They built over 130 miniature sets, including an elaborate 42-foot-long orchard. Every object, from a single piece of mail to a tiny fork on a dinner table, was handcrafted. The garden scene alone, filled with hundreds of flowers, took three months just to shoot. Even environmental elements were animated practically. Raindrops were crafted from gel beads, fog was stretched cotton, and the lighting was set up just like in a live-action film.

And this only scratches the surface of the immense effort that went into bringing Coraline to life. Every frame, every movement, and every tiny detail was the result of years of dedication, proving that stop-motion is not just an animation style, it’s an art form unlike any other.

Handcrafted Cinema in a Digital World

In a world increasingly dominated by AI across social media and even parts of Hollywood, there has never been a more crucial time to support stop-motion films. These films are timeless precisely because of their imperfections. Every slight inconsistency serves as a reminder of the human hands that brought them to life. Seeing the fingerprints on that one character in that one scene adds a level of connection that is hard to find in other forms of animation, making them oddly charming. Unlike 2D and 3D animation, which strive for smooth perfection, stop motion captivates audiences through its unique artistry and tangible craftsmanship.

As we know, stop motion is incredibly time-consuming and costly. They require intricate sets, handcrafted puppets, and specialized equipment. This naturally makes mainstream studios, which prioritize quicker and cheaper production methods, hesitant to take on these types of films. Because of this, stop-motion films are often produced by smaller studios or independent filmmakers, limiting their exposure. And perhaps the biggest hurdle of all. Stop motion isn’t for everyone. While animation enthusiasts and film buffs appreciate its artistry, general audiences sometimes find its imperfections distracting, unappealing, or even eerie compared to the polished fluidity of other animation styles. Another reason these films are not commonly picked by mainstream studios often.

But I can't completely blame audiences for that. Take the recent Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Wild Robot. Or a classic Disney movie or the Shrek saga. They too have a team of artists working vigorously behind the scenes to make these masterpieces. But these films also have the advantage of digital tools backed by powerful computers to do all the heavy lifting. They can erase and remake at ease. But Stop-motion artists don’t have that luxury. Every frame is carefully constructed by hand, making the process far more labor-intensive.

After taking a small look at the BTS of the most famous stop-motion films, I hope it is clearer as to why these films deserve more appreciation. These films don’t just have superb storytelling; they are visually stunning and offer something truly unique.

Recommendations

I’ll recommend just about any stop-motion animated film. While some stories resonate more than others, nearly all of them end up on my favorites list. My top pick is definitely going to have to be Tim Burton’s 2012 film Frankenweenie, and if you have yet to see it, I highly recommend giving it a watch.

If the dark nature of the story or the black-and-white style of Frankenweenie isn’t your thing, my next recommendations would be Mary and Max, My Life as a Courgette (or Zucchini if you’re looking for the English version), The House, and Wendell & Wild. Though none of these films are necessarily “scary”, they do lean more toward the indie side of the stop-motion spectrum, which often takes on different stories, sometimes giving them a darker undertone. But there still definitely worth a try even if they are out of your comfort zone.

If it’s not already obvious, I thoroughly enjoy stop-motion. But that’s not to say other animation styles aren’t amazing too—2D and 3D films have brought us some incredible stories, and each has its own strengths. I just think stop-motion deserves more love for the insane amount of work that goes into it. At the end of the day, great animation is great animation; no matter the style. But if you haven’t given stop-motion a real chance yet, maybe now’s the time!