The Origins and Methods of Stop-Frame Animation

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Stop-frame animation (known alternatively as stop-motion or stop-action) is defined as “a special effect, carried out while shooting, in which the performers stop their motion and the camera is stopped while an object or performer is added to or removed from the scene” (Dictionary). It is possibly the oldest and most elementary sort of animation. There are many techniques used in stop-frame, including claymation, puppetry, pixilation, traditional media, and time lapse. Each method, of course, has its respective appeal to different artists and audiences. Stop-frame animation’s origin can be traced back to the 1890s and boasts several different branches, each home to its own techniques and artists.

Stephen Cavalier’s book, The World History of Animation thoroughly describes the rather long history of stop-motion animation. It begins with Alfred Clarke, an employee of Thomas Edison, who invented stop-frame cinematography in 1895. He invented a genre, and possibly the first special effect, in helping with the creation of Edison’s The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. At the time of the execution scene, Clarke stopped the camera to replace the actress playing Mary with a mannequin, and then continued to roll the camera. Another stop-action pioneer rose in 1896, by the name of Georges Méliès, a magician. He discovered stop-motion on accident. After having seen the Lumière Brothers’ Cinématographe in 1895, Méliès set up his own moving picture show. In the beginning, his work was much like that of the Lumières’, until he let his magician’s showmanship shine through. This enabled him to produce “some of the most imaginative and original works of his era” (Cavalier 42). His discovery of stop-frame occurred when his camera jammed, and whe...

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Cavalier, Stephen. The World History of Animation. Berkeley, Los Angeles. RotoVision, 2011. Print.

“Feed Your Head with Jan Svankmajer’s Food.” Ill Stills. n.p., 6 Sep. 2012. Web. 7 March 2014. .

Gunn, Karen. “Critical Viewings: Norman McLaren (1914-1987).” Teach Animation. Karen Gunn, n.d. Web. 7 March 2014. .

ThePropKing. “History of Stop Motion Animation Puppetry in Film.” Youtube. 8 May 2011. Web. 4 March 2014. .

“Neighbours: Plot Summary.” IMDb. IMDb, n.d. Web. 7 March 2014. .

“Stop Motion.” Princeton. Princeton. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. .

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