FOX Searchlight - YouTube: ISLE OF DOGS tells the story of ATARI KOBAYASHI, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
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It's probably no surprise that animation articles always pique my attention, but I've also been incredibly excited for Isle of Dogs for months now!!! The stop-motion animation style is really cool and something I honestly have considered working on as a costumer or character designer, but watching this video was a great way to learn about a stop motion company that isn't Laika and how they do things the same and differently. Their more realistic style as opposed to Laika's more cartoony stylized one is a really cool change of pace, but combined with the fluid movements of their animation it gives the movie a whole level of depth that Laika also has but has never previously been challenged by. The intricate way they do lip sync, especially, is incredibly intricate, and doing it on a dog and showing how they did it just made that all the more fascinating. Animators, just like they said here, are performers in a way, trying to get emotion out of a puppet or a polygon or a pencil. It's an incredibly intricate and skilled field and I am always awestruck and blown away by the amazing work animators do.
What a wonderful look into the making of Wes Anderson's new "Isle of Dogs". I am so excited to see this movie when it comes out in theatres in Pittsburgh, and this video on the long, painstaking, and incredible creative process that went into animating the film made me want to see it all the more. I am always struck by Wes Anderson's style of stop motion animation, as it does always seem so emotional and life like, while also putting you into the storybook like world of sculpted beings. The most interesting part of this video was how Wes Anderson seems to have directed the movement of the animated characters and how the animators found it in themselves to sculpt the motion of the film. Watching and rewatching and actually doing the movements of the characters and their basic actions seems funny and almost menial, but looking at the work that it so clearly produces is beautiful, and I can't wait to see this movie!
First, I cannot wait to go and watch this film. Second, the reason why I cannot wait to go and watch this film is because it looks utterly amazing. The animation is flawless, thoughtful, and beautiful. I loved watching this video because it simply made me more excited for this movie. As the longest stop animation film ever made, Wes Anderson has truly made history with his artform. I also really love the storyline because it is very unique and sweet. The production of this movie, the consideration of which animators to hire based on their skill and expertise, the amount of time dedicated to making all of the handmade clay faces with interchangeable mouths, and all the rest of the behind the scenes stuff that I did not observe within this video is so damn incredible. Especially to have twenty-seven animators working on one movie, to keep a consistent vision within all the specials skills of each animator sounds like the hardest juggling act ever.
I love Wes Anderson films because they always have an amazing range of color that captivates the eye, and because the artistry of the film making is always beyond beautiful. This film is no exception. Seeing the comparison of live shots that the animators have taken of themselves (or of their squad of dogs) compared to the way the puppets in the animation move is brilliant, and i can really see how the accuracy of the movement elevates the quality of the animation. I also think it is interesting how these animators had to build not only a database for human movement, but also for canine movement. I can see how movement can affect the personality of a human being, but I had never thought of that idea carrying over into dogs as well, but it makes sense now that I see it. I am amazed by the little details in the mouths and hairs of the puppets. I am impressed with how malleable the dog puppets are in particular, but I guess that makes more sense since it seems easier to move the mouth of a dog puppet than to switch its mouth out for different syllables. I would being interested in seeing a behind the scenes video of this production that goes into the same depth as the Aardman Animation videos I saw here on the blog do. I definitely plan on seeing this movie this weekend.
Stop motion is so cool. It really is amazing how the animators are able to put life into inanimate objects and puppets. I think the beauty of stop motion is also why we love puppetry so much. Because it is not a physical human, we are able to imagine a world and a character that goes beyond reality. I think this movie is going to be so good and I really want to watch it - both for its artistic value and because I really like dogs. I do wonder how the traditional roles of film making translate to stop motion animation. How involved is Wes Anderson in creating the looks and quirks of the characters? In normal films, he would be able to take a second take if he doesn't like the outcome. Does that happen in stop motion as well? Or does everything have to be preplanned since it takes so much time to get one shot. Is there a scenic designer? Cinematographer?
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