Stop Motion, Great and Small

Here are two great stop motion videos done by the same animation team. The first one was created and filmed at a small, near microscopic size. I really enjoyed how the materials used to build the world of the animation, (e.g. a shirt pocket, coins, push-pins, measuring tape, etc.) really accentuate the tiny scale of the movie. Each aspect of the film reminds you that it is taking place in the minutia of daily life. It is an incredibly effective technique, one that demonstrates the power of a solid overall design. For enquiring minds, here is a fantastic look at how they made the video. As you can see, filming required incredible patience and a great attention to details to ensure that each frame was captured correctly and that it would all flow together.

Similar in style, this next video is done at quite the opposite scale. Working outdoors in a medium like sand must have been challenging and frustrating, but the animators pulled off another very successful video. While I do think their first video is much more successful, the use of the beach as a canvass for the animation reinforces the nautical theme of the movie. Again, there's another making-of video if you are curious.