Moving Sculptures: Animating the Human Body in Stop-Motion WithPolymer Clay

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to explore novel approaches to stop-motion animation techniques and design and sculpt an original moveable clay figure utilizing those techniques. This thesis focuses on animating human anatomy, testing the extreme physical and emotional states that can be portrayed within the medium of a stop-motion film. Stop-motion animation is a technique wherein a film is shot frame by frame, with animators manually moving characters between each frame to create a sense of movement when the frames are played back sequentially. While there are many possible approaches to producing stop-motion animation, this thesis focuses entirely on hand-sculpted clay animation, due to the tactile nature of the medium and the artistic expression it allows. The motivation for this study is to find a way to bring sculptures to life in a way that does not sacrifice attention to detail. Over the course of this study, a series of experiments were carried out, each testing a different approach to claymation character design. Each experiment culminated in a short stop-motion clip demonstrating the unique design approach. The result of this thesis is a novel design for a moveable clay figure which is used as the main character in an original stop-motion short film. This thesis explores the entire design process behind creating a moveable clay sculpture, including all challenges and considerations that played a role in informing the final figure design.