The Best Animation Instagrams Of The Week: The Art And Craft Of Stop-Motion
During the lockdown, I started studying tutorials about stop motion techniques, with the vague intention of trying my hand at some animation of my own. But my natural laziness intervened and I never got past the video-watching stage.
No film, then — but to put that research to some use, I’ve compiled a list of top Instagram accounts I discovered along the way. All belong to artists working in or around the medium of stop motion. Most contain explicit “how-to” advice, but some simply inspire by example. Enjoy…
Jim Parkyn has decades’ experience as a sculptor and model maker — he’s worked on all Aardman’s major features. He imparts his knowledge on his account, in the form of good-natured tutorials in clay modeling:
Trent Shy, who’s equally active on Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok, is a big player in the online niche for horror-themed clay animation. His account is full of original micro-shorts and spoofs of iconic horror films:
The fashion for wool animation has been raging for some years now, but Andrea Love puts a fresh spin on the medium — see her mock-digital painting below. On her account, she’s generous with practical advice about her art.
Anthony Farquhar-Smith is a veteran animator and director whose film credits include Corpse Bride and Isle of Dogs. He posts reflections on the (excellent) ads he’s worked on, as well as little vignettes he’s made in his spare time.
Kevin Parry was an animator at Laika on Missing Link and Kubo and the Two Strings, but chose to set off on his own to become an online viral video creator. On his Instagram, which boasts nearly 900,000 followers, he mixes stop motion techniques with special effects and camera tricks for a playful effect. He also occasionally posts behind-the-scenes vids revealing the inventive and ad hoc processes that he uses to achieve various effects.
