How Netflix's 'Pinocchio' Innovated Stop-Motion Animation | Movies Insider | Insider

Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix adaptation of “Pinocchio” breathes new life into the over-century-old art form of stop-motion animation. The film achieved a new level of expressiveness in its animated puppets by marrying traditional stop-motion techniques with newer technologies.

We spoke with “Pinocchio” puppet fabrication supervisor Georgina Hayns and animation supervisor Brian Leif Hansen about the labor of love behind the film.

Hayns and Leif Hansen are world-renowned stop-motion artists who brought their expertise to the three-year undertaking that was “Pinocchio.” Previously, Hayns supervised character fabrication for “Kubo and the Two Strings” (2016), “The Boxtrolls” (2014), “ParaNorman” (2012), and “Coraline” (2009). Leif Hansen was an animator on “Missing Link” (2019), “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009), and “Frankenweenie” (2012).

Both artists worked on Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” (2005), which was pioneering for its use of geared heads to express nuanced emotion in stop-motion characters, a technique adopted in “Pinocchio.” Meanwhile, other stop-motion films like “Coraline” laid the groundwork for the implementation of 3D printing technology in “Pinocchio.” Del Toro’s team built and expanded upon all of these tools and more to light up the lived-in world of “Pinocchio.”

For more from Georgina Hayns and ShadowMachine:

00:00-0:50: Mechanics of Spazzatura
0:50-2:45: Mechanical Puppets
2:45-4:50: Making a 3D-Printed Pinocchio
4:50-7:05: Customizing Each Puppet
7:05-8:28: Animating & Rigging Motion
8:28-8:57: Adding VFX
8:57-9:53: Costumes & Cloth
9:53-10:38: Labor of Love

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#StopMotion #Animation #Insider

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How Netflix's 'Pinocchio' Created Lifelike Stop-Motion Animation | Movies Insider | Insider

[jesusangelespinosasalgado]

Ok... This is where Guillermo's recurring speech during award season has been so relevant "animation is not a genre but a medium for storytelling" so for it's greatness this film was snubbed for, best picture, best director, adapted screenplay, costume design, production design and cinematography...

[kevinbparry]

LOVE how in-depth this is! Bravo for the research and interviews

[indianaalbers]

One correction. It’s not Netflix’s Pinocchio it’s Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio. I think some one who actually directed the movie deserves more credit than the company that merely hosts it.

Edit: Welp this is my most liked comment ever

[TheFlashStickman]

Stop-Motion is like nothing else. Pure magic.

[uja]

Will definitely win best animated picture Oscar.

[RockyRakoon]

I wish a company would put these kinda mechanical puppets into mass production! Imagine all the posibilities

[tricksterhuaun]

Stop motion animation is such a passion project.

No one without the passion would even bother. It's just too much of a hassle, they'd just go to 3D instead.

[NextToToddliness]

I loved how their expressions fluttered across their faces and the light capturing eyes.

Also, it's incredible that they printed Pinocchio's body in one go. So cool!

[firstnlastnametherd]

Guillermo is such a fantastic director.
Can you imagine him saying "Cut! Let's roll that again" Then the clapper says "Scene 2, take 31"

[onepresence]

I simply love Stop-Motion Animation. It’s really unique and beautiful. Bless everyone who work on these animated projects.
And Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is definitely one of the best movies of 2022.

[DirtCobaine]

Ever since I was a child stop motion has always astonished me. Not just the final product but the production of it frame by frame. The sheer patience and dedication that is required. It inspired me as a kid to make my own stop motion videos with my toys. Though I never really made a finished video lol it just always amazed me and captured my imagination that you could bring cartoons to life in the physical world with stop motion. And to know it was done frame by frame is actually magical

[coolboss]

No ending for a movie has made me cry as hard as this movie did. That ending just pulled so many strings and I just couldn't handle it 😭. This better win Best Animated Picture at the Oscars

[PinkPlume]

Watching it, I was 100% positive that this movie was 3D animation keyframed in such a way so as to look like stop motion.

God knows how many collective working hours it took the on site crew to animate this. Mind blowing!

[fireaza]

I find it fascinating how stop-motion animation is so quick to utilize new technology. You'd think that being such an old-school process, they would do everything old-school, but they were making use of 3D modelling and 3D printing really early on. It's pretty smart, it allows them to put their effort towards the important parts of making the film instead of the tedious parts.

[bornon]

First and foremost it is Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio, not Netflix's Pinocchio. You wouldn't call Mona Lisa "Louvre's Mona Lisa" instead of "Da Vinci's Mona Lisa", would you?

[webbox]

I loved the Pinocchio character's design and animation — so immediately loveable and appealing.

[thesolosiren]

I love that technology has enhanced stop motion instead of replacing it

[moisespadilla]

best stop-motion movie ever... made me cry a lot

[S.E.C-R]

This is amazing… I’ve always loved stop motion. I hadn’t heard about this movie yet but I am definitely going to watch it now!

[khairunnaimrohaizan]

We have to support them!!! Support their hard work, very very hard work! Super impressed