How Laika Has Integrated 3D Printing Into Stop Motion Animation

Laika is (arguably) the most innovative animation studio in the world, and not just because they’re one of the only companies that specialize in stop motion feature filmmaking.

They’ve come up with cutting edge ways to seamlessly integrate CGI, 3D printing, and other digital techniques, into the stop motion workflow during the making of their upcoming film The Boxtrolls.

Stop motion animation often involves sculpting, molding and casting hundreds of different faces for each puppet actor, part of a process known as replacement animation, but Laika now uses a five color 3D printer to create these faces, which helps streamline the process quite a bit.

The purists at Laika have managed to integrate this cutting edge technology into their workflow without sacrificing any of the traditional stop motion aesthetic that makes their films so enjoyable to watch, and their innovative hybrid techniques are sure to become the industry norm.

Read more about Laika's cutting edge stop motion animation techniques over at Cartoon Brew