Beast (2024)
Stop-motion Animatic/ 1’25’’/ Indie Work
Synopsis
Beast is a stop-motion animatic about a boy trapped in a jungle, relentlessly pursued by shadows, only to reveal in the end that he is a tiger in a zoo, with the shadows being onlookers outside his cage.
Inspiration
My inspiration for this project comes from visiting zoos in China, where I observed many large animals confined to small, poor-quality enclosures. These animals often display stereotypical behaviors, such as pacing or repetitive movements, as signs of stress due to inadequate living conditions.
Context
This project marked my first exploration into building a fully standing puppet. Through iterative material testing and fabrication, I evaluated different approaches to balance flexibility and durability for animation. Based on the performance of the structure during production, I chose to focus on key poses and moments, shaping the final outcome as an animatic with editing and sound to communicate the narrative effectively.
Beast is a stop-motion animatic about a boy trapped in a jungle, relentlessly pursued by shadows, only to reveal in the end that he is a tiger in a zoo, with the shadows being onlookers outside his cage.
Inspiration
My inspiration for this project comes from visiting zoos in China, where I observed many large animals confined to small, poor-quality enclosures. These animals often display stereotypical behaviors, such as pacing or repetitive movements, as signs of stress due to inadequate living conditions.
Context
This project marked my first exploration into building a fully standing puppet. Through iterative material testing and fabrication, I evaluated different approaches to balance flexibility and durability for animation. Based on the performance of the structure during production, I chose to focus on key poses and moments, shaping the final outcome as an animatic with editing and sound to communicate the narrative effectively.
Material Experimentation
This project involved a process of material experimentation to explore effective approaches for puppet fabrication. I began with a soft clay and felted wool combination over an aluminum wire armature, but found that painted surfaces tended to crack during posing. I then transitioned to paper and glue techniques inspired by existing practices, refining the structure for greater flexibility and durability.
Through iterative testing, I developed a more compact and stable armature design, improving both handling and performance during animation.
This project involved a process of material experimentation to explore effective approaches for puppet fabrication. I began with a soft clay and felted wool combination over an aluminum wire armature, but found that painted surfaces tended to crack during posing. I then transitioned to paper and glue techniques inspired by existing practices, refining the structure for greater flexibility and durability.
Through iterative testing, I developed a more compact and stable armature design, improving both handling and performance during animation.
Props
I repurposed household waste materials, such as dried glue and old newspaper, covering them with tissue paper and white glue.
After drying, the surfaces were painted with gouache.