Boxtrolls

 Finally managed to get around to watching the latest Laika stop-motion film Boxtrolls. Not only is it a brilliantly crafted film but it got me thinking about the medium and the sheer amount of effort involved. The amount of planningt is enormous, from props to lighting to direction. There is a seemingly endless list. It's for this reason I have the utmost respect for people working in this medium (a medium I hope to one-day further work in).

When you look at the incredibly detailed backgrounds and props, that aren't even the focus of the shot you realise that it is a labour of love and that people choose to keep the stop-motion process alive not because it's easy but because it's challenging, yet all the more rewarding.

There is a great scene at the end of the credits shown below which throws into focus the brilliant and often absurd nature of choosing to animate in stop-motion.