Animatório is a Brazilian animation studio that has already received worldwide recognition through their work in advertising and television, and from a quick survey of their work, it's not difficult to understand why. Their most recent animation, Neomorphus (above), follows a winged, armless humanoid doll through the process of mutation—evolving into creatures each more terrifying than the last. The video is the second in a series of stop-motion animated shorts about the metamorphosis of fictitious living creatures in an imaginary environment called Praepostere.According to the artists’ explanation of Neomorphus: Evolution as a function gain is called neo-morphic. Imaginary creatures adapt to an ecosystem and the transformation of these creatures' habitats generate a fantastic cycle. The symbolism of mutation is part of Animatório's trajectory, moving from place to place, finding a new spectrum—a new phase.The fantasy world in which that progression occurs is the result of complex illustrations, model scenarios, lengthy filming, and tedious post-production. In the making-of video, Animatório explains the process and the difficulties of animating Neomorphus:The biggest hardship was to animate the creatures—every single one of them was handmade—and, having insect characteristics, they were extremely fragile and needed to be handled with care. The camera also has an important role in the film, as its point of view changes throughout the scenarios. In order to do this, a “robot” camera photographed every programmed motion graphic. Once the images were captured, the film received digital processing and treatment. Post-production is a very important process in stop-motion videos because it cleans up each scene, frame by frame. During this process, the materials used to hold the characters in place, such as lines and tape are removed. Finally, we added shadows, filters, and special effects—they are fundamental in creating the atmosphere. Finally, we added sound effects and the soundtrack, composed exclusively for the short.The first episode of the series, Adiantum Pedatum, is based on illustrations and photographs of botany books, and it’s much less startling. Watch it below:
Advertisement