Christmas is almost knocking on the door, and what better way is there to spend Christmas than watching a few evergreen Christmas movies? There is nothing better than snuggling up on a cold Christmas morning, having a few pieces of fruit cake and turning on some good old Christmas movies that are sure to soften your heart!
But what Christmas movie should you watch? There are so many of them! Well, Rotten Tomatoes recently held a poll to see what is the most popular Christmas movie and well, to everyone’s surprise, the winner was not an actual feature film, but a legendary animated movie!
This movie forever changed the way the world looked at animation as a moviemaking technique. It also cemented its reputation as an exhibition of sheer brilliance on the part of the animation artists who made this movie possible! Today, we will take a look at this Christmas movie, what animation techniques were used in it, and how you, too, can create movies like it by training at the best animation institute in India. So, without any more delay, let’s get right into it!
The Nightmare Before Christmas: A Legend of Animation
The movie we are talking about is none other than the legendary animated movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. Released way back in 1993, the movie still holds a special place in the minds of those who watched it at the theatre.
While the movie has a pretty simple story, it is by no means a less powerful one. It bases itself on the Christmas spirit and the significance that Santa Claus has in the minds of the audience and creates an emotional difference between Halloween and Christmas, and in the end, breaks that difference, bringing Christmas to one and all!
Thus, when Christmas finally does come to Halloween town, the citizens of the town rejoice, and Jack Skellington finally finds what he is looking for. In many ways, it is the perfect Christmas story. All of them have a similar plot, where there is some crisis out of which the character emerges victorious just before Christmas arrives.
If you look at another Christmas movie, Home Alone, you will find a similar story and backdrop. However, what really does make The Nightmare before Christmas special, is that the entire movie was rendered using stop-motion animation technique! What’s that, you ask? Let’s find out!
What is Stop-Motion Animation and How Was It Used In The Movie?
Stop-motion animation is the oldest trick in the book to create animated movies. It is a form of 2D animation where figures, characters and sets are designed in miniature, after which little movements are made and a shot is taken. This process is repeated every time another little movement is introduced. By taking successive shots and then replaying them rapidly, the illusion of movement is created.
That is how the first animated movies were made, and it is also how the entire story of The Nightmare Before Christmas has been depicted. At the time, no one thought it was possible, but the capable and brilliant animation artists working at the studio made it possible. So much so that the movie still holds a special place in everyone who has ever watched it. If you wish to learn stop-motion animation and create 2D animation sequences yourself, join the top animation courses available at Moople Institute and you can easily do so!
How Did The Movie Innovate Stop-Motion Animation?
These are the ways in which The Nightmare Before Christmas expanded the potential of this 2D animation technique:
3D Figures and Characters
Even though the technique is used for 2D animation, the artists at the animation studio crafted the characters in 3D. They used high-resolution cameras to shoot the actions and movements, which made the final video shot more crisp and cutting-edge than conventional animated shots. It is why, despite using stop-motion animation, the audience never feels that they are watching a movie in 2D animation.
Higher Frames Per Shot
The production team also invested in more shots per frame, which helped to create a more cohesive and connected movement, unlike previous animated movies, where the movement felt jarring and hesitant. This is because there were lesser number of frames available per shot, which led to visual gaps between pictures which the viewer interprets as lousy picture quality.
Join Moople Institute for the Best 2D and 3D Animation Courses
If you wish to gift yourself something special this coming Christmas, why don’t you invest in the best animation and visual effects courses at Moople Institute of Animation and Design? We are a reputed animation training institute with specialized courses and experienced industry experts in our faculty list. If you wish to know the basics and advanced techniques of 2D and 3D animation, there is no one better than us for the job. Join us and give wings to your dreams today!