Stop-Motion Animation

I created a 3-minute stop-motion animation satire of the final shootout scene from the movie Unforgiven. This is my favorite movie, and I chose to pay tribute to it in a stop-motion format using plush toys to represent the characters. I attempted to maintain the dark theme and feel of the movie by keeping the scenes dark, using a similar pacing, and using thunderstorm and rain effects. I used whimsical plush characters and irreverent dialogue to create humor through the contrast between their silliness and the violence being depicted.

By doing this project, I learned the importance of camera angles and distance, sound to create mood, and engaging dialogue, but most importantly, timing. After watching it, I went back and re-shot several scenes to get the proper timing. For example, when William Meowny first enters the soda fountain, I had him start talking right away. But after rewatching the original movie, I noticed that there is a pause when he first appears, and thunder cracks, almost as if it is announcing him. I added that pause and the thunder to the scene, and it captured the original feeling much better.

I want the viewer, first and foremost, to laugh. I want them to experience the absurdity that I see lurking just under the surface of serious films.