Mound, Allison Schulnik’s latest stop motion animation, is drop-dead stunning. She makes a world full of hobo clowns, dwarfs, and witches come to life in a way that everything pulses and melt with color. She has such a fine touch, I could just sit and watch her characters breathe. But fortunately, we get to see them dance, play, and morph all over each other.

SPONSOR

Here’s a clever, feel-good little animation made largely with Google Street View. It tells the story of a lonely desk toy who finds escape via a luminous desktop computer.

Remember the thrill you used to get watching the Count go thrugh his familiar routine every week on Sesame Street? The adrenalin rush that would build as he got closer and closer to the end? Well, this stop-motion remake of the classic Pinball Number 12 animation from Sesame Street will get the blood pumping again. Guaranteed.

Since the prolific Blu and his extraordinary animation projects started appearing on the Internet, slews of people worldwide have been trying their hand at stop-motion animation. This being the case, one may find it difficult to unearth something truly original.

This neat little video came out of nowhere and is a prime example of how wasting time can lead to very amusing and interesting viewing. Upon discovering that this was an advertisement for BPay, I do feel like I’ve been deceived. But hey, that’s advertising for you.

If you’ve never seen the work of Molly Crabapple, you’re in for a treat. The New York art sensation of Dr. Sketchy Anti-Art School fame has joined forces with world-renowned musician Kim Boekbinder and animator Jim Batt to create a most sensational paper-puppet short stop-motion film, made completely by hand.

I Have Your Heart is an entire paper cut-out world of staggering detail, telling the story of a rich girl with a bad heart, and the boy who died to give her his. And they need our help to raise money for production of the animation. Check out the website and Kickstarter project to see the trailer and to help make this happen.

SPONSOR

We love this dope stop-motion animated video for the new Neon Indian song, 6669 (I Don’t Know If You Know).

I’m about to spend a week or so on the reefs of Oahu, so maybe I’m over-excited. But surfers and artists alike will find amusement and maybe some inspiration in this stop-motion film telling the story of surf trips and waves in a plastic world.

At times floating out of the ether with the familiarity of forgotten Sunday mornings-while at others pounding out textured, thumping pop, the sound of experimental pop trio Sonoi might be difficult to describe, but that’s what makes it so appealing. This whimsical stop-motion animation video for album track, Red Ants, was directed by Via Nuon.

This awesome stop-motion animation made for the song Grindin’ by the Amsterdam-based electro group, Nobody Beats The Drum, features 4,085 photos and was patiently created in one room with more than 400 wooden blocks.

SPONSOR

Presented only with stills from Italian artist Andreco’s stop-motion animation Fake Religion, I was really loving it, purely based on its stark, surreal imagery. I was pretty disappointed not being able to locate the actual video, but that aside, I simply adored the images. I really would have loved to have seen the video presented in the breathtaking setting of the Palazzo Re Enzo in Bologna. Such a beautiful contrast of aesthetics between the dramatic murals and vaulted ceilings of the Palazzo and the stark graphic imagery of Andreco’s animation.

This stop-motion animation by Tomas Mankovsky was done with a still camera suspended from the ceiling. The making-of video is pretty interesting too.

This is one of the most amazing short films I’ve seen on Youtube, or anywhere for that matter. Apparently everything has been done before, but the innovative and creative ways stop-motion animation is applied in this clip is totally unique. It’s hilarious and fun, and it proves that there’s no substitute for hard work. Some thirteen hundred photographs were used to create this animation, and to do it so well there just isn’t any shortcuts. Each picture had to be snapped, placed and photographed again. It would’ve taken forever.

Written and directed by Australian, Adam Elliot, the Mary and Max stop-motion animation is his follow-up to the Oscar winning 2003 short, Harvie Krumpet. He’s a man dedicated to his art, with each scene individually shot using real figurines. It took him ages to create, and while the sombre storyline is directed squarely at adults, it’s an enriching, gripping and beautifully told meditation of a film that you simply must see. A momentous artistic achievement that’s also a great yarn.

SPONSOR

Sean Pecknold’s stop-motion animations don’t necessarily wow with technical prowess or mind-bending special effects, but they’re elegant and gorgeously atmospheric.

This non-official video for Parisian electronics and drums duo Zombie Zombie is a remake of John Carpenter’s The Thing. Directors Simon Gisrel and Xavier Ehretsmann manage to retain the creepiness of the original using only stop-motion animated GI Joe figures. Pretty rad.

If slapstick, violence and sex get you off, you’re going to love this. It’s not so much a social critique as social terrorism, with every viewpoint and ideology attacked. Highlights are plentiful and spoofs of old cartoon series’, like He-Man, the Smurfs and Voltron, are standouts. Also watch for when Saved by the Bell is combined with Jigsaw from the Saw movie series. Forget plot, recurring characters and political correctness, this is sketch comedy starring plasticine figures and stop-motion photography, so anything goes, including sex, murder and suicide. Each ten-minute episode covers extensive ground, keeping the laugh quotient high and making this ideal viewing while devouring a burger or kebab after a big night out.