The Corpse Bride is a film created using stop motion
animation, a technique to make a physically manipulated object or persona
appear to move on its own. This is done using small individual movements, creating
the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence.
 |
| Victor Van Dort(Johnny Depp) & Corpse Bride(Helena Bonham Carter) |
The stunningly crafted puppets were created by one of the
world’s leading puppet making companies, Mackinnon & Sanders. With over 30
years of experience Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders’ talented team have been
privileged to bringing to life some of the best known animated characters, from
Bob the Builder to Fantastic Mr Fox. The talented team ensure that any
character produced is created to the highest of quality and to establish maximum
impact on screen. From concept maquettes, mould making and armatures to
costume, hair and paint, each piece is created with precision and attention to
detail.
The puppets are made from stainless steel armatures covered
with silicone skin and are around 25-28cm in height. Were fitted with heads that contained special gearing
that allowed the animators to manage individual parts of the puppets’ faces.
The three primary characters, Victor, Victoria and Emily, the Corpse Bride had
multiple identical puppets created, fourteen of Victor and Emily and thirteen
of Victoria, this allowed for the production went faster. In addition, the sets
for the film were built three to four feet off the ground, which included trap
doors that allowed the animators to access the sets’ surfaces to manage the
puppets.
Overall, the production is a visually exquisite animation
adorned with dismal dark tones in the above-living world, which greatly
contrasts with the uplifted colourful filled underworld. What is more the
intricately crafted puppets create visually interesting characters and attract
the eyes of the audience, but more importantly keeps puppet animation alive.
