Stop Motion Production

Here is how this works in practice. We deliver stop motion production with crews who give the controlled, stable environment frame-by-frame animation demands: dedicated studio space, rigid camera and lighting set-ups, and frame-capture and motion control systems for precise incremental moves. Stop motion is exacting and time-intensive, with consistency across thousands of frames the central discipline, so our teams lock lighting, secure rigs, and run capture software that tracks each frame.

Here is the short of it. We work with animators on set construction, puppet rigging and the lighting that gives an animated world its look, and we handle the long-form scheduling stop motion needs. Iceland's distinctive landscapes feed the work as backdrop plates and as visual reference — the textures of lava, glacier ice and geothermal terrain translate well into animated worlds. The controlled studio environment also removes the country's weather as a variable from a production that could never be shot frame-by-frame outdoors. We run stop motion in Reykjavík studio space and bring in extra animation and capture pros from the UK and mainland Europe for larger projects.

Here is the breakdown. Iceland supports stop motion as a studio-based discipline complemented by an extraordinary natural environment. Reykjavík, the world's northernmost capital, anchors the studio base, and the country runs on close to 100 per cent renewable electricity from geothermal and hydroelectric power. This suits the steady, controlled power a long stop motion shoot needs. Beyond the studio, the country's landscapes — a subarctic island on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge of lava fields, glaciers and geothermal areas like Mývatn — give backdrop and reference material, and the country's deep well of Norse heritage, the medieval Sagas of Icelanders and the folklore of the huldufólk gives rich narrative source for animated storytelling.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. English is near-universally spoken and ATA carnets cover short-term gear import. Eligible Icelandic production spend can count toward the reimbursement of 25 per cent, rising to 35 per cent for qualifying larger projects and series meeting spend and length criteria, administered by Film in the country.