13 Killer Stop Mo Flicks - Part 04: Great Adaptation 'Coraline'
How did one stop motion studio respond to the threat of computer tech? And what opportunities did they see that helped establish their studio as a world-class industry leader? Inspired by the spooky season and conversations on LinkedIn with other film and animation professionals, I've been reflecting on feature-length stop motion films made in the 21st century that sit in the horror genre, which might offer insights into how studios could thrive in our brave new world... And why stop motion animation - like the archetypal killer in a slasher flick - keeps rising back up to entertain us again and again.
Released in 2009, 'Coraline' is a full-length stop motion feature that tells the story of an adventurous girl who finds?a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home behind a secret door. But this new world holds some sinister secrets...
Stop motion you say... Is it really horror?
Yes! We're back to that impossible sub genre again, 'children's horror' as touched on in Part Two of this series. 'Coraline' is undoubtedly and unashamedly horror-centric, combining complex themes and dark imagery, based on a novel by Neil Gaiman. It is most suitable for older children.
OK, how was it financed?
IMDb cites?three production companies in collaboration: Focus Features (presents), Pandemonium (in association with) and new kid on the block, Laika Entertainment. You see, this isn't just a story about an adventurous young girl, but it's also a story of an equally adventurous young man and his father. Founded in 2005, LAIKA came into being when Phil Knight (former CEO of Nike, Inc.) acquired Vinton Studios, founding the new studio with Will Vinton and his son Travis Knight. However, despite the team's credentials and capital, finding production partners for 'Coraline' proved less than straight-forward:
“People didn’t gravitate toward us when we were trying to find partners. The film was weird, stop-motion was this odd thing, and we were an unknown quantity, a bunch of clod-hopping rubes up in Oregon. It’s difficult to convince people that something new and innovative can bear fruit.”
Despite this, 'Coraline' went into production and was released in 2009 to widespread acclaim from critics, grossing $185,768,322 worldwide (IMDb.)
What impact did it have?
I think the impact of Coraline is two-fold:
First, there's its impact in terms of the careful integration of new technologies, which put LAIKA firmly on the front row as an innovator in tech.?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the production house was the first to use 3D printing in stop motion movies for the rapid prototyping of face replacements, leading not only to a brand new, exciting approach stop motion production, but to?LAIKA’s Brian McLean and Martin Meunier receiving the Academy Award’s Scientific and Engineering Award in 2016.
?“We wondered if we could harness the power of the computer and this new, emerging 3D printing technology to take replacement animation and allow it to do more with more facial options... (but) keep that authentic, handmade look — not make it look too ‘computery.’ That was a big deal.”
Then there's its impact in terms of narrative innovation.??Being astute enough to realise that the usual formulaic fodder in the family film?entertainment market wasn't cutting it with audiences and that there was demand for something different.? Then being brave enough to onboard risk and bring a darker, more complex story to family audiences from the pen of a relatively unknown author, Neil Gaiman. With regards to Coraline's 2023 re-release, journalist Seb Flatau wrote:
"Coraline’s success shows that audiences are clamouring for well-made, sophisticated family films. It’s easy to explain the failure of 'Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken' by pointing to its lack of association with established properties, it’s rather more daunting for a studio to concede that the film failed because it lacks the craftsmanship and care of Coraline."
Sounds like a scream. Where can I watch?
'Coraline' is available to stream in the UK on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Sky. It is also screening at selected cinemas as part of the Coraline 15th Anniversary.
13 Killer Stop-Mo Flicks" is a series of short articles published in the run up to Halloween 2024 that look at 13 stop motion feature-length films made in the 21st century - how they were financed, what impact they had, and why I think, despite all odds, stop motion will keep coming back to thrill audiences.