A Stop Motion Gift from China

July 30, 2015

New York Film Academy Los Angeles animation students recently enjoyed a rare treat when visiting professor and stop motion artist Xian Wu gave a presentation of his amazing works, including clips from Professor Wu’s most recent animated feature film. In an event hosted by NYFA Chair of 3-D Animation and Visual Effects, Mark Sawicki, the first presentation displayed work involving a beautiful setting of a village and a train station. The incredible detail put into the models was magical. Models were created at many different scales, and animated with the utmost patience and care to yield a charming cinema experience. The film was shot at 12 frames per second, and took 5 years to complete.

wu animation

Next was a screening of the soon to be released animated feature that Professor Wu created. The characters were absolutely delightful, and had the audience cheering with pleasure. Professor Wu explained that the puppets had removable mouths attached with magnets to enable their expressions to change. The eyes had tiny holes in the middle of the pupil, allowing a small pin to be inserted to move the eyes to the proper position for each frame. The puppets were also able to stand on one foot by bolting the feet from underneath. For walking action, the little screw holes in the floor were filled in with colored clay to make the mounting trick invisible.

The students were touched at the end of the evening when Professor Wu presented NYFA with an original stop motion puppet used in the film. This priceless animation art piece is now on display at the school for all to see. In gratitude, Mark Sawicki gave Professor Wu a signed copy of his stop motion book, “Animating with Stop Motion Pro,” published by Focal Press.
puppet gift
Mr. Wu’s gift to NYFA

The event was a wonderful exchange of cultures in the field of animation that we are confident will continue in the years ahead.  Thank you so much, Professor Wu, for an unforgettable experience and your gift of an amazing piece of animation art.