This short stop-motion sequence was created for the Stop-motion 1 class offered at the Savannah College of Art and Design. During this course, I learned how to create a silicone puppet from start to finish, in addition to experimenting with set design and animation. For the project, I chose to do a sequence inspired by my years as a ballet dancer. I chose a fragment of a song from the ballet Coppélia, a play in which a human-sized doll comes to life. I created my own coreografy wanting to showcase one of the most iconic ballet moves, the fouettés.

Animatic

Motion Test

Porcelain Doll

Sculpt turn around

Finished puppet

The finished puppet is around 14 inches. The body is made out of silicon, and the head was cast in plastic and painted by hand. Eyes and eyebrows were sculpted by hand to allow for swap parts to be created to achieve different expressions.

The music box is created on top of a wooden base. The exterior was wrapped in EVA foam, which was then dremeld and decorated. The foam was then primed and painted by hand. The music box key is rigged, allowing it to be animated for the sequence.

Puppet Fabrication

Puppet Concept art