Techniques and Formats:

Timelapse: The benefits of using Timelapse are that the resolution of the image looks extremely clear and picks up extremely minute and small details of whatever it is that is being filmed. The drawbacks of using timelapse is that because the resolution of the image being used on timelapse is so clear, it means that more data is taken up because of it, which means that more footage has to be deleted in order for new footage to be filmed.

Plastescine: The benefits of using plasticine are that it can give off an extremely vivid and unique look and since the technology surrounding plasticine stop motion animation has developed so much, a lot can be accomplished using it. However, the drawbacks to using plasticine are that it does take a lot of time to get right, and if not edited correctly, footage using plasticine could come out extremely choppy. Making plasticine models can also be extremely time consuming as it takes a lot of time for a model to be realistic and lifelike. 

Claymation: The benefits of using claymation are that clay models can be relatively easy to make and can be moved to the desired position extremely easily without any major problems. The drawbacks to using claymation however are that the models may still look extremely unrealistic and the lighting/heat from light equipment may dry the models out, making them much harder to work with. Some prominent examples of Claymation include Morph, as well as many Aardman productions including Wallace and Gromit and their latest offering Early Man (2018). 

Found Objects: The benefits of using found objects are that they can create a unique and striking object from the simplest items, such as kitchen cutlery or old mechanical equipment. The drawback to using found objects however are that they can be extremely time consuming to produce which may be difficult when they need to be used in a small amount of time.

Cut out: The benefits of using cut out are that they can give off a unique and striking look using very little material. TV shows such as South Park have achieved very striking and iconic images with very little material. However, like found objects this approach can be extremely time consuming and takes a lot of patience, as it can be hard to get right. South Park is an example of a cut out animation that has achieved worldwide success, showing that cut out animation cut be an extremely popular method of animation in order to create tv shows and other forms of media.  

Puppetry: The benefits of puppetry are that the variation in which puppets can be made is extremely large, ranging from classic (Punch and Judy) to more disturbing and surreal (Spitting Image). The downsides to Puppetry are that they can be time consuming to make and operate, which means there needs to be lots of time spent learning how to operate them. A TV show like Spitting Image is an example of a TV show that has achieved moderate popularity through its use of puppetry. 

Human Stop Motion: The benefits of human stop motion are that a unique and wacky look can be made from using it, which can make this technique stand out among other similar techniques. The downsides to it are that it needs to be edited extremely well otherwise, it may look messy and choppy when finished, and not have the original effect it was originally intended to have. An example of Human Stop Motion Animation would be the music video for Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" (1986), which was extremely progressive and almost unheard of for it's time.

TV: An example of a TV show that uses stop motion animation is Creature Comforts, and this TV show in particular really is ground-breaking for the time it was made. The reason why Creature Comforts is considered so groundbreaking in terms of its style and execution is because it marked a cultural shift in the way advertising was used in UK Television. It showed a shift from the consumerism and egotism of the 1980s to what was deemed a more sensitive and caring approach in the early 1990s and Creature Comforts has always been considered a prime example of this phenomena. It's use of humour is also to be noted as well, mixing surreal and bizarre events with mundane characters to create extremely amusing results, and it is here were Park's work takes a different turn and caters not only to a young audience but also an adult audience as well.

Websites: An example of a website that uses stop motion animation is Aardman.com, and since Aardman is a company that specialise in stop motion animation, their website explains a lot about their company and how they operate. It also explains a lot of the processes of stop motion that go into their films and how the creative process works. It’s use of colourful animation shows that it is aimed at children.

Computer Games: An example of a video game would be Nintendo’s “Donkey Kong.” Released in 1981, the video game was and remains extremely ground-breaking to this day, partly because it used animation in video games in a way that was extremely ground-breaking and unheard of for the time, the other most famous animation is video games up to that point being the rather primitive Pong 1972). The video game used fully animated characters that the player could control fully, and for this very reason it remains a turning point in animation in video games history. Many games that are being made even today are influenced by it, so it’s importance and influence cannot be ignored. It’s colourful and vivid nature meant that it was targeted towards a teenage audience.

Music Videos: An example of a music video would be Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”, released in April 1986. The reason this particular music video works so well and is so effective was because at the time nothing like this had been done before. While there were certain early stop motion animation films, nothing like this had been done before in the form of a music video, and for the year 1986, it is really quite groundbreaking to see something this advanced being accomplished so early on in the life of Stop Motion Animation. The audience for the music video would have been Peter Gabriel fans, so around the age of early 30s to early 40s, and the reason this video works so well for that particular audience is because at that time that audience would not have seen anything like this before, and this video in particular really showed the power of stop motion animation and what it could do.

Advertising: An example of advertising would be the Npower “Insheepulation” advert, made for Npower by Aardman. The audience of this advert is the British Public, and the reason it works so well is because Npower have used 2 characters (Wallace and Gromit) who are so ingrained in British Culture that it makes them so utterly recognisable. The company who produced the advert, Aardman, also play a big role in the reason why the advert is so effective, again being so highly regarded in British Popular Culture that makes them so recognisable. The swift and fast moving pace of the advert is also extremely important to note, as it is here where the advert itself succeeds. The advert is advertising gas and water, which under the circumstances could normally make for quite a boring advert, but here due to the wacky nature of the advert and the fast pace, it works really well here, and certainly grabs it’s intended audience’s attention.

Uses and Audiences:

Feature Film: An example of a feature film would be Early Man (Nick Park, 2018), it’s audience being small children. The reason why Early Man caters to this specific demographic is because, like Aardman’s other work, it’s animation style is extremely wacky and unique, which will make it stand out from other different types of animation and make it appeal more to younger audience. The look of the film is also extremely important in this area as well. The film itself is extremely colourful and vibrant, using a lot of vivid imagery throughout (a trademark of Aardman as a company and recognisable throughout their other work including Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and Creature Comforts. The reason this look is adopted for the film is because it not only helps to make the film come to life in, but also makes it interesting for its target audience to look at and keep their attention. The run time of the film is also important to note as well. The film is only 86 minutes long, which is quite short for a feature film, but it does this so that the film itself does not feel too overlong or drawn out.