Pixilation is a

stop motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

technique in which live actors are used as a frame-by-frame subject in an

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

film, by repeatedly posing while one or more frame is taken and changing pose slightly before the next frame or frames. The actor becomes a kind of living stop-motion

puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to move ...

. This technique is often used as a way to blend live actors with animated ones in a movie, such as in '' The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb'' by the Bolex Brothers. Julienne Mathieu having her hair brushed

Julienne Mathieu having her hair brushed

Early examples of this technique are '' Hôtel électrique'' from 1908 and

Émile Cohl Émile Eugène Jean Louis Cohl (; né Courtet; 4 January 1857 – 20 January 1938) was a French caricaturist of the largely forgotten Incoherent Movement, cartoonist, and animator, called "The Father of the Animated Cartoon" and "The Oldest Pa ...

's 1911 movie ''Jobard ne peut pas voir les femmes travailler'' (''Jobard cannot see the women working''). The term is widely credited to Grant Munro (although some say it was

Norman McLaren William Norman McLaren, LL. D. (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish Canadian animator, director and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).Rosenthal, Alan. ''The new documentary in action: a caseb ...

) and he made an experimental movie named "Pixillation", available in his DVD collection "Cut Up – The Films of Grant Munro."

Films

's Oscar-winner ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...

'', '' A Chairy Tale'' (1957) and ''Two Bagatelles'' *

Chuck Menville Chuck Menville (April 17, 1940 – June 15, 1992) was an American animator and writer for television. His credits included '' Batman: The Animated Series'', '' Land of the Lost'', '' The Real Ghostbusters'', ''The Smurfs'', '' Star Trek: The An ...

and

Len Janson Len Janson is an American writer and director whose career in animated cartoons and live-action motion pictures spanned several decades beginning in the 1960s. He began work as an in-betweener at the Walt Disney cartoon studio. By 1965 he had becom ...

's trilogy of pixilated short films '' Stop Look and Listen'' – 1967, '' Blaze Glory'' (1968) and '' Sergeant Swell of the Mounties'' (1972), along with their sequence in ''

Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies ''Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies'' is a 1972 animated one-hour TV-movie (with a live-action segment near the end) that was aired on December 16 as an episode of the anthology series '' The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie''. In this ...

'' (1972) *

Mike Jittlov Mike Jittlov (born June 8, 1948) is an American animator and the creator of short films and one feature-length film using forms of special effects animation, including stop-motion animation, rotoscoping, and pixilation. He is best known for the 1 ...

's short '' The Wizard of Speed and Time'' (1979). Jittlov made a feature film with many pixilation sequences, also titled ''The Wizard of Speed and Time'' (1989), based on the making of the original short. * '' Monsieur Pointu'' (1975) *

Jan Kounen Jan Kounen (born Jan Coenen; 2 May 1964) is a Netherlands-born French film director and producer. In France, he is mostly known for his films '' Dobermann'' (1997), '' Blueberry, l'experience secrete'' (2004) and ''99 francs'' (2007). Outside ...

's Gisele Kerozene (1989) * '' Tetsuo: The Iron Man'' (1989) * Numerous Jan Švankmajer movies, but most notably ''

Food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is in ...

'' (1992) and large sections of ''

Conspirators of Pleasure ''Conspirators of Pleasure'' ( cs, Spiklenci slasti) is a 1996 black comedy film by Jan Švankmajer. His third feature film after '' Alice'' and ''Faust'', it was nominated for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival. Plot ...

'' (1996). * Bolex Brothers' '' The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb'' (1993) *

Michael Langan Michael Langan (born Providence, RI 1984) is an American film director. He grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, where he began his artistic career as a professional stage actor, and is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design. Langan's films typical ...

's ''Doxology'' (2007) * Paul Cummings' and Tony Fiandaca's
Tony vs. Paul
' (2007) * '' Luminaris'' a short film by Juan Pablo Zaramella (2011) * ''Western Spaghetti'' and the Academy Award-nominated '' Fresh Guacamole'' (2012) by PES utilize pixilation. * Joe & Giles's ''Two Gentlemen of Honour'' (2012) * Jared Goldberg's ''Mister G Meets the Biker Babes'' (2012) * Michael Bartolomeo's short fantasy-horror film ''Washed'' (2019) prominently features pixilation in several of its scenes.

Television shows

* ''

Angry Kid ''Angry Kid'' is a British live-action/stop-motion adult animated comedy web series created, directed, written, and designed by Darren Walsh (who also provides the voice of the title character) and produced by Aardman Animations for Series 1 ...

'' * ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'' (''Milo Counting'', ''Ordering a Pizza'', ''George the Farmer'') * '' The Goodies'' * ''

Rex the Runt ''Rex the Runt'' is a British live-action stop-motion animated claymation pixilation adult comedy series, primarily consisting of a television show and two short films produced by Aardman Animations for BBC Bristol in association with EVA Ente ...

Music videos

* "All The Way To Heaven" by

Doug E. Fresh Doug E. Fresh (born September 17, 1966) is a Barbados-born American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer, also known as the "Human Beat Box". The pioneer of 20th-century American beatboxing, Fresh is able to accurately imitate drum machines an ...

and The Get Fresh Crew * "

And She Was "And She Was" is a song by the American band Talking Heads, from their 1985 album '' Little Creatures''. The song was written by David Byrne, who also provides the lead vocals. The song is musically notable for its unusual use of modulation. The ...

" by

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

* "Baby C'mon" by Stephen Malkmus * "

Be Near Me "Be Near Me" is a song by English new wave and synth-pop band ABC. It was released in April 1985 as the second single from their third studio album, '' How to Be a ... Zillionaire!'' It peaked at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart in 1985, and was ...

" by ABC * " Big Time" by

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

* " The Box" by Orbital * " Bridge to Your Heart" by Wax * "

Cold Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

" by

Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new ...

* " Consolation Prizes" by

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

* "

End Love "End Love" is a song by alternative rock band OK Go from the album '' Of the Blue Colour of the Sky''. The song's lyrics deal with the sorrowful period of time after the end of a relationship. The video for the song features the band performing o ...

" by OK Go * " The End of the World" by

The Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...

* "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" by

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...

* "Fix" by Jean-Paul De Roover * " The Hardest Button to Button" by

The White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums wit ...

* "

Heard 'Em Say "Heard 'Em Say" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his second studio album, ''Late Registration'' (2005). The song features a guest appearance from Adam Levine. It was produced by West with Jon Brion, the former of which served as a so ...

" by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

* " Hello Again" by

The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboard ...

* " Her Morning Elegance" by Oren Lavie * "

I Stay Away "I Stay Away" is a song from Alice in Chains' 1994 EP ''Jar of Flies'', and the second single from the album. This song marked the first time the band wrote with bassist Mike Inez. The single reached No. 10 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks ...

" by

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

* "In Your Arms" by

Kina Grannis Kina Kasuya Grannis (born August 4, 1985) is an American guitarist, singer and YouTuber. Grannis was the winner of the 2008 Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest, earning a recording contract with Interscope Records and having her music video ...

* "Is That It" by

Katrina & The Waves Katrina and the Waves were a British rock band widely known for the 1985 hit " Walking on Sunshine". They also won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Love Shine a Light". History Pre-history (1975–1980) The band's earliest inc ...

* "Lame Claim to Fame" by "Weird Al" Yankovic * "Last Dance" by George Clinton * "Les tartines" by Sttellla * "Long Gone" by Fat City Reprise * "Ma Che Discorsi" by

Daniele Silvestri Daniele Silvestri (born 18 August 1968) is an Italian singer-songwriter and musician. Career Silvestri debuted in 1994, releasing his eponymous album. The set received a Targa Tenco for Best Debut Album. In 1995, he competed in the Newcomers' S ...

* "

Now You See Her "Now You See Her, Now You Don't" is a song by Canadian group Crash Test Dummies and was the second promotional single from their 2010 album '' Oooh La La!''. As with most songs from the album, the song is based on an Optigan melody, with this ...

" by

Crash Test Dummies Crash Test Dummies are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts (vocals, guitar) and his distinctive bass-baritone voice. The band members have fluctuated over the years, but its best kno ...

* "

Paralyzed Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...

" by

The Used The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, that formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden S ...

* "

Point of No Return The point of no return (PNR or PONR) is the point beyond which one must continue on one's current course of action because turning back is dangerous, physically impossible or difficult, or prohibitively expensive. The point of no return can be a ...

" by

Nu Shooz Nu Shooz is an American R&B group fronted by husband-and-wife team of John Smith and Valerie Day, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Nu Shooz released four albums in the U.S. during the 1980s. Their third album, '' Poolside'', brought t ...

* " Rhythm of Love" by Yes * "

Road to Nowhere "Road to Nowhere" is a rock song written by David Byrne for the 1985 Talking Heads album ''Little Creatures''. It also appeared on '' Best of Talking Heads'', '' Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites'', the ''Once in a Lifetime'' box set and t ...

" by

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

* " Sex Machine" by

The Fat Boys The Fat Boys were an American hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York, who emerged in the early 1980s. The group was briefly known originally as the Disco 3, originally composed of Mark " Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Damon "Kool Rock-Ski" Wimbley, ...

* " Shopping Trolley" by Beth Orton * " Sledgehammer" by

* "

Strawberry Swing "Strawberry Swing" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. On 14 September 2009, it was released as the fourth and final single from the band's fourth studio album, '' Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'' (2008). The song was written b ...

" by

* " There There" by Radiohead * "

Time Won't Let Me Go "Time Won't Let Me Go" is a song by American alternative rock band The Bravery and is featured on their second album ''The Sun and the Moon (The Bravery album), The Sun and the Moon''. The song was also released as the first single (music), single ...

" by

The Bravery The Bravery is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2003. The band consists of lead vocalist Sam Endicott, guitarist Michael Zakarin, keyboardist John Conway, bassist Mike Hindert and drummer Anthony Burulcich. They are best know ...

* " Trombettiero" by Musica per Bambini * "

Vermilion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It i ...

" by Slipknot Quebec band Les Colocs and

Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...

used pixilation in many of their music videos. Of note, " Leave Me Alone" by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

utilises a variation on this technique by slowing down the frame rate of video and overlaying objects to achieve the distinctive pixilation look to great effect.

Others

The pixilation technique was also used for the opening of ''Claymation'',

Will Vinton William Gale Vinton (November 17, 1947 – October 4, 2018) was an American animator and filmmaker. Vinton was best known for his Claymation work, alongside creating iconic characters such as The California Raisins. He won an Oscar for his wor ...

's 1978, 17-minute documentary about his animation studio's production techniques, the first time the famous trademarked ''Claymation'' term was used, now a term synonymous with all

clay animation Clay animation or claymation, sometimes plasticine animation, is one of many forms of stop-motion animation. Each animated piece, either character or background, is "deformable"—made of a malleable substance, usually plasticine clay. Tra ...

.''Claymation Documentary Part 1'' (1978)
/ref> The

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

animator Jan Švankmajer uses pixilation in most of his work; most notably ''

''.

's ''Gisele Kerozene'' (1989), a short film that shows witches riding around a city on broomsticks, is another influential example of this technique. Pixilation is also used in Andrew Huang's short video ''Fluxis''. An effect similar to pixilation can be achieved by dropping occasional frames from a conventionally recorded movie. While obviously easier than the stop-frame technique, this does not achieve the same quality.

References

{{reflist

External links

* Watc
''A Chairy Tale''''Neighbours''
an
''Monsieur Pointu''
at the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

''Spin''
award-winning pixilation short film by Dustball and André Nguyen (4:13)
''Fuerte''
Malacate's pixilation music video by Sebastián Baptista (3:13)
''Paranoiaparadise''
some pixilation cut to house music (0:36)
''Leap Of Faith''
Voice of Apollo's pixilation music video by the band (5:41)
''Mirage''
surreal animated dance utilizing the pixilation technique by Joel Fletcher and Mark Danel, 1981 (4:49)
'The Hunter Pixilation Project'

''Two Gentlemen of Honour''
slapstick short film utilizing pixilation, 2012 (3:21)
''Giant Pencil Animation''
short video with pixilation of a woman drawing with an oversized pencil Animation techniques Stop motion