Robert Morgan calls stop-motion “a form of necromancy” because it makes an inanimate object appear alive. For the director of Stopmotion, that illusion, combined with the medium’s uncanny look and intensely precise movement, helps explain why stop-motion and horror can feel like natural partners. He is describing an artistic effect—not a literal account of how animation works or a rule that every animator shares.
What does Morgan mean by “necromancy”?
In a February 23, 2024 interview with Neil Bolt for ComingSoon, Morgan described stop-motion as giving the appearance of life to something inanimate. “My theory, and this is the second point, is that it has something to do with the fact it’s an inanimate dead object that has the illusion of life,” he said. He then summed up that effect: “It’s like a form of necromancy.”
The word is a metaphor for the uncanny sensation of watching a puppet or other still object move as if it were alive. Morgan is not saying that the technique involves anything supernatural; he is explaining why the image can feel eerie. Read the ComingSoon interview with Robert Morgan.
Why does stop-motion suit horror?
An uncanny look
Morgan’s first explanation is visual: “I think it’s two things. The way it looks. It has an inherently uncanny vibe to it.” A puppet can resemble a living figure while remaining visibly an object, creating a tension between the familiar and the artificial that horror can exploit.
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- FULL HD 1080p native video capture. Built-in LED lights and a microphone with noise reduction. The camera’s manual focus lens is perfect for animating without constantly adjusting like an autofocus lens, keeping you in perfect control at all times.
- TAKE STOP MOTION ANIMATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL with the HUE HD Pro camera. The HUE HD Pro has a wider field of view than the smaller HUE HD camera and a focal range of 1cm to infinity, enabling animators to create even more detailed movies. (Maximum capture area: A3.)
- STOP MOTION ANIMATION tools included: easy-to-use stop motion software with sound effects (Windows and macOS), a 64-page full-color book of animation projects to teach techniques such as rotoscoping and time-lapse photography, and printable activities. Register your animation software code to install the premium desktop version of Stop Motion Studio for HUE, or download the free version of Stop Motion Studio for mobile devices to keep animating on the move.
- MULTI-PURPOSE for animation hobbyists, amateur animators and educators. When not being used to create stop motion movies, the HUE HD Pro camera is perfect for video conferencing, homeschooling, online tutoring, working from home, time-lapse, making instructional videos, animating, gaming and giving live demos. The flexible camera is compatible with native Windows, Chrome OS, macOS and Linux camera apps, and can be used as a document camera in a classroom with interactive TVs and smartboards.
- RECOMMENDED BY TEACHERS for animating the curriculum. Use it for school projects to show the water cycle, animate nursery songs, recreate historical events in engaging ways, and so much more.
Hyper-intense movement
He also points to the movement itself: “There’s this hyper-intensity to the movement.” In his account, the movement’s quality and the apparent life of an inanimate object work together to produce stop-motion’s unsettling effect. That is Morgan’s aesthetic perspective, not a claim that the medium has the same effect on every viewer.
What does puppetry add to the idea?
Morgan says that making a puppet can feel like “summoning” or “conjuring” a character. As the animator works, the figure may seem to suggest a personality and a wider world. He calls the process “a kind of weird sort of summoning when working with puppets.” This extends his metaphor beyond the finished movement: the character can seem to emerge through the act of making and animating it.
Rank #2
- Make ten mini movies with step-by- step instructions
- Ideas and inspiration for lighting, scenery, sound effects and camera work
- Official Lego guide to stop-motion animation
- Contains one 78-page book, 36 LEGO elements, backgrounds and animation frames
- Conforms to ASTM D 4236
How does the idea connect to Stopmotion?
Morgan made the remarks while discussing his film Stopmotion, not stop-motion in the abstract alone. The film follows Ella Blake, an animator whose work becomes entangled with her psychological distress after her overbearing mother dies. Shudder lists the 2024 English-language film at 94 minutes, directed by Morgan and starring Aisling Franciosi, Stella Gonet, Tom York, Caoilinn Springall and Therica Wilson-Read. See Shudder’s film listing.
The British Film Institute also identifies Morgan as director and credits Morgan and Robin King as screenwriters. Its listing names Shudder as the UK distributor and IFC Films as the North American distributor. See the BFI film entry.
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Where can you watch or own the film?
Shudder has a film page for Stopmotion, but the listing alone does not establish whether it is currently available in every country or under every subscription. Check the service in your region for current access.
A U.S. Blu-ray release is documented, but current price, stock and disc compatibility should be checked with the seller before buying. Blu-ray.com published a release report on April 1, 2024, and maintains a U.S. edition listing; neither establishes current retail conditions. Read the Blu-ray release report or check the U.S. edition details.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- FULL HD 1080p native video capture. Built-in LED lights and a microphone with noise reduction. The camera’s manual focus lens is perfect for animating without constantly adjusting like an autofocus lens, keeping you in perfect control at all times.
- TAKE STOP MOTION ANIMATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL with the HUE HD Pro camera. The HUE HD Pro has a wider field of view than the smaller HUE HD camera and a focal range of 1cm to infinity, enabling animators to create even more detailed movies. (Maximum capture area: A3.)
- STOP MOTION ANIMATION tools included: easy-to-use stop motion software with sound effects (Windows and macOS), a 64-page full-color book of animation projects to teach techniques such as rotoscoping and time-lapse photography, and printable activities. Register your animation software code to install the premium desktop version of Stop Motion Studio for HUE, or download the free version of Stop Motion Studio for mobile devices to keep animating on the move.
- MULTI-PURPOSE for animation hobbyists, amateur animators and educators. When not being used to create stop motion movies, the HUE HD Pro camera is perfect for video conferencing, homeschooling, online tutoring, working from home, time-lapse, making instructional videos, animating, gaming and giving live demos. The flexible camera is compatible with native Windows, Chrome OS, macOS and Linux camera apps, and can be used as a document camera in a classroom with interactive TVs and smartboards.
- RECOMMENDED BY TEACHERS for animating the curriculum. Use it for school projects to show the water cycle, animate nursery songs, recreate historical events in engaging ways, and so much more.
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