ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum

Before animation had cameras… it had spinning discs 🌀 One of the earliest breakthroughs came with the phenakistiscope, developed in 1832 by Joseph Plateau and Simon von Stampfer. The device used a rotating disc with a sequence of drawings and carefully placed slots. When spun and viewed in a mirror through those openings, the images merged into a smooth, continuous motion. It was one of the first tools to demonstrate how still images could create movement – long before film, cameras, or animation studios existed. Did you ever play with optical toys like this as a kid, and maybe was that your first step into animation without even realizing it? AnimationHistory • OpticalToys • Phenakistiscope • EarlyAnimation • PreCinema • MotionIllusion • HistoryOfFilm • VisualExperiments • AnimationOrigins • FrameByFrame

Who among us hasn’t struggled with this? From hobbyist creations to professional productions, costs are often a challenge. But that doesn’t mean the more expensive a production is, the more spectacular it becomes. Sometimes all it takes is a little… creativity 💁🏼‍♀️ creativity • creativeprocess • lowbudget • budgetart • independentartists • creativecommunity • makersgonnamake • artisticjourney • behindthescenes • creativeideas

Wonderful news for Lola and the Sound Piano! 🎹✨ The film has just received the Best Animation Short Award at the Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival, marking an incredible milestone: the 30th award for Augusto Zanovello’s film 👏 A special congratulations to Augusto Zanovello, who attended the festival in person, and to the entire team behind this beautiful story. We’re grateful to see Lola’s journey continue to resonate with audiences around the world 💛 🌟 The film was produced by Komadoli Studio, Folimage, Momakin, Nadasdy Film, in co-production with Wroclaw Feature Film Studio, EC1 Łódź - City of Culture, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, with the participation of RTS - Radio Télévision Suisse and France Télévisions. The film was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. International sales agent: Prime Entertainment Group. Distribution in Poland: Momakin.

Animation isn’t one job, it’s a whole world of roles! 🤝🏻At Momakin, we see it from many sides. We produce, distribute, educate, and connect artists with international projects. But at the heart of it all are people and their paths into animation 💫 Every journey looks different and it can start anytime, anywhere. Follow us to explore the many sides of animation and see where it can take you ❤️ AnimationIndustry • CreativeCareers • AnimationJobs • FilmIndustry • Storytelling • AnimationWorld • CreativePaths • Filmmaking • AnimationCommunity • Momakin

Animation didn’t start with big studios – it started with experiments, patience, and a camera ✏️ Today, we often see animation as a highly professional, large-scale industry, full of complex pipelines, teams of specialists, and advanced technology. But it all began with simple ideas and hands-on experimentation, often developed far from big studios. One of the earliest examples is Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906), created by J. Stuart Blackton. In this short film, chalk drawings come to life as faces appear, transform, and interact – achieved by drawing, erasing, and slightly changing the image between each photographed frame. It may look minimal today, but without these early, almost homemade experiments, animation as we know it wouldn’t exist. AnimationHistory • EarlyAnimation • JStuartBlackton • HumorousPhases • AnimationOrigins • FrameByFrame • ExperimentalAnimation • FilmHistory • PreCinema • HandmadeAnimation

Wonderful news for Lola and the Sound Piano! 🎹✨ We’re happy to share that the film has received the Elementary School Jury Award at the Ciné-Jeune de l’Aisne in France. The award was decided by a group of primary school students, who selected Lola’s story among several competing short films – a recognition that feels especially meaningful coming from young audiences. We’re grateful to see Lola continue to connect with audiences — especially the youngest viewers 💛 🌟 The film was produced by Komadoli Studio, Folimage, Momakin, Nadasdy Film, in co-production with Wroclaw Feature Film Studio, EC1 Łódź - City of Culture, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, with the participation of RTS - Radio Télévision Suisse and France Télévisions. The film was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. International sales agent: Prime Entertainment Group. Distribution in Poland: Momakin.

There are no animated worlds without the people who build them✨ At Momakin, we’re proud to be part of that process – from puppet creation to set supervision, helping bring stop-motion films to life frame by frame. In this reel, you can catch a glimpse of artists at work on both scenography and puppets – including ongoing work for Ro (prod. @animoonstudio ) and handcrafted environments built with incredible precision and care. We’re incredibly proud of the people we work with – both the artists building the sets and those crafting the puppets. Their skill, patience, and creativity are what make these worlds possible. We’ve contributed to internationally awarded productions like Lola and the Sound Piano, and we are currently co-producing Faun, the new feature by Augusto Zanovello, while supervising the creation of its scenography. We continue to connect artists with international productions – supporting the creation of puppets, sets, and entire miniature worlds. Follow us for more behind the scenes and get in touch if you’d like to collaborate 🎬🌍 StopMotion . PuppetCreation . SetDesign . Scenography . BehindTheScenes . AnimationProduction . FilmmakingProcess . StopMotionFilm . CreativeTeam . HandmadeAnimation

[PL⬇️] On this Easter, we extend warm wishes to all those celebrating – much joy, love, and hope! 🌷 To others, we wish peaceful and sunny days ahead. 🌞 Happy Holidays! 🌼 Momakin Team – Z okazji Wielkanocny wszystkim świętującym składamy serdeczne życzenia – dużo radości, miłości i nadziei! 🌷 Pozostałym życzymy spokojnych i słonecznych dni. 🌞 Wesołych Świąt! 🌼 Zespół Momakin

At Momakin, we also support puppet creation for stop-motion animation, helping bring characters to life frame by frame. In Poland, we’ve worked on puppets for internationally awarded films like Lola and the Sound Piano. In this reel, take a peek inside the workshop where the puppets for Ro (prod. @animoonstudio ) are coming to life at the moment 🎬✨ Currently, we are also co-producing Faun, the new feature by Augusto Zanovello, while supervising the creation of its unique scenography. Looking for support in creating puppets for your film? Let’s talk. Follow us for more behind the scenes 🎭 StopMotion . PuppetMaking . PuppetCreation . AnimationProduction . BehindTheScenes . StopMotionFilm . FilmProduction . AnimationIndustry . CreativeProcess . Filmmaking

One of the most unexpected breakthroughs in stop motion came from… a skeleton army ⚔️ In Jason and the Argonauts (1963), animator Ray Harryhausen created the iconic battle between live actors and seven animated skeletons – a scene that still holds up today. What made it groundbreaking was his technique called Dynamation, a complex process of combining live-action footage with stop-motion animation, frame by frame, using carefully masked film layers. The result? A seamless fight where actors react to creatures that didn’t exist – yet feel completely real. It took months to animate just a few minutes of footage… but it redefined what stop motion could do on screen 🌟

The film has just received the Audience Award in the 8–14 category at the New York International Children’s Film Festival. This marks the 28th award for Augusto Zanovello’s beautiful and heartfelt story – and we couldn’t be more grateful to the young audiences who connected with Lola’s journey. Thank you for your support and for continuing to share this story around the world! 🌟 The film was produced by Komadoli Studio, Folimage, Momakin, Nadasdy Film, in co-production with Wroclaw Feature Film Studio, EC1 Łódź - City of Culture, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, with the participation of RTS - Radio Télévision Suisse and France Télévisions. The film was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. International sales agent: Prime Entertainment Group. Distribution in Poland: Momakin.

The Academy Awards are always one of the biggest celebrations of cinema each year. Like many people in the animation community, we follow the results with curiosity to see which stories and techniques the Academy chooses to highlight. 🏆 Best Animated Short Film went to The Girl Who Cried Pearls – a haunting stop-motion piece built from beautifully crafted puppets and detailed miniature sets. The film tells a dark, fairy-tale-like story about a girl whose tears turn into pearls, proving once again how powerful and atmospheric handcrafted animation can be. And we were especially excited to see Polish-born Maciek Szczerbowski celebrated for his work! The Girl Who Cried Pearls was directed by Szczerbowski and Chris Lavis. 🏆 The Best Animated Feature award went to KPop Demon Hunters, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans – a high-energy story about a Korean girl group fighting supernatural forces, blending anime-inspired 2D aesthetics with stylized 3D animation. From intimate stop-motion storytelling to large-scale hybrid animation, this year’s winners show just how diverse the animation world has become. Which animated winner are you most excited about this year? 🎬