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The Art (and Science) of Stop-Motion Animation | Brian McLean | TED

You’re invited into the world of stop-motion animation, where design and engineering collide to create fan-favorite films. Visual effects artist Brian McLean (from the Oscar-winning studio behind “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”) explores how 3D printing is revolutionizing this century-old craft, showing how creative obsession paired with cutting-edge technology can reinvent the way we make things. (Recorded…

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You’re invited into the world of stop-motion animation, where design and engineering collide to create fan-favorite films. Visual effects artist Brian McLean (from the Oscar-winning studio behind “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”) explores how 3D printing is revolutionizing this century-old craft, showing how creative obsession paired with cutting-edge technology can reinvent the way we make things. (Recorded at TEDxPortland on April 26, 2025)

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31 Comments

31 Comments

  1. @takielddine9901

    February 15, 2026 at 11:04 am

    Thanks

  2. @AndogaSpock

    February 15, 2026 at 11:05 am

    Future of stop motion? Its AI

    • @Ashortdude1

      February 15, 2026 at 11:28 am

      By definition stop-motion requires physical object manipulation. Though it’s use can be done in assisting in its process, there will always be a human aspect to the art.

    • @AndogaSpock

      February 15, 2026 at 11:58 am

      ​​@Ashortdude1I was saying the art form wont be left because of AI. It will go the way of 2D animation. Although people would see it, studios are not making one, like no plans, AT ALL!!!!

    • @Donar23

      February 15, 2026 at 12:41 pm

      You could’ve said that about 3D Animation, but Laika still makes stop motion movies, because they’re passionate about it. If you do something cheaper, the final product will also feel cheaper, and for a child it might not matter that much, but for someone who cares about the art, it’s huge. Stop motion will stay alive as long as people care about it. AI will be able to make content, but not art.

    • @n.chabot1217

      February 15, 2026 at 1:13 pm

      @AndogaSpock 2D animation hasn’t gone away either though.

    • @AndogaSpock

      February 15, 2026 at 1:14 pm

      ​@Donar23future of 3d animation also same.

  3. @williamnelson5549

    February 15, 2026 at 11:18 am

    Stop motion has always been incredible to me since I was a kid. I’m so glad you did a ted expo on stop motion!

  4. @Destelloselvatico

    February 15, 2026 at 11:29 am

    This made me cry 🥺❤

  5. @doubleuenbeeeh

    February 15, 2026 at 11:30 am

    Weird delete and reupload

    • @rmb206

      February 15, 2026 at 9:07 pm

      ?

  6. @GoAsad

    February 15, 2026 at 11:38 am

    বাংলাদেশ থেকে কে কে দেখছেন 🤙

  7. @sealiondaydream

    February 15, 2026 at 11:46 am

    I love Laika Studios & appreciate the wisdom shared in this talk, but many independent animators like myself have no access to tools like 3D printing. I’ve been applying these animation principles to something I call Screenshot Stop-Motion, where every day I’ve taken hundreds to thousands of screenshots & linked them together to create motion. I do this to document my art creation/media consumption & have posted an animation synced up to original music almost every day for over 5 years. Last year between my laptop, the photos I took on my phone, & the screenshots I took while playing Nintendo Switch I took over 1,000,000 pictures. Admittedly I do not condone these obsessive actions, but I would like to emphasize the ease and accessibility of this Screenshot Stop-Motion method! You don’t need a studio with 3D printing to be an animator, although I love the way technology continually pushes the boundaries of animation. Good talk(=

    • @yarrrno

      February 16, 2026 at 5:29 am

      What are you on about? Decent 3d printer is around 300$

    • @Chezley1

      February 16, 2026 at 6:46 am

      @yarrrno Do you realise how much money that is? Not to mention finding space for one

    • @yarrrno

      February 16, 2026 at 11:21 am

      ​@Chezley1I don’t know everything is relative but over here it’s about half of one month’s rent for a one room apartment

    • @yarrrno

      February 16, 2026 at 11:23 am

      ​@Chezley1Size is around 60cm x 60cm, fits on any table

  8. @havocthehobbit

    February 15, 2026 at 1:01 pm

    Show and tell beats just tell , any day

  9. @thetogtube2

    February 15, 2026 at 5:30 pm

    What a glimpse into a moment in time of the creative process. I sure am glad I got to see it all before Ai slop takes over.

  10. @cholulalol1070

    February 15, 2026 at 9:30 pm

    Be there or be square

  11. @JAli-gy4wj

    February 15, 2026 at 10:11 pm

    We should not completely dependent on ai but it is also essential that we use technology to create better physical artwork👍 besides, it’s great that voxels can also be used for medical purposes.

  12. @JoshFryer

    February 15, 2026 at 10:30 pm

    One of the coolest TTs I’ve ever seen. 10/10! (Laika nerd too, so I’m a little bias.)

  13. @renegroulx7029

    February 15, 2026 at 10:37 pm

    40 hours for 4 seconds? image-to-video with any image-generation app though?

    • @darrenbell71

      February 16, 2026 at 5:47 pm

      No

    • @ducksarecooi

      February 17, 2026 at 6:35 am

      I’d much rather watch something with effort and passion put into it than just ‘Hey ChatGPT generate me a video in a stopmotion style’

  14. @kk-xj5oz

    February 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm

    Very cool this is what ted should promote

  15. @ObilloFitz

    February 16, 2026 at 7:55 am

    Charming!!!

  16. @RadNaxx

    February 16, 2026 at 7:12 pm

    Ted!!
    Why didn’t you show how fast he was running in the demonstration?
    Idiotic fail for all watching the recorded version.

  17. @MussakhanovaMadina

    February 17, 2026 at 3:18 am

    I that think so it’s amazing 🤩

  18. @Genel_ARGE_V1

    February 17, 2026 at 2:39 pm

    12:52 He is right: stop motion, in this age, is like trying to move forward with rectangular wheels.🕛🕐🕑🕒🕞🕠🕖🕗🕘🕙🕛⏳⌛(But haven’t they realized that the age has changed?)

  19. @NGC-catseye

    February 18, 2026 at 8:05 pm

    They are 3D printing houses now. Soon they will be doing this on the moon.

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