Creative Response

        My initial intention for the Creative Response was to use the research I had gathered for my essay, and produce two opposing female character designs, and possibly produce a sculpt showing how they would appear as stop motion figures. One character would conforms to the typical, beautified, 'objectifying' representation of women, and the other would attempt to subvert these conventions, without relying on other stereotypical representations. For example, the soft, cuddly matriarch, or a Disney style villainess.

        The latter would undoubtedly prove the greater challenge. While there are characters out there who break the desirable mould, they are far rarer. One of the main examples which I explored in my essay was Joanna Quinn's Beryl, who manages to be appealing despite not fitting societal norms of beauty. However, other animated women who rise above being a mere object of desire, such as those created by Candy Guard, can be more abstract in representation, allowing their words, behaviour and personality to do the majority of characterisation.

        Stop motion also provides some female characters that are not overwhelmingly beautiful, yet still appealing. Aardman has produced two such characters to serve as Wallace's love interests in A Close Shave and The Curse of the Wererabbit. Due to the house style, it would be odd if Wallace were seen alongside a Jessica Rabbit-esque siren, and both Wendolene and Lady Tottington are bound by the destinctive look established in A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers. Indeed Wendolene, Wallace's first love, seems to share his face shape, features, and body shape. In comparison, Lady Tottington is marginally more feminine, with a slimmer physique, face and added make up. However, the audience still acknowledges that they are intended to be beautiful in the context of their plasticine world.

        Courtney, Paranorman's sister, is an unusual example of stop motion character design. From her personality, and the way she confidently flirts, the audience understands she is meant to be attractive, yet her proportions are ridiculous. As with many of Laika's female characters, her torso is stick thin (as opposed to the multitudes of voluptuous women in animation) with a tiny waist, yet her hips are incredibly broad and rounded (a trait shared by Corpse Bride to a lesser degree), a parody of a pear shape which would be rejected in reality, yet is embraced in a puppet.

        Extreme exaggeration of the female form is common across all forms of animation, 2D and 3D, whether hourglass or apple. However, in the case of Courtney, I am of two minds whether her body is grotesque or beautiful. Yet when designing a stop motion character, the structure of an armature must play a significant role. Perhaps broader hips provide a more solid foundation, especially if a character has a larger bust.