Pixilation

2025-10-10T11:38:52Z

2001:8003:2448:BF01:894D:13A2:C87:D7B0:

{{Short description|Type of animation using live-actors}}
{{about|the stop-motion film technique|the graphics effect induced by enlarging a bitmap|Pixelation|the image-editing technique of displaying part of an image at low resolution|Pixelization}}{{More citations needed|date=September 2024}}{{Primary sources|date=September 2024}}
'''Pixilation''' is a [[stop-motion]] technique in which live actors are used as a frame-by-frame subject in an [[animation|animated]] film, by repeatedly posing while one or more [[Frame (film)|frame]] is taken and changing pose slightly before the next frame or frames.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} This technique is often used as a way to blend live-actors with animated ones in a movie.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
[[File:Julienne Mathieu having her hair brushed.gif|thumb|250px|In ''[[Hôtel électrique]]'' (1908), [[Julienne Mathieu|Julienne Mathieu's]] hair appears to brush itself, one of the first uses of stop-motion animation in film.]]
Early examples of this technique are included in [[Segundo de Chomón]]'s ''Cuisine magnétique''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crafton |first=Donald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rJUkCgAAQBAJ&dq=%22the+hand+of+the+artist%22+booth+animation&pg=PA25 |title=Before Mickey: The Animated Film 1898–1928 |date=2015-04-01 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-23102-0 |language=en}}</ref> and ''[[El hotel eléctrico|Hôtel électrique]]'', both from 1908, and [[Émile Cohl]]'s 1911 movie ''Jobard ne peut pas voir les femmes travailler'' (''Jobard cannot see the women working'').{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The term is widely credited to [[Grant Munro (filmmaker)|Grant Munro]] (although some say it was [[Norman McLaren]]) and he made an experimental movie named "Pixillation", available in his DVD collection "Cut Up – The Films of Grant Munro."<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/grant-munro Grant Munro]</ref>

==Films==
* [[Norman McLaren]]'s Oscar-winner ''[[Neighbours (1952 film)|Neighbours]]'', ''[[A Chairy Tale]]'' (1957) and ''Two Bagatelles''
* [[Chuck Menville]] and [[Len Janson]]'s trilogy of pixilated short films ''[[Stop Look and Listen (film)|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]]'' (1972)
* [[Mike Jittlov]]'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 (film)|Monsieur Pointu]]'' (1975)
* [[Jan Kounen]]'s Gisele Kerozene (1989)
* ''[[Tetsuo: The Iron Man]]'' (1989)
* [[Bolex Brothers]]' ''[[The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb]]'' (1993)
* Numerous [[Jan Švankmajer]] movies, but most notably ''[[Food (film)|Food]]'' (1992) and large sections of ''[[Conspirators of Pleasure]]'' (1996).
* [[Michael Langan]]'s ''Doxology'' (2007)
* ''[[Luminaris]]'', a short film by Juan Pablo Zaramella (2011)
* ''Western Spaghetti'' and the Academy Award-nominated ''[[Fresh Guacamole]]'' (2012) by [[PES (director)|PES]] utilize pixilation.
* Glenn Barit's ''[[Cleaners (2019 film)|Cleaners]]'' (2019) utilize pixilation in [[black-and-white]] with intrusion of colour through clothing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Damar |first=Paskalis |date=2020-12-03 |title=Review: Cleaners (2019) by Glenn Barit |url=https://sinekdoks.com/blog/2020/12/03/review-cleaners-2019/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=SINEKDOKS |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Television shows==
* ''[[Angry Kid]]''
* ''[[Sesame Street]]'' (''Milo Counting'', ''Ordering a Pizza'', ''George the Farmer'')
* ''[[The Goodies (TV series)|The Goodies]]''
* ''[[Rex the Runt]]''
* [[The Flash (1990 TV series)|''The Flash'' (1990 TV series)]]

==Music videos==
* "All the Way to Heaven" by [[Doug E. Fresh]] and The Get Fresh Crew
* "[[And She Was]]" by [[Talking Heads (band)|Talking Heads]]
* "Baby C'mon" by [[Stephen Malkmus]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLwrx2x7q9I ''"Baby C'mon"''] 2005 music video by Stephen Malkmus</ref>
* "[[Be Near Me]]" by [[ABC (band)|ABC]]
* "[[Big Time (Peter Gabriel song)|Big Time]]" by [[Peter Gabriel]]
* "[[The Box (Orbital song)|The Box]]" by [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]]
* "[[Bridge to Your Heart]]" by Wax
* "[[Cold (Tears for Fears song)|Cold]]" by [[Tears for Fears]]
* "[[Consolation Prizes]]" by [[Phoenix (French band)|Phoenix]]
* "[[End Love]]" by [[OK Go]]
* "[[The End of the World (The Cure song)|The End of the World]]" by [[The Cure]]
* "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" by [[Coldplay]]
* "Fix" by Jean-Paul De Roover
* "[[The Hardest Button to Button]]" by [[The White Stripes]]
* "[[Heard 'Em Say]]" by [[Kanye West]]
* "[[Hello Again (The Cars song)|Hello Again]]" by [[The Cars]]
* "[[Her Morning Elegance]]" by [[Oren Lavie]]
* "[[I Stay Away]]" by [[Alice in Chains]]
* "In Your Arms" by [[Kina Grannis]]
* "Is That It" by [[Katrina & The Waves]]
* "Lame Claim to Fame" by [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]
* "Last Dance" by [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]]
* "Les Tartines" by [[Sttellla]]
* "Long Gone" by [[Fat City Reprise]]
* "Ma Che Discorsi" by [[Daniele Silvestri]]
* "[[Now You See Her]]" by [[Crash Test Dummies]]
* "[[Paralyzed (The Used song)|Paralyzed]]" by [[The Used]]
* "[[Point of No Return (Nu Shooz song)|Point of No Return]]" by [[Nu Shooz]]
* "[[Rhythm of Love (Yes song)|Rhythm of Love]]" by [[Yes (band)|Yes]]
* "[[Road to Nowhere]]" by [[Talking Heads]]
* "[[Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine#Covers|Sex Machine]]" by [[The Fat Boys]]
* "[[Shopping Trolley]]" by [[Beth Orton]]
* "[[Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel song)|Sledgehammer]]" by [[Peter Gabriel]]
* "[[Strawberry Swing]]" by [[Coldplay]]
* "[[There There (song)|There There]]" by [[Radiohead]]
* "[[Time Won't Let Me Go]]" by [[The Bravery]]
* "[[Vermilion (song)|Vermilion]]" by [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]]

Quebec band [[Les Colocs]] and [[Michel Gondry]] used pixilation in many of their music videos.

Of note, "[[Leave Me Alone (Michael Jackson song)|Leave Me Alone]]" by [[Michael Jackson]] 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]]'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]].<ref>[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hAFSu8rUiHI ''Claymation Documentary Part 1'' (1978)]</ref>

The [[Czech Republic|Czech]] animator [[Jan Švankmajer]] uses pixilation in most of his work; most notably ''[[Food (film)|Food]]''.

[[Jan Kounen]]'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 (musician)|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-motion technique, this does not achieve the same quality.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* Watch [http://www.nfb.ca/film/a_Chairy_tale/ ''A Chairy Tale''], [http://www.nfb.ca/film/Neighbours_Voisins/ ''Neighbours''], and [http://www.nfb.ca/film/monsieur_pointu_en/ ''Monsieur Pointu''] at the [[National Film Board of Canada]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbMnOrq50iA ''Spin''] award-winning pixilation short film by Dustball and André Nguyen (4:13)
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXALzTinIHE ''Fuerte''] Malacate's pixilation music video by Sebastián Baptista (3:13)
* [http://www.paranoiaparadise.com ''Paranoiaparadise''] some pixilation cut to house music (0:36)
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd0nQE_nw20 ''Leap Of Faith''] Voice of Apollo's pixilation music video by the band (5:41)
* [http://vimeo.com/7330918 ''Mirage''] surreal animated dance utilizing the pixilation technique by Joel Fletcher and Mark Danel, 1981 (4:49)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130327100200/http://vimeo.com/62474345 'The Hunter Pixilation Project']
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG80XHGM6aY ''Two Gentlemen of Honour''] slapstick short film utilizing pixilation, 2012 (3:21)
* [https://vimeo.com/315158733 ''Giant Pencil Animation''] short video with pixilation of a woman drawing with an oversized pencil

[[Category:Animation techniques]]
[[Category:Stop motion]]

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Pixilation