Pre - Production for Stop-motion films by Adithi Krishnadas and Suresh Eriyat , Studio Eeksaurus
Stop-motion filmmaking is a process built on careful planning long before a camera begins to roll. Every shot, frame, set, prop, and transition needs to be considered in advance, making pre-production an essential part of bringing a film to life.
Adithi Krishnadas is a filmmaker and creative professional whose work at Studio
Eeksaurus has involved shaping the crucial stages of pre-production for animated films. For this article, she takes us behind the scenes of her process, using The Seed, film directed by Suresh Eriyat, as a window into the planning that takes place before a stop-motion film comes to life.
Adithi shares her approach to pre-production for stop-motion films. Using "The Seed" as a case study, she takes us through the process and thinking involved in preparing a stop-motion production before it reaches the animation floor.
We are immensely grateful to Suresh Eriyat for his continued contribution to the world of animation and for being one of the key forces bringing a new wave of stop-motion filmmaking to India. Through his work and his willingness to explore the medium, he has helped create greater vision and possibilities for stop-motion in the country.
Adithi :
A very well-executed piece of stop-motion animation generates in the viewer an immediate sense of wonder and joy, almost as if they were witnessing a magic trick. It comes across as incredibly vibrant, fun, and spontaneous. While it is all those things, it is almost deceptive how much planning it takes to create that sense of spontaneity.
Pre-production involves conjuring up the story, the character and the world they inhabit way before the final film is executed. It involves processes like storyboarding, art direction and character design, all of which will form the final blueprint of the film.
While the word "blueprint" sounds overly serious and technical, it is far from it. With pre-production, one is put in the position of having to start with a blank slate. Its ultimate reward is the joy of discovery.
In the following post, we breakdown the key take-aways from the storyboarding and visualisation process of the film, "The Seed".
"The Seed" was conceived as an identity film for the award-winning animation studio, celebrating the 15th anniversary of Studio Eeksaurus.
Conception of The Seed, by the director himself
Before "The Seed" took shape as a film, Suresh Eriyat put his thoughts about the core idea and philosophy into a written piece. Using the journey of a seed as a metaphor, his words reflect on nurturing ideas, collective effort, and growth. We are honored to share his ideology behind the film, in his own words.
Just like a seed will not flower if it is not nurtured right,
an idea will not blossom if it is not developed right.
A seed or a weed depends on the planter.
Water, sunlight, nutrients and fertile soil are essential for a seed to sprout into a blooming tree.
Once it sprouts, it needs to grow and spread,
unhindered and undeterred, blossoming and free.
The seed itself might not know its potential or the heights to which it can reach.
But the soil, the water and the other caretakers can hope for it to surpass all expectations and reach heights beyond what was imagined.
Our team is that fertile soil.
Our design thinking is the water.
Our hands are the sunlight.
and the unique efforts we put in become the nutrients.
And the nutrients, just like the icing on the cake,
represent the extra effort we put in
to ensure that the film is one of a kind.
The leaves, the flowers and the fruits are not ours to pluck.
They are for our viewers to relish and for our clients to hold.
If the goal were only to grow it just into a sapling,
it would eventually become stunted and never grown into a tree.
But the shade of the tree nurtures the soil,
and the fallen leaves keep it fertilised.
Just as one film inspires more films
and more learnings from the making of it,
it keeps our team and beyond confident, curious, and energised.
From the birds to the ants,
from the eggs in their nests
to the squirrel in its drey,
each one is essential
for the tree to be whole.
A tree will continue to fruit and flower
With nourishment, and care..
And that appreciation, in turn,
encourages us to reach even higher.
A film too brings appreciation, validation and encouragement through its journey.
At Eeksaurus, we believe in nurturing good ideas
into trees of all sizes.
So do not be startled if we are curious
about a random, small or obscure detail
from a casual conversation we might be having.
We believe in nurturing every unique idea into a special tree, like no other.
Because finding the right seed is never easy.
It’s hidden in verses, thoughts, incidents and sometimes in the present or past and some other times in the future.
One has to be vigilant and aware.
But by now, we believe we have cracked our own code for finding these seeds of inspiration.
And that is another reason
why we keep plants around us at Eeksaurus.
For the inspiration,
and for the clean air:)
Pre-production may happen away from the lights and cameras, but it lays the foundation for everything that follows. Through her experience working on The Seed and alongside the team at Studio Eeksaurus, Adithi Krishnadas offers a closer look at the planning, problem-solving, and preparation that shape a stop-motion film.
We would once again like to express our gratitude to Suresh Eriyat for the work he continues to do for animation and for helping push stop-motion further into the spotlight in India.
As more filmmakers and artists explore the possibilities of this medium, sharing knowledge and experiences from productions such as "The Seed" becomes equally important. Thank you for sharing this goal with us. We hope Adithi's insights offer both a useful guide and a deeper appreciation for everything that happens before the camera takes its first frame.
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