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submitted 5 days ago by stenAanden@feddit.dk to c/til@lemmy.world

Basically, the only modern studio consistently putting out stop motion animation movies, is Laika Studios. And yet, Laika has only had one financially successful movie, Coraline from 2009, while all their other movies have under performed.

However, Laika is currently led and owned by Travis Knight, son of Phil Knight, the owner of Nike. This has enabled Knight to continually bank roll Laika whenever they under perform, essentially making the entire stop motion animation film industry a nepo baby's pet project.

That being said, this is actually a positive story, and reminiscent of how artists previously would be financially supported by wealthy benefactors.

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[-] Elshender@sh.itjust.works 109 points 5 days ago

Me when people forget about Wallace and Gromit.

[-] Rusty@lemmy.ca 40 points 5 days ago
[-] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 days ago

I think about this scene so much whenever I'm doing a project

[-] NoForwadSlashS@piefed.social 57 points 5 days ago

'Propping up the stop motion film industry' is quite the statement. Aardman Animaton has been releasing feature length stop motion movies since 2000 and all have done very well. Also Laika only worked on Corpse Bride of Tim Burton's multiple very successful stop motion movies.

[-] thespcicifcocean@lemmy.world 17 points 4 days ago

Are you not counting claymation? Because i'm sure that Wallace and grommit would like a word.

[-] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 39 points 5 days ago

I mean at least he's doing something productive with his wealth. That puts him insanely far ahead of most wealth babies.

[-] B0rax@feddit.org 21 points 5 days ago

What do you mean „financially successful“? The movie Kubo from 2016 had more revenue than budget. Is that not successful?

It is a damn good movie btw.

[-] titanicx@lemmy.zip 12 points 5 days ago
[-] Krelis_@sh.itjust.works 17 points 4 days ago

Isn't that standard Hollywood accounting?

E.g. Return of the Jedi never made a profit either, on paper

[-] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 days ago

I love Hollywood accounting. We collectively acknowledge it's a very real thing because we are all not dumb but at the same time whenever we don't agree with something we can also simply use it as a crutch.

Now that said you may be right, but you may also be wrong. Who knows? 🤷‍♂️

[-] B0rax@feddit.org 6 points 4 days ago

Ah, so basically Marketing is not included in the budget. And theaters take a big cut from the revenue.

[-] titanicx@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 days ago

Yep. Things we normally don't look at when budget to revenue conversations happen.

[-] FluorideMind@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago

Sounds like the type of things normal dudes say when asked what they'd do if they won the lottery. Maybe Travis is a normal dude under the nepotism?

[-] Bacano@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

I think that's what the last section of the post was referencing

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

yeah, the

reminiscent of how artists previously would be financially supported by wealthy benefactors.

i need to find myself a wealthy benefactor who likes [music form not appreciated outside one town in the eastern US and i like where i live dammit]

[-] prettybunnys@piefed.social 31 points 5 days ago

Wes Anderson put out a wildly successful stop motion picture in 2009.

Consistently, sure, but that doesn’t actually mean it’s dead.

[-] LetchLemon 14 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Or here me out.... we tax him and his dad. Then use the money to pay stop animation artists so they arent beholden as some rich kids pet project. could even start a few studios instead of one. Early 00's there were a few independant stop motion artists. Only reason they still arent around is due to art grant funding.

[-] sukhmel@programming.dev 6 points 5 days ago

This sounds nice but I expect it will not work as good in reality plus there may be more artists than money if we limit it to only those two.

Tax everyone properly and provide basic income sounds like a way to go anyway

[-] LetchLemon 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Thats what what i meant. Artists should have better access to funding and foundational wage streams such as a basic income that Ireland is currently doing with musicians.

[-] Suck_on_my_Presence@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago

Isle of Dogs is one of my favorite movies

[-] prettybunnys@piefed.social 3 points 5 days ago

Oh shit he did it again in 2018, haven’t seen that but it’s going on my list!

[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 30 points 5 days ago

Isn't Aardman (shaun the sheep, wallace & gromit) still consistently put out stopmotion? Or are they just cheating the visual style with 3d animation?

[-] CumbrianCucumber@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Yeah, Aardman are very much still stop motion (with a few tiny cheats, the stadium audience in Early Man and the sea in Pirates on an Adventure with Scientists).

[-] AppleTea@lemmy.zip 4 points 5 days ago

Pirates on an Adventure with Scientists

damn, that's a better title than the US got

[-] AppleTea@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 days ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirates!_In_an_Adventure_with_Scientists!

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (released outside the UK as The Pirates! Band of Misfits) is a 2012 stop-motion animated swashbuckler comedy film directed by Peter Lord and written by Gideon Defoe, based on his 2004 novel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirates!_in_an_Adventure_with_Communists

The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists is the third book in The Pirates! series by Gideon Defoe to feature his hapless pirate crew. It was published in 2006 by Orion Books (ISBN 0-297-84867-4).[1]

This book follows the adventures of the Pirate Captain and his crew through Paris and London—accompanied by Karl Marx and his sidekick Friedrich Engels—as they attempt to clear the communists' good name after it is sullied by Richard Wagner and his malevolent benefactor, Friedrich Nietzsche. The fictionalized version of Nietzsche wears a large mechanical exoskeleton, and plots to take over Europe so he can get a girlfriend.

woaw

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[-] blargh513@sh.itjust.works 26 points 5 days ago

I liked Kubo and the Two Strings a lot.

However, Mathew McConaughey? He was a very strange choice for voice talent in that film. It did not fit the aesthetic at all, he stuck out like a sore thumb. That southern drawl thing he's got in a movie that has primarily Asian characters? Well all right all right all right.

[-] Gerudo@lemmy.zip 5 points 5 days ago

Thank you! I hated his voice for that character. Love the movie, but I feel that was such a mistake.

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[-] svcg 19 points 5 days ago

Aardman Animations: excuse me?

[-] bassad@jlai.lu 9 points 4 days ago

Aren't all artists dependent of some rich guys or rich guy's wifes?

I saw an art exhibition recently, I am not able to buy a 200€ pillow.

this is actually a positive story, and reminiscent of how artists previously would be financially supported by wealthy benefactors

Idk that sounds profoundly negative to me lmao

[-] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 14 points 5 days ago

If I had that dude's wealth I would be putting so many artists on my payroll.

[-] SaneMartigan@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago
[-] RheumatoidArthritis@mander.xyz 5 points 5 days ago

I don't get the negative comments, dude could have multiplied his wealth with some good real estate investments and milk tenants for the rest of his life, instead he chose to hire some artists in a dying industry. What a terrible thing to do when you're born rich.

[-] SaneMartigan@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I've worked for a few big CEOs kids, they're a bit fucked in the head because they really don't have to do anything ever. The ones I met seemed to be lounge around hippies who travelled to festivals when they felt like it. I walked one kid through his mothers offices while he picked out furniture he wanted for the house he's just gotten in a trendy part of town. Many thousands of dollar pieces of corporate furniture that he could pick and choose from.

So the Kid of Mr Nike helping keep stop motion alive is cool with me. I really liked "Strings" but I'm not sure if this guy is involved.

[-] Mac@mander.xyz 11 points 5 days ago

In a non-cap society, do stop motion movies still get created by enthusiasts?

I think so.

[-] tunetardis@piefed.ca 9 points 5 days ago

There are certainly worse ways to spend your obscene wealth.

[-] Snapz@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

Did he fall far away from that shit family tree, or does he have his dad's politics?

[-] GorGor@startrek.website 8 points 5 days ago

I talked to some folks who worked at Laika a while back at a party. They loved working there. This was some years ago, and my memory is a bit beer soaked, but they seemed happy and proud of what they did.

[-] _NetNomad@fedia.io 3 points 4 days ago

i don't know the full story but iirc that was how the band Supertramp stayed afloat until they were successful, patronage from some rich guy

[-] Janx@piefed.social 7 points 5 days ago

Respectfully, can you clarify, please? "Under-perform" is a term you used repeatedly. These movies were successful, yes? They made more money than they cost to make them...? I don't give half a shit how much money rich assholes expect a project to make. We know how creative Hollywood Accounting can be, so I have a hard time seeing how you can say they weren't "financially successful"...

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[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

As long as you don’t piss off your patron.

[-] Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com 6 points 5 days ago

Got some sources to share? The quick search I did doesn't support your argument.

Also, Aardman is a rocking studio with quite a history. (Yes, I know they went digital for a bit after the fire)

[-] LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Funny timing I just saw a trailer for Wildwood and it looks SICK

[-] Doublenut@lemmy.zip 3 points 5 days ago

And working there means battery cancer.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

wait what.

oh whew i thought you were talking about my buddy who used to be at Will Vinton. he's not rich.

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this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2026
498 points (100.0% liked)

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