Willis O'Brien

        Willis O'Brien, considered by some to be the 'great grandfather of stop motion animation' was a pioneer of early motion pictures, most notably for creating the original 1933 King Kong, which has become an icon of cinema, and influenced many  future film makers, including special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. 

        O'Brien's Kong has inspired no fewer than two remakes and numerous sequels and spin offs (including Son of Kong by O'Brien himself), each trying to recreate the original puppet creature using the best technology available at the time. In spite of the technological advances however, the subsequent beasts are somehow lacking in the soul and spirit that made the puppet version so memorable. The fact that Harryhausen continued to create special effects using stop motion, even though more up to date techniques were available to him, demonstrates the faith animators had in this method, as it effectively allows you to live, breathe and act through your puppets.

        That stop motion special effects were used in the motion picture industry right up until George Lucas' Star Wars films also demonstrates the change in audiences capacity to suspend disbelief. Up until recently, audiences were willing to accept an image of a woman interacting with an incredibly puppet of a gorilla, in order to enjoy the spectacle and the story. Yet now, if an audience is confronted with a person interacting with a creature that is less than photorealistic, they are likely to react with disappointment and criticism.

        It is a shame that this shift in audience expectations may result in restraining creativity to what can realistically be depicted on screen.