Read an excerpt from an “Oregonian” article published on March 19, 2023:
Last weekend, Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson and their team won the Oscar for best animated feature. “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is just the second stop-motion film to win that category, and it’s revived interest in the distinctive form of hand-crafted animation.
Stop-motion is a Portland specialty, dating to the 1970s when the late Will Vinton employed the technique to create his signature Claymation. But stop-motion has never been a favorite in Hollywood, which usually rewards the grandeur of hand-drawn animation or the gloss of computer-generated blockbusters.
No longer. The success of “Pinocchio” on the awards circuit — it also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA — is helping spur a revival in stop motion, and Portland stands to reap the benefits.
The Oregonian, 19 March 2023
The Oregon Cartoon Institute is proud to present research on Will Vinton and Portland’s animation scene. Find out more by clicking here and access one of the talks about Will Vinton here. You are also invited to look at an Oregon Historical Society’s Oregon Encyclopedia entry that places Will Vinton and his studios into a larger context. And what about Oregon and Oscar winners? Read more about that here.
The Portland Art Museum will feature the puppets in an exhibit beginning June 10.