If you’re not yet sold on “Kubo and the Two Strings,” which comes to theaters this weekend, here are a few facts that will make you want to join Kubo on his epic fantasy adventure:
1. Most of the film is done by hand
It’s a stop-motion film, which means everything from the puppets to the set were made by hand. There is some CGI, but nothing that can overshadow the excellent craftsmanship of Laika, the studio behind the films “Coraline” and “ParaNorman.”
2. A single second of film takes 24 frames
This is the standard for any stop-motion film, and it means that attention to detail is key. Sometimes a week’s worth of work will only translate to four seconds of film. It took five years to make “Nobu.”
3. More than 100 people were involved in the making of each character
From the computer to the set, almost all departments were utilized for each character. Sculptors, animators, fabricators, costume designers and a dozen more departments came together to bring the characters to life – and that includes the 183 feathers on the Sisters’ cape.
4. Kubo has 66,000 faces…
Laika lead the 3D animation revolution with their earlier films, and now they have mastered it. With the highest-end 3D color printers, they were able to produce quality objects in high quantity.
5. …and more than 48 million possible facial expressions
It might be a little excessive, but that’s not a bad thing. Laika 3D printed their faces in two, the top half and the bottom half. This makes millions of combinations possible for facial expressions.
6. The film takes its inspiration from Japan
Kubo’s epic samurai adventure clearly takes place in ancient Japan, but the Japanese influence is seen in more than just the setting. Design-wise, many of the costumes and characters were made with precise lines, inspired by traditional origami of Japan. The team even had a Japanese culture consultant on hand.
Will you be seeing “Kubo”?
