Laura Tofarides
Laura Tofarides
stop motion animator
first things first
what is stop motion animation?
Stop motion animation is a technique used in animation to bring static objects (usually puppets or clay figures) to life! This is done by moving the object in increments, and when all the frames are played in sequence, it shows the movement.
Although a time-consuming process, stop motion animation produces
whimsical films that have an unmatched charm.
Q&A
What's your definition of success?
Success to me is being able to develop your own work and implement it, create boldly without regret, and choose which projects you work on.
What's the best piece of advice
you've ever received?
One of my professors told me it’s important to always stay inspired-- we should go out and do and make stuff even if it doesn’t immediately seem related to our practice. If you’re in a rut and you don’t feel like writing or animating, but you do have a weird urge to try pottery, then you should go and do that (even if you end up making a thousand strange, lumpy pots)!
It will eventually come back and feed into your practice.
What has been your greatest
career accomplishment?
I think every time I've gotten a big job offer I’ve literally jumped for joy! It’s a little reminder to myself that I am good enough.
There’s a lot to be said for learning to validate yourself and to not compare yourself to others, but it's something
I’m still working on.
Laura's Recent Work
Shaun the Sheep
Laura lent her stop motion animation skills to the
Shaun The Sheep: Adventures From Mossy Bottom
series
now streaming on Netflix.
This delightful series features familiar favorite,
Shaun the Sheep, along with his other pals on the farm! Laura worked alongside the brilliant animators of the acclaimed British animation studio,
Aardman Animations.
Isle of Dogs
This feature length film, directed by Wes Anderson, follows the trail of 12-year-old Atari who sets out to find his lost dog after an outbreak of dog flu spread through his city and Mayor Kobayashi sent all canines away to Trash Island.
Isle of Dogs
was an extremely ambitious project, with over 1,000 character puppets, dozens of intricate set builds, and years dedicated to capturing this magical story frame-by-frame.
Early Man
Laura also worked on Early Man, a quirky, comedic
stop motion animated film following a tribe of primitive Stone Age valley dwellers. They have to defend their land from bronze-using invaders in a football match.
Laura and her team were awarded the 2018 British Independent Film Award for visual effects.
More About Laura ....
01 favorite movies
"This is an impossible question so I’m putting my own constraints on it to make
it manageable: if I'm at home sick, Spirited Away; if I'm craving nostalgia, Nightmare Before Christmas; if I want something painfully beautiful, The Breadwinner; and
if I want to feel magical, Coraline."
02 hobbies
"I’m not sure that I have hobbies any more, but I do like to sing in the car, and if given half the chance, I will blow you away at karaoke!"
03 dream lunch date
"My dream lunch date would be with Pheobe Waller-Bridge! In Fleabag
she conveys this image of a bold yet fallible woman. The writing is witty and unapologetic and I can’t wait to see what she does next."