Spotlight: Linda Hamblyn - Stop Motion Cinematographer

Motion Control Operator

Linda Hamblyn is a motion control operator with over two decades of experience within stop motion cinematography. She has worked on some of the biggest features in stop motion through her long term collaboration with Aardman Animation. From operating milos on the set of Chicken Run, to building rigs that could travel through the tunnel-like sets of ‘Robin Robin’, Linda has worked on multiple setups with an extensive variety of motion control rigs. Stop motion cinematographer talks to her about how she got started, what inspires her, how she approaches her work, and the challenges that are involved in working with motion control equipment on such small and intricate sets.

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Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Linda Hamblyn. I’m an animation motion control operator currently working at Aardman. I’ve been here on and off for probably about 20 years. I’ve worked on most of Aardman’s big features. My first big feature was ‘Chicken Run’. I worked on ‘Hamilton Mattress’ but Aardman arranged for me to swap onto ‘Tortoise v’s Hare’. I then spent a year in New Zealand learning to fly before coming back for ‘Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I lived in Hong Kong for a while before returning to Aardman for ‘The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists’. I worked in the aviation industry between pirates and ‘Early Man’ and then worked on ‘Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon’ and ‘Shaun the Sheep: the Flight before Christmas’. I’m now on ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’ but just before that I was on ‘Robin Robin’.

Motion control is a way of precisely controlling and repeating camera moves. My job is to programme the camera moves and handle the move set up of various motion control rigs and other motion support equipment, such as focus motors or model movers, between various units. The process can involve filming several elements using the same camera move then compositing the elements together. Motion controlled moves can also be scaled up or down, for example if you’re shooting miniature puppets with full scale elements in the background. My responsibilities also include ensuring the moco is set up in a safe, operational and efficient manner for daily use.

How do you approach the planning and programming of a camera move?

In the early days we just had the animatic to work from and to get a feel of what was needed. Generally I’d speak to the DP and then we’d get a pentafinder (director’s viewfinder), and have a set visit with the director. This meant we had some idea of the move before any motion control even came on the set. Back then we also had software so that we could edit moves into the sequence. When I was testing moves I could cut them in and just think ‘Oh, that’s too slow’ or ‘too fast’ or ‘that’s crossed the line’, which I absolutely loved doing. We had PVR Animate.

There are ppm’s (pre production meetings) nowadays. We can access this digitally. The shot has been spoken about by production, the directors, with lighting camera or the DP, with rigging and the animation director. So you have a lot more idea of what’s involved before you start the shot. We still work with animatics. You have a look at the shot, the sequence, what’s happening in the shot and what’s happening to the character. You gather information and speak to the director. You might think something is going to be frantic but the director might actually want to build up throughout the sequence. They might want to keep the suspense building and to reveal certain things later. I think it’s just about getting information from everyone.

The directors obviously have very specific things they want, but sometimes that’s not always possible. We have to consider animator access and how big the unit is for getting the motion control kit into it. We also have to allow for change so the directors can change their mind about things if they want. Moves can change direction or length. There are limitations with lights, with where they are and not creating shadows. With the set itself, depending on what the shot is, whether the camera’s right in the set. Do we need to take bits of the set out or, if there’s a big track, do you have to take puppets out as you go? It’s all of the challenges you face to get the move you want.

‘Robin Robin’ had some gorgeous camera moves and that’s still one of my absolute favourites. I have really great memories of working on it. I really absolutely loved it because it was a small team and we were building these rigs to create these amazing moves. We were just using the geared heads and then trackers on trackers. We didn’t have the milos as it was a smaller project but we had the animocos. I loved working with the directors as well and felt really that you were part of something, you weren’t just a cog. They were lovely.

What are the unique aspects of motion control for stop motion?

In stop motion, every single frame counts. In live action you can just do it again and again and again but in animation every single frame counts and everything is meticulously pre-planned. The Live action jobs that I have been on have been very short, they’re mostly commercials or idents. You’re there for that one move. It could be a car, it could be a horse running through, or even Janet Jackson. I think there was a famous one with her in a Doll’s House. You’re working on that one thing for weeks. In animation motion control you could be working on five or six things at once. It’s a focus pull here, a track over there. There might be a milo in another unit. You could be working on lots of different things. You keep going in and out as the shots develop, as the puppets are rigged, as the animator comes in and blocks. It’s an ever, ever growing thing. And I really only worked on a few animation commercials but mostly features. So for me it’s a long term job.

What are the biggest challenges or the hardest things to film?

There are a lot of challenges in stop motion motion control. The most challenging thing can be when you get asked to change a shot midway through. A character’s position might have changed and you have to adapt the move, or the focus, or add extra frames onto the end of the move. I had to change a focus position mid shot recently because the puppet came further forward than was intended. It always works out though. Sometimes, with flair (motion control software), you find that you’re fighting the software, or the robot. It doesn’t want to do what you want it to do and you have to find a way. We use dragonframe for a lot of moves now. I find Dragonframe incredible and I just find it does exactly what you want. Aardman has an amazing array of moco kit. We’ve probably got the biggest collection of motion control in the world. We’ve got our own Aardaxis as well. So even without Dragon you can do a lot just with the Aardax and our trackers.

How did you get started in stop motion?

I was originally an in-house camera assistant but when I came down to Aardman it was specifically to do Stop Motion Motion Control.

I got started in motion control in London working in a commercial house. They had two studios and in one of them they had a Cyclops, which is an enormous milo. The studio I worked in had a gantry with a studio ceiling mounted rig which was quite fantastic. It was very slow, it used software called moves, which was the software before flare. I did everything at this point. I would get some calls from the office. In one week there could be three commercials, or it could be one commercial over two weeks. I’d order the stock, I would have to load the cameras. Sometimes I’d be loading high speed cameras and I’d have to look through American Cinematographer to teach myself how. We had our own darkroom there. I started with live action and I’d be focus-pulling with the motion control. It’s slightly different from in stop motion as I was the one behind the keyboard and the operator would be on the floor with the hand-held box saying ‘first position’, ‘second position’, ‘store that there’, ‘run it back’, ‘no part run’, ‘run to frame 48 for the position there’, ‘let’s put focus there’ and then we would run it. I would be the one pressing the buttons, which is quite different to the way we operate at Aardman. After that we did a couple of animation jobs, which were really charming actually, I think it was a commercial for coffee. We would shoot idents, commercials, all sorts of things, some live action, some animation. We did lots of pop promos. We had some quite famous people coming to the studio there, but it was very long hours and the pay was low but it was an amazing way to learn. This was in Charlotte Street in the middle of London.

Chris Lovegrove, who I’d met through the cel animation team, let me know about the plans for Chicken Run and that Aardman were planning on buying three milos for it, so I got in touch. I had a phone call about six months later, and I came up to work as a camera assistant with Chris Lovegrove, who had his own milo. I did a day job with Chris Lovegrove and then I slowly started being hired as a camera assistant. Between the commercials I just started coming in to work and I would just be there tinkering with the milo and living off the commercials I worked on as a camera assistant. One day I got called up to the office and I was put on a contract for Chicken Run. This was the first Chicken Run so it would have been 97. I was on a retainer wage and worked on any small motion control jobs. I did quite a few Chevron jobs as a camera assistant and moco operator. It was completely based at the gas ferry road studios. We then got our first milo, the black milo and then Willie Marshal came onboard and we got the second milo. Willie and I went up to pick it up and we did the training course at Mark Roberts. And that’s why I ended up at Aardman and I’ve pretty much been there ever since. It’s been my main job.

What are your influences?

The Nightmare Before Christmas was an early influence. I used to go to the cinema every Sunday night and I remember seeing it and I really was blown away. I’d never seen anything like it and I was of an age where I was aware of the work that goes into it. I love Tim Burton’s films, his animations and his live action. As a favourite film ever though it would be ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’. I just think that it has such heart and such beauty. An incredibly well written film. I love Wong Kar-wai films and Christopher Doyle’s work. Especially having lived in Hong Kong. I think the portrayal of Hong Kong is amazing, that breathy quick moving camera. Some shots are very overpopulated and maybe sort of disconnected. There’s something about his films. they are absolutely beautiful.

As for mentors in the industry, George Hladky was one of mine. He was a motion control, sort of god really, in London. he is a very, very relaxed, tall man that was trained by Chris Lovegrove. He moved out to L.A. soon after he was working with me at Cel animation. They had ended up pairing myself and George together. We really had a lot of fun on shoots.

Dave Alex was very much a rather lovely mentor when I first came to Aardman for Chicken Run as well as the commercials we worked on before it. I really liked when Dave and I were working out what we thought the camera moves would be for Chicken Run. We did have quite a bit of freedom with the moves. Both the directors came at it quite differently. Nick absolutely had his idea from the start, but sometimes Pete could be swayed. Sometimes he would say ‘its not quite what i was looking for but I really like it.’

The best advice I’ve been given is to check everything. I had a very strict cameraman at cell animation and he was quite old school. You learnt to always put the lenses back in the box, always have one catch open so you know when someone’s using it. Never put lenses under the towers (capture station). Double check, triple check, everything and check the gate.

What are your biggest achievements?

I do feel proud that I’m a woman in motion control and there aren’t many of those although there was a group of us at Henson’s with George Hladky when I started. We have had female motion control assistants on previous films but not many stay the course. I feel I’m respected at Aardman but, back when I started, it was a different world and it could be quite hostile.

What are your plans for the future?

I’d love to work in the States. I think trying a different method of working, or a different team, would be really enjoyable. I would like to maybe try something between motion control and post-production, having a little bit more of an idea of that area, which I did once in Maya training. Otherwise I think I’m in this rather lovely profession. Maybe as the only lady.

The part I enjoy most is getting on set and planning the move and seeing how it comes together. I love moving the puppets as well. When the directors come in and they like what they see I always feel really pleased because I think, you know, we’re now on the way and I just love when it all comes together.