What advances does Coraline make, even in terms of advances from your previous stop-motion films?
Some of it was simply paying even more attention to detail. I wanted to go in for close-ups where you’d still believe in the character, so that required very meticulous work in the hair and the finish on the faces and on the costumes. We have miniature sweaters and clothes. I understand this was the first stop-motion film that uses something like actual hair, instead of something that was painted on or attached. Yeah, I mean we’ve used things in the past that were more like hair but this was a more refined technique, with a wig maker that works in miniature. And of course the hair has to animate, so you have to hide little bits of wire in it, or a little flat foil underneath strands. We also shot digitally and in 3D and were able to take shots that you could watch them right away. They could be sent to the edit room almost immediately. There was more of a give and take and back and forth in the making of the film, whereas not too long ago you’d shoot the shot and it would go to the lab
