Rig Removal

In stop motion animation, rigs are a hidden hero. They help animators perform actions that would be impossible to achieve unaided, such as making a character jump, fly, or even sometimes balance on tip-toe without toppling over. But while they’re essential during shooting, rigs aren’t part of the final story. This is where post-production rig removal comes in.

What Are Rigs and Why Are They Used?

A stop motion rig is a support structure, usually made from metal and often with articulated joints. You'll find our range of rigs here.  A rig holds a puppet in place or supports it during a movement. They are attached to a puppet’s armature or a specific rigging point, keeping it steady while the animator makes frame-by-frame adjustments.

Without rigs, complex shots like leaps, climbs, or mid-air stunts would be nearly impossible to achieve with precision. 

Here's an example of what a rigged puppet might look like:

The Magic of Rig Removal in Post-Production

Once all the frames are captured, the raw footage still includes these rigs in view. That’s when digital rig removal takes place. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Frame-by-Frame Editing
   Using image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or After Effects, each frame containing a rig is carefully altered. The rig is painted out, replaced with background pixels, or masked out using clean reference plates (images of the set without the rig). 
   
   

2. Clean Plates
   Many animators shoot “clean plates”. These are still still images of the set without any characters or rigs, like the example below. These provide a perfect visual reference for filling in the space once a rig is removed.
   
   

3. Cloning and Healing Tools
   Editors use cloning and healing brushes to replicate textures, colours, and lighting from surrounding areas. This ensures that the edited portion blends seamlessly with the rest of the scene.

4. Consistency Checks
   Because stop motion relies on tiny incremental movements, even the smallest inconsistency between frames can cause visual jitter. Rig removal requires meticulous attention to maintain smooth motion and preserve the illusion of life.

Why Rig Removal Is So Important

Rig removal not only keeps the visual world of the film believable, but also gives animators the freedom to push creative boundaries. It means you can attempt ambitious stunts without worrying about distracting support structures in the final cut.

Professional Tips for Seamless Rig Removal

• Plan for it early: Design your rigs so they attach at less visible points and are easier to remove digitally.

• Match lighting carefully: Lighting consistency makes editing far smoother.

• Use high-resolution captures: The more detail you have, the cleaner the removal process will be.

• Consider outsourcing: For large productions, specialised post-production teams can save significant time.

Rigs are an indispensable tool in stop motion animation, allowing animators to bring complex, gravity-defying performances to life. With skilled post-production rig removal, these supports vanish completely, leaving behind nothing but pure magic on screen. Like the following example:

If you’re building your own stop motion puppets, rigging points and sturdy armatures make a huge difference to your animation possibilities and we’ve got the components to make it happen.