Exploring the 3D Collection
Discover the materials and craftsmanship behind Pratt Institute’s stop-motion animation student’s work through three experimental 3D puppet scans.
Developed as a pilot for the Stop-Motion Show Archive, this collection uses accessible, phone-based scanning technology to digitally document student-made puppets. Each model offers a closer look at the forms, textures, materials, and handmade details that contribute to the art of stop-motion animation.
Why Create 3D Scans?
Stop-motion puppets are physical records of the animation process. Their surfaces may reveal fingerprints, seams, repairs, material choices, and other traces of how they were constructed and used. Digitally recording these objects helps preserve details that may become difficult to access as materials age, puppets deteriorate, or physical storage becomes limited.
Explore the First Three Puppets
Rotate, enlarge, and examine each puppet from different angles. The three puppets were selected primarily for their compatibility with smartphone-based 3D scanning, rather than as a ranking of the student work. Clay-based characters generally produced clearer scans because their solid forms and defined surfaces were easier to capture, while needle-felted puppets or puppets with soft, fibrous materials may appear incomplete or uneven.
These early models link physical objects to information about their creators, production processes, and finished films.
Igor from “Magnum Opus”
Igor was created by Freddy Soe Nyunt in Pratt Institutes Department of Digital Art, Stop Motion Animation class for the short film "Magnum Opus" © 2018, made with Obsidian Holmes.
The puppet was constructed of aluminum armature wire, plumber's epoxy, foam rubber, liquid latex, Sculpey polymer clay, and acrylic paint. Notable features include: cloth costume, movable eyes, articulate skeleton, tie-down hardware in feet.
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Monster from “Daily Commute”
Monster from “Daily Commute”, © 2025 was created by Catherine Fenchel in the Stop Motion class as part of Pratt Institute’s School of Digital Arts & Animation Program.
The puppet was constructed of aluminum armature wire, plumber's epoxy foam rubber, foam clay, plasticine clay, and acrylic paint. Notable features include: articulate skeleton, blinking eyes, movable mouth and tongue, tie- down hardware in feet.
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Sister from ‘Secret Places’
Sister Character from “Secret Places” © 2025 was created by Lola Devalier for Stop-motion Class as part of Pratt Institute’s School of Digital Arts & Animation Program.
The puppet was constructed using aluminum armature wire, plumber's epoxy, foam rubber, and felting wool. Notable features include: an articulated skeleton, a multi-colored needle-felted surface for skin and clothes, and tie-down hardware in the feet.
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About the Pilot
These three models were captured using smartphone-based 3D scanning. They are early experiments rather than professional archival reproductions, and some surfaces or fine details may not appear perfectly.
Capture device: iPhone 13
Scanning application: Scaniverse, free version
Cleanup and processing software: Blender 4.5.0
This project is considered as experimental pilot. Some surfaces and fine details may appear incomplete or distorted. Despite these limitations, the scans record each puppet’s overall form, scale, texture, materials, and craftsmanship, demonstrating how accessible technology can support digital preservation and interpretation.
Future Development
Future versions of the 3D collection could include additional puppets, improved scans, process photography, construction notes, and recorded reflections from students and instructors. As the Stop-Motion Show Archive develops, these materials could offer new ways to study, preserve, and share stop-motion work created at Pratt Institute.
Inspiration and Acknowledgments
This project was inspired by the Cosgrove Hall Films Archive’s Digital Preservation project, which uses 3D scanning to document stop-motion models, preserve material details, and make fragile objects more accessible to the public.
Special thanks to Russell Abell and Chris Arabadjis from the Pratt Institute Library, Professor Robert Lyons from Pratt Institute's School of Digital Arts and Animation, and Edras Mendez for their guidance and contributions. Additional thanks to the Pratt Institute Library Archives and Pratt Institute’s School of Digital Arts and Animation for supporting the exhibition and the development of this digital archive.