This video shows how CGI and stop motion are a beautiful combination

One of the most interesting animated movies of the year must be Kubo and the Two Strings.

Developed by Laika, the studio behind pieces of art like Coraline and ParaNorman, it follows a hero in his quest to unlock a secret legacy. All this happens in the shape of a mind-blowing stop motion 3D animation.

If you’re familiar with stop motion movies, you might know that the process of making one costs a lot more effort than just using CGI for the entire movie. For example, there are physical objects that have to be created, positioned and moved between frames.

However, for Kubo the creators went even further by combining physical puppets and props with digital effects.

In the video we see Laika’s employees come up with the most amazing devices to simulate effects. For example, in the GIF below you see them play with different materials and machines. The sheets of cardboard and the intricate machine are used to simulate the sea in various ways in the movie.

Or take a look at the crazy amount of detail that’s going into the creation of these eye monsters. They can move their eyelids, light up and create different kinds of effects even before they’re being put in the final movie. They’re captured in real life before any kind of computer-generated effect is applied to them.

By combining these physical contraptions with CGI the team has been able to create a one-of-a-kind movie that looks unlike most animations released this year. Depending on where you live, Kubo has already been released or will be soon.