Puppet fabrication – Roos Mattaar

On this page you can find a selection of my work in puppet fabrication for stop motion animation.

From the start of my interest in stop motion animation I have been eager to learn about the puppet fabrication process. I love working with my hands and exploring new materials. I am particularly intererested in the technical side and problem solving that is involved in the creation of puppets for animation.

Recently I have worked at John Wright Modelmaking (Bristol, UK), building ball and socket armatures, including for the upcoming Aardman feature ‘Early Man’ (Jan. 2018), Wes Anderson’s new feature ‘Isle of Dogs’ and for some adverts and comissions by students. In 2015 I worked for three months as puppet trainee in the armature department at Mackinnon & Saunders (Manchester, UK). As part of the armature process I was also involved in some resin casting, to create fibreglass resin hollow cores for puppet heads and torso’s (projects included Postman Pat, TwirlyWoos & ITV knitted ad break).

When not working at studios I have been taking on puppet fabrication commissions, where I am in some cases responsible for full fabrication from armature to finish, and in others working together within a team.

The selection below is an example of the wide range of materials and processes I have worked in. All projects had different budgets, style choices and time frame to complete the work in. Each puppet has different requirements in terms of durability and what it needs to be capable of. Some of the puppets have complex ball and socket armatures while others have more simple wire armatures. Some were developed over weeks or even months while others had to be completed within days.

Welder puppet

The Welder puppet is the main character I built for the music video I created for the song 'Welder' by the experimental rock band 'My Octopus Mind'. Continue reading

Earth Moma (Welder)

Earth Moma or Mother Earth is the other main character in the music video 'Welder' I made for the experimental rock band 'My Octopus Mind'. Earth Moma is a puppet as well as the main set in the video. Continue reading

Farmers family

These puppets I made for an animation commission for a Dutch medieval history animation aimed at primary school children. Continue reading

Resin head cores

Mabil, Dagny and Viktor head cores Commission for NFTS graduation film 'Moth'directed by Ewa Luczkow. The film is currently screening in festivals. Continue reading

Early Man – armatures

I worked as an armature maker on the Aardman Animation feature film ‘Early Man’ (2018) directed by Nick Park. Continue reading

Mothman puppet

I built this mothman puppet from armature to finish for a (currently in production) NFTS graduation film by Director. Ewa Luczkow. (Design by Ewa, complete fabrication by me.) Continue reading

Bird puppet

Bird puppet for Sparks music video 'Edith Piaf said it better than me', directed by Joseph Wallace. The puppet was designed by Joseph. I built the armature and most of the body covered in feathers, where Joseph worked on the final colours, beak and head details. Continue reading

Girl puppet

Puppet for Father John Misty music video 'things it would have been helpful to know before the revolution' directed by Chris Hopewell (Jacknife Films). This puppet was a collaboration between me and the other model makers. The girl puppet was the main character for the music video. I built the puppet’s armature (a re-built, repurposing...

Moonbird

Moonbird is the main character of my graduation film (2014) 'Moonbird', and also the first ball and socket armature I ever built, with all components made by me from scratch. Continue reading

Ron & Russell puppet

Ron & Russell puppet for the Sparks music video 'Edith Piaf said it better than me', directed by Joseph Wallace. The puppets were designed by Joseph. I built the armatures, bodies and costumes while Joseph made the heads, hands and final paint job. Continue reading

Dog armatures

These two armatures were comissioned through John Wright Modelmaking. I drew the initial technical designs and the final version was drawn by John after back and forth discussion with the client. I built both armatures. Continue reading

Jellyfish puppet

This luminous jellyfish is for a personal project in development. Continue reading

Fox puppet

This fox puppet I made for a 1 minute film that was a student project at the Bristol School of Animation. The film was a collaboration between me and Laura Tofarides, where I built the puppets, she built the sets and we both animated. Continue reading

Fowl Play puppets

These puppets I built for a 90 second student film during 2nd year at the Bristol School of Animation. The film was a collaboration in a team of four people. I built the puppets based on the designs by another student, and the plasticine beaks were also sculpted by another student. Continue reading