Stop Motion Pro - Animation Supplies Armatures

Animation Supplies Armatures

Congratulations to Andy Simmons and the team at www.animationsupplies.net for creating an exciting array of armatures for stop motion production. "Totally amazing" is the only way to describe the precision control you can have using the "ProPlus" armature we were kindly sent.

This is the "ProPlus" top of the line armature from Animation supplies. It is supplied in kit form, and instructions are included. Full details on the puppet are available here . There are other armatures available on the Animation supplies site. The Aluminium Armature also has some great features and is certainly competitively priced. Andy Simmons Director of Animation Supplies says: "I’ve been fascinated by armatures for almost 15 years now and during that time I have been working towards making an armature like the ProPlus. We developed the ProPlus using our wealth of experience and input from award-winning animators. The resulting armature is our most advanced and innovative yet. I am often accused of being a perfectionist, and I guess it is this that has spurred me on in the development of the ProPlus."
Have a look at an animation we made with the armature:
The ProPlus armature can come with a range of accessories, such as the rig mounting seen here.
The rig can be attached to the hips for supporting the figure for running, jumping or any movement that needs extra support. The pelvis has 5 threadded holes for the rig (including one underneath).
Articulated feet, with either magnetic or screw tie downs (seen here) mean realistic walking is possible with the joint giving a pivot point for the toes.
A novel idea - heat shrink wrapping is used to cover the wire fingers. Delicate machining sees that the screw heads are recessed allowing for nice thin hands. Wire fingers also mean easy replacements. Tension (how much pressure is required to move the hand) is controlled by a hex keyed grub screw acting on the ball bearing.
Many of the other joints are tensioned using a TORX screw. Joints such as the hips (seen here) are cleverly constructed to allow only one pivot point. These provide wonderful feedback and allow you to set the puppet up with varying tightness for the different joints. For example, give the puppet stiff legs and torso, loosening up as you get closer to the hands - this means you are less likely to disturb the whole puppet when making a hand movement. You get the impression that a lot of thought and experience has gone into these armatures!
This armature was a pleasure to work with, and amazingly priced for the work that goes into manufacturing them. It is like having a custom built armature at a fraction of the price. Very rewarding!