Stop Motion Movie Actors Needed. Must Be REALLY Short And Cheap!

May 9, 2012 5:32 PM

Help! I need ideas for two small figures (toys most likely?) to serve as the main characters in stop-motion movie clips. They should be under 6 inches tall, more or less. Ideas for a male and a female figure needed. The male character is a geek. The female is a girl-next-door type.

I'm asking for a friend. This seems like it should be obvious, but other than suggesting lego, I was stumped, and so I turn to you, mefites!

I suppose lego figures would work. But is there a better idea?

posted by 2oh1 to media & arts (14 answers total)

IT Crowd dolls
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:40 PM on May 9, 2012

I keep thinking Master Chief or Anakin action figures, but they aren't really "geeky".

Girl next door: Dora the Explorer?
posted by misha at 5:41 PM on May 9, 2012

Do they need to be articulated? If not, why not make figures out of polymer clay? In my experience, stop motion works best when everything is very simple looking (I would not want to do it with a specific kind of toy unless that toy was a core part of my film's subject or presentation - like a 100% LEGO production or something.)
posted by SMPA at 5:50 PM on May 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

You could always go for a Lil Einstein, Lil Tesla or Dr. Who action figure, I guess.
posted by misha at 5:52 PM on May 9, 2012

Lego is fairly uniform & plain, which is good in this case. How about some old, long forgotten plastic figures from the 80s? You could customize/paint them.
posted by travelwithcats at 6:03 PM on May 9, 2012

If you can find them, Stikfas.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:03 PM on May 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Playmobil?
posted by box at 6:40 PM on May 9, 2012

Search for "bendy man" or "bendable figures" toys, commonly sold as office desk toys - they come in a range of shapes and colors (aliens, yellow smiley face, rabbits), some have magnetic hands and feet, etc.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:18 PM on May 9, 2012

The word you want to search for is "figma". Figmas, by definition, are poseable.

Most of the ones that search will turn up are no longer available. But you can do a search here or here for that word and turn up ones which are currently being sold. It being anime, the vast majority of them are girls, or things that are even stranger (grin). But there are guy figures, too. If you look pretty hard you might even find one that looks geeky.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:57 PM on May 9, 2012

LobsterMitten, your idea led me to Moppels, which look like they could be perfect! ...but there's no female version, and that's for the best since they don't seem to be available anymore anyway...
posted by 2oh1 at 9:25 PM on May 9, 2012

Hog Wild Toys sells Benders and Acrobots. They are based in Portland, OR.

Archie McPhee carries several action figures. I bet their store in Seattle, WA has bargain bin figures not sold on their website.
posted by plokent at 10:06 PM on May 9, 2012

Mulder & Scully
posted by Feisty at 7:03 AM on May 10, 2012

It turns out that Gundams pose really well.

For your friend's purposes it probably would be very strange -- but maybe strange would be good.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:26 PM on May 10, 2012

Is Playmobil too obvious?

I keep thinking Master Chief or Anakin action figures, but they aren't really "geeky".

Only on Metafilter...
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 10:37 AM on May 11, 2012