Jack Skellington Becomes a Jack-o-Lantern in Spooky Stop Motion Video

The Nightmare Before Christmas comes to life once more in a new stop motion video depicting Jack Skellington as an actual Jack-o-Lantern. The Nightmare Before Christmas is perhaps the most iconic stop-motion film ever made and a staple of the holiday season, bridging the gap between October and December. Although the film was produced by Tim Burton, whose name is most frequently associated with the project, it was directed by Henry Selick, the man behind James and the Giant Peach and Coraline, another staple of the Halloween season.

The leads of The Nightmare Before Christmas are Jack and Sally, two denizens of Halloween Town. Jack is known as the “Pumpkin King,” and leads the yearly celebrations of Halloween, though when he wants to explore his options he discovers Christmas and develops a plot to kidnap “Sandy Claws.” Sally is a rag doll with an unrequited crush on Jack, but she helps him save Christmas from the villain Oogie Boogie and Sally and Jack end up falling in love.

On his Instagram, stop motion artist Lawrence Becker, in a collaboration with Disney+, released a new Nightmare Before Christmas-themed stop motion video. It’s a brief piece, depicting Sally’s hand using a needle and thread to carve a Jack-o-Lantern of Jack Skellington. The video was made with the assistance of sculptor Katy Strutz, who created Sally’s arm and the nightshade jar. Lawrence also released a fascinating behind-the-scenes timelapse video of all the steps it took to bring the short video to life. Check out both videos below:

Click Here to View Original Post & Click Here to View the BTS Video

Jack and Sally are such iconic characters that it’s difficult to imagine anybody could make something new with them. They’ve been seen on an infinite variety of Halloween costumes and pumpkin carvings over the 28 years since the film’s release in 1993. They can even be seen on products in stores like Hot Topic all year long. Every element of the film has been plumbed for all it’s worth, and even the Danny Elfman songs from the soundtrack have been revived and reimagined dozens of times apiece, most recently in a Nightmare Before Christmas cover by Billie Eilish.

However, through Becker and Strutz careful ministrations, they have proved that The Nightmare Before Christmas still has legs. That is, assuming one has the time and talent to bring their stop motion forms back to animated life. It’s certainly a fun Halloween treat to see the film’s legacy continue to grow and bring fans something they’ve never seen before as they prepare to sit down and rewatch it for the hundredth time.

Source: Lawrence Becker

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