Unveiling the Magic of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio at MoMA
Cover Photo: décent
f you're a fan of Guillermo del Toro's imaginative films, you won't want to miss the Museum of Modern Art's latest exhibition, Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio, on view from Dec 11, 2022 to April 15, 2023. This stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film, directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson, reinvents the classic story of a wooden puppet brought to life.
As a visitor, you’ll get the chance to step onto a movie set and witness the creative process firsthand. You’ll discover how a team of talented designers, craftspeople, and animation artists from Portland, Oregon, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Altrincham, England collaborated to bring Del Toro’s unique vision to life.
The exhibition starts with a stunning display of classic and contemporary editions and interpretations of Pinocchio from around the world. It introduces examples of all of the finished puppets from the film, paired with look-development maquettes in varying stages of the process, such as the silicone and resin castings of vegetables that provided inspiration for the character Dogfish’s monstrous skin, texture, and scarring.
The second section of the exhibition, “On the Set,” will open with a “Production Scheduling Board” and feature eight sets from the production of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. This segment aims to further illuminate the meticulous studio process, showcasing the immense attention to detail dedicated to each set, an exemplary testament to the painstaking handcrafted process of stop-motion filmmaking. Here, visitors can delve into production art, props, and the various phases of puppet-making, gaining an insider’s glimpse into the artistry behind the movie’s creation.
One highlight is the “rigging” display, which showcases the different kinds of mounts used to hold puppets in place during the production of a stop-motion film. Another fascinating aspect of the exhibition is the opportunity to see motion tests and time-lapse video installations that document the complex stop-motion process that brings the story’s characters to life.
Every detail of the crafts and huge effort behind the film is on display, including incredible, lifelike film sets that transport you to the world of Pinocchio. Green armatures are used to pose characters on set, but they aren’t visible in the final image because separately filmed backgrounds are added in postproduction.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio exhibition is a go-to place for anyone who loves the art of filmmaking and is interested in the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating a masterpiece.
