Blinkink created stop-motion film titled ‘A Ride of the Moon’ for Dior’s Lunar New Year campaign.
Directed by Nina Gantz and Renee Zhan, and voiced by 070 Shake, the stop motion film “stands as a poetic reminder of the value of handmade artistry in an era increasingly shaped by automation and AI.”
Inspired by classical cinema – most notably Georges Méliès’ Voyage dans la Lune – the film is a baroque-infused journey that blends cinematic language with theatrical illusion. Set within an ornate 18th-century French theatre, it unfolds as a modern fairy tale told through flamboyant design, charming stop-motion animation and playful surrealism.
The horse character is modelled after the Dior horse charm, assembled from sewing components and brought to life through stop-motion craftsmanship.
The sets were entirely hand-painted and constructed, combining flat, painted backdrops with half-2D, half-3D elements. Layered sets, forced perspective and cinematic lighting create depth and spatial richness.
Directors Nina Gantz and Renee Zhan add, “The starting point was about celebrating traditional stage craft, inspired by the Marie Antoinette theatre at Versailles. Hand-painted sets, manual mechanisms, and those beautifully theatrical illusions. We embraced the Baroque spirit in everything: visually, technically, and musically.
“It was a real joy to receive a brief to create something so artistically rich and steeped in craft tradition. We worked closely and collaboratively with the Dior team to create this intricate world. Stop-motion was key for all of us because it has an intentional charm; it’s not meant to be too smooth. Everything was filmed in camera, using old theatrical solutions, like creating movement by shifting the sets rather than moving the puppet itself.”
Jon Creamer
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