Watch Liebherr heavy equipment models construct Christmas cookies in this stop-motion video

In its latest video, Liebherr shows that its machines really can tackle almost any application. With a miniature mining excavator hauling the sugar and a material handler cracking the eggs, the whole fleet comes together to construct delicious, equipment-shaped cookies for Christmas.

The Liebherr Christmas bakery video was mainly produced as a stop motion film - one of the most intricate ways of producing a film. There are more than 2,500 individual pictures, a few clever tricks, many helping hands and a lot of preparatory work behind the two minutes of film. In addition to the 16 Liebherr equipment models, about 40 other props were also used. 

The Liebherr Christmas bakery consists of 2,787 individual images, which are then played at a speed of 24 images per second. Before this can happen, though, a lot of preparation must be done. Every single scene is sketched out in advance, so it's clear as to what happens when and how, which camera angle is necessary and which props are needed. During the actual shoot, every movement has to be done correctly and nothing can be moved or rearranged. The camera has to remain in a single position and only records a precisely defined area. Every detail counts and every wrong move sets things back by hours.

To ensure that the composition of the ingredients was suitable for production, some things had to be adapted. For example, the sugar was mixed with water to make it an ideal consistency to be shoveled. The butter was frozen overnight so that it could easily be fastened to the reachstacker with a fishing line, and the egg had to be blown out first so that it could be transported by the material handler. Similarly, it was easier to move the bulldozer forwards through the dough, so the shots were captured and then played in reverse order.

A four-member team spent seven days setting up and dismantling scene pictures, moving models millimetre by millimetre and relocating props. Up to eight models were moved at a time, requiring a steady hand and intense concentration. To get the final results, the video was edited for an additional 14 days.

Ingredients:

• 400 g flour
• 250 g butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 120 g sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 1 shot glass of rum
• Grated zest of one lemon

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour. Make a well in the middle. Add the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla sugar, lemon zest, rum and salt and spread the butter in flakes on the flour.

2. Knead all the ingredients into a smooth dough and form a ball. Then wrap it in aluminum foil and leave to cool for two hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the baking tray with baking paper.

4. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface to a thickness of approx. three millimetres and cut out the biscuits.

5. Place the biscuits on the baking tray.

6. Bake the biscuits for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool and enjoy.