Movie Poster!!! - Bringing up Bigfoot

As part of my program's industry day promo we are required to create fun movie posters for our short films to be used as promotions in our booklets; or at least that's how I understand it... I think I get grades for doing this too. Anyway, it was a fun little distraction from all the portfolio and demo reel work I've been doing, cheers.

Beam me up, Bigfoot!

I want to post so much from my film but I'm going to have to thoroughly read about festivals and submissions before I post the whole thing online. Just in case posting it all will disqualify it from submission, that being said I don't know enough yet but it will all go up one day or another.

Anyway; I like sci-fi, like a lot, and that's where this teleporter comes in; its hard to discern from the overall story from the bits and pieces I gave out but you can start to guess. And I did quite a few SFX shots and wanted to show at least one. So, here is one groovy teleportation, very pleased with how it turned out.

We'll Spin Right Round, Puppet Right Round

As I'm getting towards the end of the (school) year I've gotta start putting together my portfolios and demo reels for my inevitable job hunt. Lets celebrate by spinning some puppets!

Remember Swambert; well the little guy's been sitting around and he's still perfectly animatable, he's also getting a new 2D face since I've misplaced (lost) most (all) of his paper ones. So, I'm preparing to do two additional animations in conjunction with my thesis film. One is a walk with my main hunting couple, Mac and Ern, and the other is a sit between Bigfoot and Swambert. The later however may get the time cut since the performance walk cycles are a higher priority, but if I have the necessary time to do it right, it will get done. 

19 Shots for 19 Scenes sans VFX

As I'm compositing all of my scenes together I've been adding quite a few additions into a lot of my shots; so I thought it'd be interesting to see single shots from each scene without their added affects.

Just an FYI; the Bigfoot puppet is not giving the middle finger in the background; in this scene as he dances through the background he is doing a mocking dance in which he points to himself as he prances past.

                                    

A shot like this is going to have to be pulled hard through after effects to get my desired look; it's not like the others where Dragon just gives me an extra little bit of the top and bottom which'll be neatly hidden later.

Since I was working primarily out of my little bedroom studio, I had to use a lot of creative set management since I wouldn't have the space to accommodate multiple sets. Which is why the forestry sets were a series of interlocking segments that I was able to mix and match betwixt scenes to suite my various needs.

If I do another set like this, each of these shots'll have their added effects.

Bringing Up Bigfoot: Sneak Peek

Here's a short clip from my film: I'm in full compositing and vfx mode right now, so I should be done, with any luck, within the coming week.

Film Update.

(hey that's half of my head in the background, howdy)

This blog is in need of some love and what better way to start then with a thesis film update! I've just recently wrapped up principal photography: as I have shot all of my primary stop motion animation. My next step is to animate all of the faces for my characters (hopefully this stage will go smoothly) and on to final compositions!

BuB- Puppets

 A touch of aesthetic; as of right now I consider these puppets too be complete. Since shooting is still weeks off there may be extra things added before animation starts. Apart from that, I'm still quite pleased with how the group turned out.

Mac the head Bigfoot hunter.

Ern, Mac's sidekick.

ANDDDD.... BIGFOOT!!!

Ensemble cast with some early facial tests.

Film Updates: Bringing Up Bigfoot

Getting full into pre-production with my film now and that means puppets; and puppet updates for my blog and adventure. All of my puppets are still in their armature stages and my sets and props are soon to come underway. There are three main characters in my film; Mac the Bigfoot hunter, Ern, Mac's sidekick and Bigfoot the Bigfoot.

Each of my armatures were constructed using the same technique. Their core blocks are made from hard woods with a nut and bolt system drilled in to hold their various wire limbs in place. Their heads are left as sculpey as their faces are going to be composited on post animation. And for any of our portlier characters they have been shored up with upholstery foam.

First up is Ern.

Mac

Bigfoot

The gang's all here for a scaled lineup.

This is an early test of the facial composite; I'm very excited about the look that I'm getting with my characters and I think I'll stick with the design I've created. (Ern's mustache won't be a composite, btw, but he looked weird without it so I've put it in as a place holder.)

That's it for now, more updates to come with the next major production mark I reach.

Cheers

Time for some Walkin'

Swambert decides to go for a little walk.

Swambert Strikes Back!!!

...for another animation test.

Third Times the Charm...

Still don't quite know all the ins and outs of blogger and uploading videos but I've found my mistake and the third video upload will probably upload as I want it too.

What did I write again... anyway; you learn a lot about puppet making from these animation tests: what works and what doesn't... so let's just say that she has a few balance issues.

Swambert moves!!!

What's this, a talking picture? I had a fun little idea for Swambert's first puppet test but when I was watching it in silence, noise was needed and noise was added, then music, enjoy.

New Puppet Approaches...

RAWRR!!! It's Swambert the Swamp monster

I've been experimenting with a few new things this time; in the skeleton I've used a set of beads for the eyes, they're quite nice the little holes are great for moving the eyes around and they don't get dirty like my little sculpey eyes. His head is sculpted sculpey; his waist and feet are epoxy and the limbs and spine are aluminum wire.

I've used a new type of wire for fingers this time; its high grade soldering wire and its turned out to be very flexible and durable when it was demonstrated for me. The fingers are secured with the epoxy and his body is shored up with cotton batting. 

Tried two new things here; the first is obvious, hair, it's just grey fun fur I bought and spray painted green for my old Action Analysis set, when it was the closest one I could find to green. The second is that I've made him a set of paper mouths so I'll be experimenting with those.

"IMMA SMASH YOU!!!"

Tinny moves!

Just starting my animation tests with my new puppet; its hard to get the time or the space but I've worked it out with my teacher that there'll be an extra stop motion session for anyone interested and he's been nice enough to allow us use of all the equipment. So, Ive started simple just to shake off a few cobwebs from the break.

Tinny Puppet

When I was deciding what kind of puppet to make next I figured why not make the character I've been helping to design over the past term... Tinny

Tinny's blueprint: figuring out her dimensions and shape.

Tinny's skeleton: Baked Sculpy head, with an epoxy and wire body.

Tinny's "Musculature": Un-baked sculpy hair to keep it springy, cotton batting to bulk her up and she's wrapped up in medical tape to keep her all together; also I used it on her hands to help adhere her latex skin.

Tinny: Yeah!!! Tinny is all finished up and ready for some animation tests. Applied her latex skin over her bandaged hands, painted up her epoxy feet, and made her some fancy duds: experimenting with a paper mouth right now, but she's all finished up.