Another sculpt

I thought the previous sculpts were looking a bit too young so I tried to get the character looking a bit older and more exaggerated. Even though I enjoyed doing it and it looks cool but I don't think it looks right for this film.
I also need to take into consideration that the puppets head is going to have a basic armature inside so the eyebrows need to be bigger to allow more expression and I have also been worrying that if when i move the eyebrow up it may expose too much of the eye which will look a bit unnatural. I think it will be okay if it does it a little as I have studied my own facial movement and as my eyebrow lifts the eyelid follows exposing the eye slightly.

Head sculpts

After drawing out various character designs I wasn't really getting anywhere so I thought I should just bust out the clay and do some concept sculpts and see if i could get any closer to what I wanted. It seems to be working out a lot better. I am going to keep doing them until I'm happy with the design.

Here they are so far(Click to view bigger)

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Mock up finished

So the mock up is finished and apart from having pink walls it looks pretty damn cool.

I have also remembered I had done a digital make over on one of the photos of the mock up before it was furnished. It was quite helpful to do.

So now to move on to the real thing which will be 1/7 scale

Mock up part 1

We spent a few days putting together a mock up set using bits of left over material from the last film. We built it too 1/15 scale. Doing this has given me a given me a really a good idea of how things are going to look.

Character design part 2

So I have spent a bit of time looking for some inspiration for my character and while watching 'Carry on screaming' I spotted a chap to get some ideas from.

Kenneth Williams

And here's what I did using him as reference

(Click images for larger view)

I am quite happy with it as an illustration but not for the design of my character.

I also did this design to work on the shape of the body and a first try at how i want the clothes to look

Character reference

Here is some of the pictures I have managed to find of old lighthouse keepers. They all seem to have the same kind of hat which I presume is to show a kind of status indicating there job position.

Character design part 1

I have been researching lighthouse keepers with not much joy, especially on what kind of clothes they wear. I would like the look of the character to be set in the early 1900's.

With the images I could find I got to work with some designs. Click the pics to view them bigger

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I'm actually really not happy with these so I am going to try and find some more inspiration from somewhere. I'll Maybe look at some actors or musicians.

Slacker...kind of

I have been quite busy getting on with my new short film, resulting in a severe lack of posts.

Basically I have had trouble writing my story and with the deadline coming up on the 28th May and my booked time to start filming on the 19th April I am going to have to finish writing the story while making the set and puppets.

So thats whats been going on.
Prepare for a barrage of updates with pictures of everything I have done so far.

The lonely Pianist

This was for a previous story idea that I had couldn't develop. I thought I would post it up as I quite like it

Mo the mortician

A character design to help me with visualizing my next idea. Inspired by the periwig maker from...The periwig maker and Victor from Corpse bride.

Incredible

Just came across this person's youtube page via animateclays favourites. Shocking work, very creepy.









Check out a lot more of their videos HERE You can see how much work goes in to puppets.





Sweeet

Snow

Well it seems to be snowing hard everywhere in the UK but Birmingham. I want to be snowed in!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's something I did today while watching Christmas films.

Click to view bigger

In with the old out with the new Finished film

I have posted the vimeo vid and youtube link just in case your on an Iphone and what not

In with the old out with the new from ben whitehouse on Vimeo.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE

Various photos

I'm still quite glad that even during shooting I still found time for a bit of photography




The amazing Mr Cusworth doing his thing

Bits and bobs

I thought I would post up a few photo's of the little details from the set. I am also including the poster designs I made as I am happy they way they turned out.

The tiny bell


Pin board with a miniature version of my brothers calendar


Please note the amazingly detailed light switch


Mad Mike sings nursery ryhmes


Cyber Dudes!

Blink tests

I did a few blink tests during post production to see if I could get what I had in mind to work. These were done using the liquify tool in after effects and key framing the effect in and out. They really didn't look very good, so I had to wait until filming so I had some footage to try it on.






I tried it out while I had a spare moment this week and it actually worked nicely but it was using vector paint effect so I was literally drawing in the blinks frame by frame. I will definitely put these in if I get time too.

Personal meaning and life goals

Before shooting the film the story didn't really mean much to me, it was just a nice story. But during filming I have realised that it has a personal meaning. I think it is almost a dedication to my Dad as when I was a wee boy I could take any of my broken toys to him and he was guaranteed able to fix it whether it was just a broken rubber band in an action force figure or a broken limb of a Thundercat, he could fix it.
And I'm sure there were times that as soon as he had fixed one I would bring him another in a worse state.

So even though the story could of been more refined I'm happy it stayed the way it has.


Also I have been thinking that i am pretty damn proud of myself for pulling this production off, as 5 years ago I would never had dreamed of actually doing something that I so longed to do. I think that has made me even more determined to push harder and and break some personal boundaries.

The next project is going to a big one. But I am confident that it will be good. With my newely formed crew made up of my family and new friends, things can only evolve in to something that is going to be very special.

Learning outcomes

I would like the outcome of my project to be uniquely my style and look as professional as possible with the limited resources that I have.
I also hope to gain an insight as to what it might be like to work with a team on a production.

Im sure that I will definitely learn a lot during this module and will come out at the end with a wider knowledge base on how to develop and create what I will need to further a career in stop motion animation.

I also hope to learn more about film language and lighting for film with the help of Matt Cusworth.

In with the old out with the new. short summary

In with the old out with the new is a story about an old man with a vintage toy shop. He is struggling with business being in the midst of a road full of bigger and better competition. He is given hope by a boy with a small problem that he thinks the old man can fix.

Revised Aim

I am to produce a stop motion animation short film with the target audience being the flip festival and potential new comers to BCU's animation course.

This will showcase what is possible to achieve with the university's facilities.

As stop motion is my specialized study I will get to put all of my knowledge and research into practice and also try to utilize it accordingly.

I will try to achieve the look of the film to have professional sets and puppets with the limited resources I have and will be unique and fairly stylised.

Phew...

Well what an evening last night/this morning was. I managed to make some new heads and they look a lot better. I even made a new pattern for the boys hat as the other one was far to big for the new version. The set was painted and completed on time and the puppets are fully functional. At least i know that I can get things done on a tight schedule.

I pretty much spent the day at uni showcasing the set and puppets off as my tutors sent in people after people to have a look. We also set up for the first shot. I am working with Matt Cusworth who has had 8 years experience in TV and film as a camera man and Director of photography, the man know his stuff. He is fully trained to operate the milo as well. So he is going to have a very boring time while the actual shooting is going on as he has to press a button to move the milo on a frame every time I have taken a frame.
Just in case you don't know what a milo is, its a tv/film motion control rig. It has been used on many movies and music videos. It is a very hi tech piece of equipment and has been used quite a few times by Aardman on the latest wallace and gromit titles, you can see them shooting with it on the making of curse of the were rabbit.
This showcases one of the ways stop motion has not really changed in the way its done but more in the way technology is improving the way it is shot. I feel very privileged that I am getting the chance to use this and it will also be a valued piece of work on my cv and showreel.

Tomorrow we will be filming the first shot.

So anyway, here's how things are looking now

The puppets and set with there new look



The guys with the milo



Me and Matt discussing the shot. By Matt's face it looks like I just said something inappropriate...again



Me demonstrating the removable sides



Rosy and a first year student having a wee look

Heads are done

The heads of the puppets have come out okay and I fixed them to the body's. now I have come across a new problem. I am really not happy with how they look. The design looked good on paper but do not look good in the flesh. The heads remind me of Bertie the Trebor bassett man


This has really upset me as tomorrow is the first day of shooting. So to add to the stress of trying to get everything ready, I am going to attempt to make some new head and hands out of super sculpy as that is all that I have that is a flesh colour, unless I want them green faced.

The set is being painted and the clothes are finished and sewn to the puppets. This is looking like its not going to happen.

Anyway here is what they look like at the moment





Hopefully if all goes well then I will post tomorrow with how thing went.