Just finished my second shot today, I'll start animating the third after this little post is done.

The thing I just finished was a 6sec. walk by Adam. It was the first time I laughed when I saw the finished Quicktime, I think that's a good sign.

You'll see on the pics below how I let Adam walk, took of his legs and added a piece of thin card for every frame. So it looks as if he's going up and down during his first steps...

Just finished a shot that lasts 45 (!) seconds! It's the titleshot and the pressure to make it work was high, but it looks fine. As from this moment on I'm able to create smooth and convincing camera movements using my Travel-Device. After a lot of Trial-and-Error. The system is as simple as it can get. A small piece of Betonplex wooden plate (It has a very smooth surface) wich has the head of the tripod screwed on it just slides over a long section of Betonplex (in this case 2m.). No wheels involved, "less is more" is my advise! ;)

I'll post some finished shots soon, so you can judge for your self.

See Ya !

Life on a (very) Hot Set!

Me, Maarten and Andreas dressing the set.

Shadow of a girl

That's it...for now.

Yesterday the third shot was finished. And quite a shot it was; a camera travel showing the whole playground, duration: 16 seconds. It took a day-and-a-half to get there, and multiple takes too. But I finally got a result that's pretty smooth.

That's all for now!

The first shot is in the can!

Here it is:

Lots more are about to come where that came from!

Rgrds

Busy Busy Busy!

Yesterday the lighting-cameramen have been lighting the set for the second day, and the work is beginning to pay of!

We now have two lighting setups; the first for the start of the film, the second when Adam falls in love...

Here Maarten (one of the animators) is finishing the playgroundfloor with cardboard tiles. The whole floor had to get some texture to it and I chose to cutout tiles and create a patern.

If everything goes well, I'll be animating Adam next week...

Ill keep you posted!

While the Dragon-Skin bodyparts are curing (6 hours is a lot, but well worth the waiting), the eyeballs are drying and the little masks waiting, here's another post.

Next week, I'll start filming...finally!
At this moment I'm finishing up the puppets and what a work that is! It's easy to watch making-of documentary's and read making-of books on the famous Stop-Motion films and getting inspired by the featured methods. As soon as you start to use the professionals' methods it all gets very very slow and expencive. The result -in my case- are ambitious puppets that arent able of doing a whole lot. Thats' the difference between professional puppets and would-be puppets. The limit of their movements... But ah well, they look good anyway!
















The heads, two weeks ago.














Adam's room as it looked last week. I'm very excited to see how my Lighting-Cameramen will light it. I'd like the film to have a generally greenisch look to it, but that's subject to change when Post-Production arrives. That's distant future for me now.

Greetz!