Create - update 4: Finished Puppets and Sets!

First, the puppets.
The real boy

The mad scientist boy

I really like how they are looking. Megan Miller did a great job on the clothes!

Any now, the two big sets!
Full room

Closet side

Desk side

Dubs.

I am especially happy with the lab. I cannot wait to see them both alive in the shot. There will be a few teaks of color and decor before animating begins in 1 month, but essentially these are the pieces for my senior film, Create.

Create - update 4: Colors!

Well, mostly two colors... green and black!

The sets are up and painted, now I have begun on the props for both scenes. Two desks, two shelves, the boy's bed, a frankenstein bed, toys, dinosaurs, window trim, doors, and more!

Prop-master, Britain Cramer helping out!

Oh yeah, and puppet heads!

Next week I will have everything built! 100% Be ready for final puppet pictures and seeing the full sets!

Create - update 3: Puppet fabrication and set construction

I've been making some good progress on the construction of the puppets and sets. It's been incredibly time-consuming, but seeing it piece together is a great feeling.

Starting with the puppets. I dipped the arms in Balloon Rubber, a thin liquid latex, mixed with some acrylic paint. The gloves are just separate dips of of the balloon rubber with different paint mixed in.

The heads are currently being painted, and the cloths are currently being sewn on by a friend of mine, Megan Miller.

And now, the sets! Goodness these babies are taking time.

Producer, Nick Reichard helping plan it out.

Attaching the wall supports.

I only had to build 2 set walls for my short "Campfire"... this one has 9!

So, the set structures themselves are completed. It is time to paint.

Create - update 2: Mold making and foam cutting

I'm wearing band-aids on my thumb and index finger, due to all the contestant cutting and sculpting foam I have been doing with my 4 different scissors. It is intense...

But first! Before the foam-fest, I made the Create boy's head. Super Sculpey sculpt, baked, silicon mold, resin casting, sanding, and drilling.

Now with plenty of heads, back to the body!

The bodies are really taking shape now. Next step is adding the liquid latex skin! Oh, and clothes. He'll be needing those.

Create - update 1!

Animatic - Check
Reference footage - Check!
Puppets - Okay!

I am now on the puppet fabrication side of things. From here on out it's the real time-consuming stuff for the short, but also the more fun for me, really making it.

Armatures 70% done

Totally just posed.

The armatures are feeling like they will definitely hold up for this animation. I was fortunate to have the design guidance and help from Dan Field, master puppet fabricator. He has been a huge help.

Overall, it is going well. I'm mostly on schedule, buut that whole schedule plan is more an "idealized" thing... right?

Senior film: CREATE

I would like to introduce my Senior Film...

Create

It will be a 2 minute stop motion animation about a young mad scientist setting out to create a pet monster within parallel worlds of an imaginary labratory and the reality of the boy's bedroom.

I am deep into production at this moment. All pre-production is finalized, and I am into the more enjoyable building of things for the short. Many more updates to come very soon!

A new year

2010 was the best year I've lived so far. Savannah, Campfire, France, Clouds, Allison, Ender, LA, Robot Chicken, Senior Project, Skywalker Ranch, TV, and Maine.

Let's see what you've got, 2011...

(Speaking of Campfire, it will be released soon... music rights are fun to get.)