More Layouts

Here are a couple of layouts that go with the last one.

New Animation Layout - "The First Rocket"

Here's a new layout/background for the segment "The First Rocket"

Animation Layouts - "The First Rocket"

Here are some layouts for the segment of the film that tells about the origins of the first rockets. These where created in Adobe Flash.

Revised Model Sheet - Yow

I wasn't real happy with the character design so I've tweaked it some. Here's the result.

Model Sheet - "Yow"

Starting to animate some segments of the larger film. Here is the model sheet for a Chinese street performer. His name is never mentioned in the piece so I just gave him the name Yow. Once you see the segment you'll understand. The segment is called "The First Rocket"

Screever - Hand Puppet Version

Here's the hand puppet version of Screever. Due to all the challenges and details, this puppet took about 1/3 longer to make than the previous two puppets. His cyborg arm has a removable hand so that we can give him other functions. One of his specialties is that he creates illustrations and graphics for their reports. He'll use the special features of his arm to create these in unique way. I'll also be making a larger stop-mo version of the arm so we can do close up shots of the arm changing.

Blepharon - Hand Puppet Version

The next puppet I made after Thunderstone and Fang (see previous posts) was Blepharon or "The Bleeph". One particular challenge was that he's a little more rotund than the other characters. Hand puppets usually have most of the audience attention on the face, since this is where they do most of their acting. So I cut back on the torso size. 

It's important to keep the weight down on a hand puppet whenever possible since even a few ounces can make a big difference on how long a puppeteer can keep a puppet elevated without wearing out their performance arm. Oh, and I decided to leave off the one exposed tooth since I had used that element in the Fang character.

Fang - Hand Puppet Version

Here's the hand puppet version of Fang. The colors on her clothing have been changed slightly from the Flash Animation Character sheet below.

 

It's both challenging and exciting creatively to take a 2-D version of a character and interpreting it three dimensionally. To see other entries regarding Fang click on the keywords highlighted below. 

Thunderstone - Hand Puppet Version

I haven't posted in 2 moths but I have been busy. We've decided to jump into the full length episodes that focus on the exploration of space. Since these episodes will be approximately 30 minutes in length we're going to use puppetry to replace some opportunities for animation. This will keep our production time shorter and costs down.

 

This is the puppet version of Thunderstone. He's a good bit larger than the original stop motion version below. 

 I tried hard to keep the hand puppet version as close to the stop-mo version as possible.

The Belly Button of the World - Finished Short

Here’s the finished short “The Belly Button of the World”. This is one of a series of SSSNAPPE’s that we are doing to experiment with the characters, style and writing of the Ultra Galactic Gung-Ho Gurus.  To see some more on the 3D set design look here for original construction and here for how it translated into a computer generated version. Go here  and here for details and pictures on how the Stop-Motion character of Thunderstone was constructed. Here are some links on the original design of Thunderstone and the characters of Bleeph and Screever.

We are putting away the shorts for now and starting on production of the longer format episodes. It is a series of 24 minute shows on Mankind’s Quest for Outer Space. More to come on that soon.

"The Belly Button of the World" Animated Logo

 

Here's a short segment of animation from the UG3 Snappy "The Belly Button of the World". It tells about the ancient myth of the Omphalos which became the sight of the Delphic Oracle. It was created in Flash and looks much better in the original. The animated gif version doesn't do it justice.  

Eagles of the Omphalos

One of the short animations we are working on for UG3 is called "The Belly Button of the World". Rather than going into the explanation I'll let you look it up. It does involve two eagles and something called an Omphalos. Here are two flight cycles of the eagles. These were created in Flash.

The Complete Thunderstone

I first posted pics of Thunderstone's Head here. Well here's the head attached to the finished body to complete an animatable stop-motion puppet.

 

 

What follows are pics of the armature making process and then the fleshing out of the form and clothing. Here are the rough sketch/plans I made before beginning the body.

 

Here is the armature made from aluminum wire, balsa and hard wood, plumber's putty and metal foil rolled into tubes.

 

Here are a few detail shots.

 

Next came a body made from foam rubber and some exposed areas covered in latex and painted with acrylic. 

A good deal more work went into the clothing. Most of it was made from white gym socks and an old sweater. Sounds gross but it was all clean. I hope to have some test animations of him up soon. 

Opening to BugWorld

Here's a clip from the opening of BugWorld. Mostly traditional puppetry.

Varmints Bug World - Intro. from Lee Waller on Vimeo.

Thunderstone's Head

 

This is the head of a stop-motion version of the main host - Thunderstone. 

 

View from the other side.

This model will be animated using mainly interchangeable parts, so I created an extensive set of replaceable eyes and mouths.

 

They were drawn and colored in Adobe Flash then exported out as jpegs and printed. Then they were spray mounted to thin foam or metal foil and cut out. Then I glued wooden dowels or brass tubes so they could be used then removed over and over from the head piece. 

 

Now they can be inserted into the sockets for the eyes and mouth for good registration.

 

I know it looks a little creepy.

 

Along with the interchangeable eyes and mouth the eyebrows can be moved up and down on the forehead using a removable adhesive and the antennae are pose-able. 

The original design of Thunderstone has changed a bit. You can see the beginning sketches here. I'll be working on the body next and hope to have the pictures of the completed stop-motion model up soon.