UG3 Merchanise - Collector's Bookmark Set

 

Here are the images for the UG3 Collector's Bookmark set. We've created this for sale at screenings, and online and they are part of the reward packet for Kickstarter supporters.

UG3 Merchandise - Collector's Badge Set

 

We are coming down to the last month of production for the film and are looking at the merchandising that will go along with it. Here is the badge/button pack that we'll be selling. It is also a part of the reward set that goes to certain Kickstarter supporters. Other Collector's merchandise at this point will be the art and script book based on the film, bookmark sets, and posters. If possible we hope to have T-shirts too. 

Guru Byte - Screever's Alien Artyfacts #1

 

 

Guru Byte - Name That Planet!

That's right, for a short time there was a planet in our Solar System named Herschel.

In 1781 an Englishman discovered what would become the 7th planet in our solar system. At the time no one knew what to call it. French astronomers referred to it by the discoverer's last name - Herschel. British scientists called it Georgium Sidus after their king - George the third.

Finally it was decided to name the planet after Uranus... an ancient mythological god of the sky.

The First Rocket

Even though I've been busy with the Kickstarter Campaign lately I've also been able to complete one of the segments from the film. This is "The First Rocket" which tells the origin of where rockets were first invented. It was animated in Adobe Flash and runs just over two minutes. The first shot has a storyboard version of Screever. This will be replaced with a puppet version of him for the final film. Also, there will be some soundtrack tweaks.

The Belly Button of The World - Youtube Channel

This was posted many months back. I'm reposting it here because it is now on our new Youtube Channel - where I'll be posting further video updates and linking them here and on Facebook.

It is a short we did in about 6 weeks (part-time hours) to test out the animation and compositing techniques as well as the writing and character development.

If you socialize on Youtube and you like the video help spread the word.

Aliens In the Hatchback

Just loaded up the crew to head up to Tennessee for another shoot. We'll be doing some promotional stuff over the next few days. I just hope no one rear-ends the Highlander.

New Character Pose - Screever

Here's Screever's new promotional pose. He's showing off his new pencil attachment.

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.

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.

Animatic for SSSNAPPE Intro

Here's an animatic for the SSSNAPPE introduction. SSSNAPPEs will be shorts hosted by the UG3 characters. It will give us a chance to test out voices, timing and how the chemistry between characters are working. The main host, Thunderstone, will be stop-motion animation while the others will be done in Flash, although the round monitors that they appear in will be stop motion also.

Here's a mock-up of the chair that Thunderstone is sitting in. The green domes are the monitors that rise up around him and hold the images of the other hosts.

Initial observations include: we need to up the acting with some of the voices, possibly add a music bed and tighten the timing.

We should have another rough animatic for the Half-Naked Snowboarders SSSNAPPE up soon.

Updated Design - Screever

Here's an updated design for Screever. This turn around will be the basis for his Flash animation version. For the main film he will be in hand puppet and stop-mo animation form, but this will be used in a set of shorts we are working on to test out the characters and writing before we get too deep into the production of the main film.

Here's a link to the post that contains his preliminary designs.  http://process742.blogspot.com/search/label/Screever

Introducing the Characters - Screever

Screever is another no-longer-used English word I thought sounded cool and has an appropriate meaning for the character. A screever was a street artist who would create assorted artworks on walls around the city. Then he would station humble looking homeless street folk at each of the pieces to receive any alms offered in appreciation of the art as if they had created it. The screever created a type of street performer franchise, taking a bulk of the money and giving a portion to the person posing as him. My Screever is an artist also. He is responsible for creating the graphics and animation for the show. His tool is a cyborg arm that comes equipped with a variety of artistic tools, allowing him to do amazing things in a short amount of time. He will be creating a variety of types of animation such as stop-mo, cut-out, flash style, etc. Here are some of the rough sketches I've used to figure out what the character should look like.

These were the beginning ideas. I had one requirement for this character besides the cyborg arm - Goggles! (Or at least something like it)

Something cool is forming for the goggle idea. If not goggles then more cyborg parts that look like goggles.

The overall look seems to be forming around a turtle and a bird. Not sure I like the bird aspect. Ah, this feels better. I am really drawn to the jaw. And the shell is more like a millipede shell than a turtle. Interesting front view with a note about how the puppet eyes might work. Side view. Really taking shape here. I broke it into its individual parts to help me get my head around how I would build it as a hand puppet. This side view is how I believe I'll pursue construction. Of course the final animation model won't come until after the puppet is created.