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. 

Thunderstone - Ultra Galactic Prima Dona

"Ok, I was trying to get some editing done today and in walks Thunderstone. For most editors they like to work alone. Having the director there for editing is one thing but to have the lead actor show up can be disastrous."

" At first I tried to accommodate him. He wasn’t too bad. A few suggestions on timing and a little comment about pacing. Nothing major. I finally had to send him out when he asked me to motion track a piece of lint on his face and remove it. I refused and he said something about my momma."

  

"I thought he was gone but well he showed back up outside the window."

"I think I am going to have to re-locate if I want to get this edited."

Lee.

 

 Believe it or not these images are composited into the shot from the green screen shoot. So, Thunderstone is not actually in the studio with Lee. It's all cinematic magic... and Lee's sense of humor.

Animated Announcement for Kickstarter Campaign

We just launched our Kickstarter Campaign to raise enough funds to finish the film and begin the marketing plan in earnest. To start things right I created a short animation staring Thunderstone and Fang. The campaign runs during the month of May, so go check it out while there is time. Also help us out by sharing the video from Youtube, or from this post - even the link to the Kickstarter page itself - with your connections online or through email. We've got cool rewards that are a lot of fun and when UG3 becomes really big, the things we've made available in the early stages will be worth lots of money. You know they will.

 

Click Here To Go To UG3's Kickstarter Page

 

 

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.

New Character Pose - Thunderstone

This is the last of the Poster/promotional poses for each of the crew. To see the others scroll down to previous posts. This, of course, is the Supreme Host of the Show - Thunderstone.

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.

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 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. 

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.

Introducing the Characters - Thunderstone

Okay, this character had to be the hardest one to figure out - at least how he should look. 

His name is Thunderstone and is the self described "Supreme Host of the Show" He's arrogant, self-absorbed, oblivious and bumbling. Think Will Ferrel's character Ron Burgundy, but without all the adult stuff. He can be lovable but most of the time you're having to work too hard to see beyond his faults to notice. The first facial feature that came to mind for just such a character was pronounced jaw. So I started playing with the possibilities.

 

Eh, nothing so far. So as Curly from the Three Stooges always said, "If at first you don't succeed, then keep on suckin' til you do suck seed."

Here I started playing more with the hair and began seeing a little hope for the design.

I did a little more refining but he's looking a bit too much like an evil villain, especially with the trench coat.

 

These seem to be less sinister and more of what I was looking for, although I'm getting a little Kidd and Play vibe from the "High Left, Low Right" box cut in the first and second picture. Don't know who Kidd and Play were? Then go back in your Hot Tub Time Machine and check out the eighties. 

 

Finally. 

This is the look I'm going to go with, at least to start building the puppet with. Hopefully the large cranium won't make the puppet too heavy. If the puppet is anything like the actual character then his head will a vast empty space.