This is one of many such shots I've taken so far, using the camera I'll be animating with and Framethief, to get as close as possible to actual filming conditions. The purpose is to fine-tune the visual elements as I go, making decisions about lighting, exposure, filmic space (deep space versus flat space etc). I'm also thinking about colors, since I have yet to paint much of the set and make clothes for the puppets. Things begin to suggest themselves as you look at the pics. Example; I'm rethinking my plan to make a front wall for the set, and the reflected TV is giving me ideas....
I find this a good way to go into pre-production... often you see things in pictures that you just don't notice otherwise. I find myself taking more and more stills as I go, until it's time to start animation, and then it's not a sudden transition, more of an easing-in... less surprises that way.
9 comments:
I do the same thing...the closer I get to filming, the more excited and antsy I get...
Great pic!
(More, more! :::)
Holy CRAP!!! Mike!!!! That looks completely AWESOME! That camera! That lighting! Of course, that puppet! Deep or flat, it's going to ROCK!
um, did you make that frosty suds flagon? Rocking too.
The reflected tv does look perfect. It gives a street/neon, illuminated glow that subconsciously conveyed urban, modern. You're right on!
Hey Shelley Shellington!!!
Thanks for the concentrated dose of super-positivity!!!
Yep, I made the mug a while bak, by heating up some acrylic tubing with a heat gun (paint remover). It looks ok, but the handle is too thick. Need to get some smaller diameter rod for that and crank out a few more. I made some bottles the same way - sort of glassblower technique translated to acrylic.... it's pretty cool, you can stretch and bend it quite a bit. But the ones I made are too big darnit!!! And I didn't like all the nifty toxic fumage it generated. So maybe a few more mugs and some glasses, then that's it for that approach. I'll sculpt and mold bottles from Castin' Craft clear resin.
And about the TV.... what I was thinkin' was it looks an awful lot like a really bigscreen TV out in the bar somewhere, as long as I keep everything else in the basement darkened (lots of black drapery). A DVD, advanced two frames each time I take a shot.... see where I'm going? Look at the pic below to see it much more clearly (you can see basement stuff though).
Not sure if it'll work though..... for reasons a bit hard to explainstigate. Well ok, I'll try since you twisted my arm!!
See, I need to put a wall there on the far end-o-the-bar, and I think you'll be able to see where it ends and drops off suddenly into darkness. I don't know, still worth messin' with though.
Completely worth sperimentating. Yes, I see a ubiquitous tv in the bar, always on some sports crap (sorry to fans) like a gddamned wailing pacifier. But I'm not bitter. So yeah, a tv on, maybe made visually equal to your stylized puppets?
But--I thought the fabulous blue glow in your production still was also powerful as a blurry suggestion of the depth of an outside street landscape. It immediately placed your film in the 20th/21st century as opposed to an older pub. It looked like the bar was in a city on a rainy night!
A 2 frame dvd advance for a bar tv is killer great idea! woo.
nice pic man! this is exciteing!!
jriggity
One more attempt to leave comment here... Wow, looks great, and looks like things are really happening!
Hey, thanks Justin and Nick!
Shelley - funny you mentioned a streetscape outside, cause that's something I got goin on (just working on it tonight in fact). I'll probably use that instead of the TV, but who knows, I might do both? And yeah, if I do go with the TV.... it won't be stylized itself, but the program definitely would be!
Hey, funny you mentioned a rainy night too! I did some 'spearmintin' for that a while ago, and I just might also use it (but if I do that, then no TV).
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