The Planet Surface - Set Beginings

Hey guys,

just an update on progress.......

Shel's been working weekends on getting us to the planet surface. Where do we begin...right?

Thats a big task......I did some simple concept art and we discussed the feeling the planet needs to create to support the story. After that it was all up to Shel.

She started with a choice of foam base for terrain.....She and some help from Robert Litton Laid the ground plains for sculpting. Glueing 2 inch and 1 inch sheets around the surface.

Then Shel and our Intern Justin Connolly started sculpting the terrain.After Scultping the Shape -Shel Gooped the whole set up with a special recipe provided by experts.....It hardens to a strong shell and can be sanded nicely.
After a few layers of gooping and some additional sculpting-sanding.....Shel did some sand tests.......seeing if we could blend from clay as our main stage to the dried hard outer surface...which she mixed sand into.

After approval of this technique She moved into Placeing the ships in the resting places semi submerged into the planet surface..

then Cutting them into the floor......and figureing out how to stabelize them. After fitting them and figureing out how to lock them down.....Shel started painting with our awesome Intern Bridget Dash.

This ofcourse led to Squashing clay all over the main area of the Playground...where most of the acting takes place.After all of this we are starting to see the Planet take shape......next up Finish clay pressing and Dirtification of the ships......Adding the rock formations ...

then we tackle the BLUE SCREEN Monster....hmmmmm?

jriggity

Studio Upgrades!

Hey guys,

Justin here with a quick post on whats been happening. Shel has been doing an amazing job with upgrading our studio and getting the stage floor set up. Im floored by the way we compliment each other as artists , filmakers and partners. I am Very lucky dood!

So {upgrading our studio}.......This required - {cleaning out-organizing the garge} - Which we did on a BIG sunday Push. This is basically a transition from shop to Animation Studio.

Then Shel and Our composer removed all the drywall from the ceiling. allowing Shel to hook up the Lighting system She designed for our space..........Awesome -

The whole ceiling is covered in Pipes to hang our lights from. We also have a Power conditioner on order very similar to what Nick Hillingoss has in his new studio. This Puppey will make our Issues with ever changing light fluctuations in our garage dissapear.

After Cleaning up the Huge mess the drywall left ..........

...... we moved into ACTUAL stage construction.

Blocking out the size needed for the shots designed.

This stage is HUGE guys-one 14 ft long 4 feet wide main center stage where the ships are crashed and will be spending over a year planted within. Then Shel made 4 seven foot tables that will be removeable depanding on the shots I need and access necessity.
These table started as awesome fold down extensions to the set....but we realized I could'nt reach under the main table for tie downs....Duuuuuuughggh. Its amazing what you can look over when tackeling these jobs.

MONSTROUSLY HUGE SET!! .....this sets gona look like a museum Display when its all there.....a True world created just for the telling of this story. I am pumped and a little intimidated by the realization of all our ideas. I want to be able to live up to the vision in our head....surpass it even!! Shels been doing such an incredible job on her end I gota live up my side of the bargain.

so..... into the future

I brought home a big pile of foam for shel to start sculpting into a desert planet surface.

She officially starts this Tuesday with sculpting....The sets going to be a combination of clay

and foam covered in Plaster like substance.....Clay in the main area.....fadeing into a harder surface on the ends of the tables.

NEXT On the list.... we need a HUGE Blue screen backing in order to comp in the extra land we dont possess for the Film....We have some napkin drawings of the early design but We plan to do some tests first.

Hopeing to hang some paper or sheet- 4 by 8 painted boards?? Any Ideas are appreciated?

We are a bit worried we wont have enough room to light the Screens properly for a good keying though..... a test should give us an idea.

We also picked up a new bunch of lighting equipment off Craigs list. Saweet....Its exciting to see our studio grow!!!

Next Posts should have Planets surface a happening...by the way Shel Knocked out 5 foamed puppets in 4 days for future use......Interns will have lots ta do and learn in the next week.

jriggity

Space Ships......CHECK!!!

Shel here:Thirteen weeks later (four more than i had hoped for)............and after a Really FUN Big Push this last week with more than a couple inspired late nights (i'm not generally the late night shift in this team, but having an end in sight is pretty motivating!).....i'm happy to say the ships are D O N E.

here's some pics......

Since we are starting our shoot on a desert planet with two crashed ships......they have sustained some damage already......

Some parts are replaceable for "fixing" on camera......
There are many other parts that i'm still making as props..... and a third "mystery ship" that is just in the finishing up stage......but after tomorrow, i start the transformation of our garage from WORKSHOP to STAGE...... HUGE STEP FORWARD!!!!

So many hands have helped with these puppies, whether with an hour or two, or days, or weeks, i've been extremely grateful for the support from interns, friends, family, a guy i met one morning who used to like to paint models, and even a composer (?!).....

Stop Mo Set Master JEFF CROSS who showed me how, and taught me tons.....
The extrodinarily generous and knowledgable DICK KANESHIRO who came in and worked steady for many weeks and has been a HUGE help.

Our newest intern in front JUSTIN CONNELY, who just moved to LA to start an animation degree at USC Sept.....we are so fortunate to have his great sculpting skills and friendliness on the project! In back that's ROBERT LITTON, our multi-talented (and very game!) composer.


JOHN SUMNER from Buddy Systems Studios generously stopped by one day to help me figure out the Flea's ship paint job.


CAM LEEBURG who came in early on and made some serious contributions, before he got real work and had to leave......i miss his easy nice in the shop.

Justin's brother TODD did a super professional job making the "bucks" for our windshields and welding those mighty legs on Flea's ship.

my lovely friend RALF, an oh-so-beautiful dancer, choreographer, teacher and world traveler, made a guest teaching stop in LA and gave a hand one afternoon. Aedon's and my friend KEYA, who has an artist's heart, a love for stop motion, and a beautiful curiosity about how things work in general.

ROBERT LITTON, and the consistantly upbeat and awesome, not to mention an amazing sculptress, BRIDGET DASH

RENE who, lucky for me, is very friendly and likes to paint (and who i had met just 3 hours before this pic was taken!)

Justin's sister JENNA put her dentistry skills to use on part of Dober's dash board (and conveniently on Aedon as well in a fluke dental emergency!)

I've learned so much from and about each of these lovely peeps, hanging out in the garage, talking, not talking, listening to music, sharing showers of blue dust and paint splats.....it's truly been a joy sharing the process with each of them.

So NEXT:

1. CLEAN and ORGANIZE the "studio" (seperate and make accessable the stuff we'll need in the space for the next 2 years and pack up and store the stuff we won't)

2. make and put a LIGHTING GRID on the ceiling

3. finish up researching and order a POWER CONDITIONER to keep the flicker at bay

4. design and build the SET (dress it)

5. design and build the BACKGROUNDS (paint them)

I would love to have all this done by september 30....... HA!!

a girl can dream........