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........