PreViz

PreViz is done, here's a LINK

Final Puppets!

Here's the girl, all airbrushed!

Deer with a gentle pink tint added to his nose.

And this photo just cracked me up. :-P

Gels

*Bing-Bong* UPS: "We're here to deliver some tiny gels for lamps to make you feel sheepish." Me: "Thanks..."

Fancy New Animatic

So yeah, I got the damn thing to export as an avi by importing the Premier file into After Effects. Huzzah! (Looks like now there's something funky going on with the size of the screen, so you can watch it on youtube by clicking this LINK, but at least it's workin'!)

Video Adapter

I've begun shooting my Pre-Viz and Blocking with my boyfriend's still Nikon camera, but it won't allow for onion-skinning, so I've ordered Stop Motion Pro's Video Adapter; $55 dollars worth of USB port and cords that plug into my digital still/video camera. Hopefully this will solve the problem even if it means that my film suffers from a downgrade in photo quality...

Airbrush & Instructions

Here's the airbrush that Amanda gave me. :D (Along with instructions!)

Can Light (Arrived)

Here's the light I ordered and the C-Clamp for hanging. YUS!

Last Minute Materials

Fishing wire ($2.50 @ WalMart)(For any rigging that may be needed and needs to be visible. I can't say that I'll be needing or using it, but I'd rather have it on hand). White glue ($1.00 a piece @ A.C. Moore)(For gluing any stacks of paper that need to be stationary). Modeling clay: Plasti-Clay ($1.00 @ A.C. Moore)(For girl's mouth, eyelids and eyebrows and the deer's eyelids and possibly eyebrows.) Foam brushes (.99 cents @ A.C. Moore)(For use with glue).

Animatic

I shot the damn thing again, but it wouldn't Export so I just filmed it with my digital camera as it played on my computer. Classy.

Expenditures to Date

It looks like I've spent about $1600.00 on stuff for my film. I still have a few more things to buy, like fishing wire and stuff for camera systems, but I just wanted to see what this has put me back.

Status Update: Gels

I just received an email from the company I bought the gels from. They appear to be on backorder so I have to wait an extra 10-14 days... I should have ordered them sooner... However, I thought I could get them at Ex Libris. I went there yesterday and they said that they had these sheets that work "like gels" but they're not really meant to withstand heat. However, they said that it hasn't been a problem in the past. So I went to look at their selection and they only had one blue left. So online I went. Anyway, it's not too bad. I can do other things for a while. It's just aggravating to still be waiting for supplies and such to come in.

Oh yes, and as for my animatic(s). I know I promised them over and over again. And I may have said it before, but I hate making them. This is not an excuse though, so I am putting my nose to the grindstone and getting something done. I did a lot of work last night on the drawn version and will scan it. As for the photographed version, I will be editing it today. *sigh* I swear it will get done. :(

Can Light & Gels

I bought a set of gels for my lights and a can light that I'm going to try and modify to make a spotlight by cutting a hole in a sheet of metal to create an aperture that will funnel the light.

Here's the light: with the clamp it was $35.95 @ activemusician.com

Here's the set of gels I got. There will be 24 of them and they were $24.95 @ adorama.com.

Deer Eyes & Hunter Eyes

Here are the eyes that haven't been pictured.

Deer Puppet

Here's the deer. It also needs airbrushing and I forgot to picture it with its eyes in. But it's done! YAY!

Girl Puppet

She's all done accept for airbrushing. Eyebrows, eyelids and mouth will be modeling clay. I made this decision fairly recently; sculpting tiny little things with foam is difficult... I want to add some detailing to the nose, but I think the airbrush will help with that. I'm also thinking about how to add armature wires to the hair...I may have to braid it or something so that it's a large mass that rises and falls with her movements.

(The black around her neck is the hairnet that the wig came in. I'm just trying to keep it nice).

100% LOCKED: Script & Sound List

Yeah, yeah, I know I said these were done, but this is it. Last chance. Done. Finito. Magic. Done...ness. These are the last edits, all I have to do now is finish up a few things and get to shooting.

Hunt Script:

- Fade In -

1. Pan to character at an easel through a forest of paper stacks. (Pages blow). (LS to Truck In)

2. Cut To: A piece of charcoal flies over a pad of paper in arcs and curves (ECU)

3. Pages are ripped off repeatedly in frustration and are tossed to the ground. (The pages begin to form a circle around the unknown artist). (CU to MS)

4. Girl is visibly frustrated and overwhelmed by the paper around her; it is assumed failure personified. (View behind easel of face: CU)

5. Camera sees the circle of paper at the girl’s feet. (Camera begins to spin). (Girl’s P.O.V.)

6. Reaction Shot: Girl’s face shows frustration, terror/horror and abject humiliation. The speed of the spinning increases.

7. The circle becomes like a laughing audience. (Girl’s P.O.V.)

8. (The spinning) This is interrupted by the rustling of papers (like leaves) behind her. (MS)

9. (Quick Zoom In) Girl’s reaction, she whips her head around to look over her shoulder toward the sound. (CU)

10. There’s a flashing of eyes in the forest amongst the papers. (Girl cropped MS deer cropped LS)

11. Reaction Shot: Girl’s face transforms from fear and frustration to interest and a hint of reverence.

12. Reaction Shot: Deer holds a blank expression but is visibly “grand.” The deer’s ear flicks. (MS)

13. Girl looks about herself at the circle around her feet. (CU)

14. Girl looks back to the deer who bounds off. (MS/LS)

15. Reaction Shot: Determination spreads across the girl’s face. (CU)

16. Side View: Girl’s face as she steps; defiant. (LS)

17. Girl’s foot steps out of circle. (CU)

18. Girl begins to chase the deer. Girl chases deer through the “forest.” (Stacks of papers wobble and fall). We hear heavy breathing, the sound of the two running and the loose leaflets under their feet. (Varied Shots)

19. The chase slows, the deer allows the girl to approach. (LS to MS)

20. The girl reaches out to touch the deer. (MS)

21. The girl’s hand gently grazes the deer’s fur. (Charcoal antlers begin to sprout and dance from the girl's head). (ECU)

22. Cut back to (MS) (Both in frame). Deer pricks its ears; the sound of another can be heard running through the forest. It is a hunter. (MS)

23. Deer bounds off again. (MS to LS) Girl looks toward where the sound is heard. Girl looks back, frantically, in the direction of the deer. (MS to CU)

24. The hunter passes by brandishing a knife. The hunter is an exact replica of the girl. (MS)

25. (Back and Forth) Moment where girl watches herself go after the deer, she is clearly puzzled and a bit scared. (MS)

26. Girl takes off after both hunter and deer. (MS)

27. Girl runs through the forest, terrified. (Piles are knocked down in a hail of white). Girl tries to keep up but ultimately looses the hunter.

28. Girl enters a clearing, huffing. She bends down and braces her hands on her knees. She only rests a moment before she catches the scene before her. (MS)

29. (Quick Zoom In) The deer lays dear in a circle of light that filters through the stacks of paper that create the clearing. The deer has been eviscerated. (Body fills most of frame)

30. Girl approaches deer and falls to her knees beside the deer’s body. (MS to LS)

31. Girl runs an open palm over the pool of blood to a few, scattered, gold coins. She fingers the bloody coins and places them back in the gore. (ECU of hands and objects/MS of scene). (Maybe).

32. Girl applies some of the blood that remains on her hands to the deer’s cheek to emulate her own makeup. (MS)

33. Girl notices a broken mirror. She reaches down into the pool of blood again and grabs a shard, wipes it once and then raises the shard toward her face so that she might see her reflection. (The light of the forest slowly dims). (MS to CU)

34. Over the Shoulder: We barely see her face through the blood on the mirror as she hangs her head to cry. (Antlers shed). (MS to CU) Light begins to flicker before her. Girl begins to raise her head. (MS/CU) Pull Back to: Deer as it begins to rise again. (A brilliant light glows from its new spirit form). (Charcoal Spirit). (MS)

35. Reaction Shot: Girl is taken aback. (MS) Deer rears its head and juts out its chest in a show of pride, strength and greatness. (Body Fills the Frame, then Zoom into a MS; Worm’s Eye View)

36. Reaction Shot: A smile spreads across the girl’s (now illuminated) face which is still wet with tears. (Antlers grow to as large as the deer's). (CU)

- Fade Out -

*Underlined shots may be logistically impossible.

Sound List for “Hunt”:

1. Just score intro.

2. Sound of charcoal on paper. (Long strokes). (maybe)

3. Ripping of pages from a large pad of paper. (Possible sounds of frustration).

4. Score: An elevation in volume and intensity.

5. Same.

6. Same.

7. Echoed laughter, or something “like laughter.” (maybe)

8. Rustling of papers. (As though they are leaves).

9. Rustling stops with turn of head.

10. Silence or some gentle music to highlight this pivotal moment of seeing.

11. Same.

12. Same.

13. Score begins to rise again.

14. Same.

15. Determination is heard in the score.

16. Same.

17. Same.

18. Chase Begins: Paper rustling, feet, hooves and a reflection of the chase in the score.

19. Chase slows, music and intensity slow.

20. Reaches to touch deer. (Gentle tension).

21. Touches Deer: Big but quietish moment. A sort of calmness is felt.

22. Rustling of hunter (deer silently bounds off). Score: a rising of fear.

23. Heavy footfalls (and rustling?) Score: Louder with fear and realization.

24. Fear.

25. Same.

26. Same + Panting, and sounds of characters running.

27. Same – Hunter’s feet. (Girl has lost the other two but still runs). Score: Height of frenzy. Panting is at its most frustrated and frantic.

28. A slowing of the footfalls and rustling of “leaves.” Slowing of score. Huffing from running and small sounds of frustration/fear.

29. Jarring of music as we zoom to scene. (Breathless moment). (Possible emulation of heart beat, or something like it. A moment of tension: fears have been realized). (Could also sound as if underwater).

30. Weight of body as girl’s knees hit ground. (Or an emulation of this with music. A sort of “drop.”)

31. Near Silence: Could be a continuation of this “drowning sound.” Only score though.

32. Same.

33. Same.

34. Same + Soft tears. (This carries on for a bit until the light begins to flicker, music then begins to rise).

35. Music continues to rise.

36. Music caps.

16x9 News Letter Post

Check me out on 16x9's News Letter. (This is only the first page).

http://blog.scad.edu/16x9/projects/

Software Upload

I got this online and uploaded it. I'm almost there! GAHHHHH!

Lighting & A Fix

Over the weekend, after rising from the dead, I bought lights for my set. (As well as light bulbs.)

One of 4 lamps I purchased. ($6.24 a piece @ WalMart. They have a larger one that I might look into if I need a wider spread or something).

They didn't have the bulbs that those lamps need at WalMart, so I went to Home Depot for these. ($25.42 for the lot).

Jenna spent 6 or 7 hours fixing the girl's arm. It still has a way to go, but it's almost there. You can see some discoloration on the latex from Propoxy and such. Thankfully I plan on airbrushing as well as re-skinning this character. We covered this puppet with sheets of latex, mixed to a color I thought I'd want. But it just seems pale, flat and the latex isn't uniformly smooth or, more importantly, uniformly thick. (There are even locations with small holes).

Script, Sound List & Animatic

I have finally decided to cut the montage and add in the growing and shedding of horns with the ebb and flow of my film. However, the horns won't be "real 3D objects" they will be drawn in charcoal as will the rising spirit of the deer. So, I need one (I'm totally serious this time, hehe) final, edit of my script and sound list. Then the retiming and loose sound of the animatic can be finished and sent off to those who need it and posted for those who want it. :)

Progress Continues

I've been sick and have been having a terrible time trying to sleep. I'm under the care of a doctor at the moment so I think I'm ok, but things have been put on the back burner a bit. However, I'm getting back in the saddle this week and am still hoping to get to shooting after midterm.

I have hung posters in Monty and will hang more elsewhere. But, I learned that stamping is free when you're advertising for a project such as this and when you don't say that you're shooting off-campus on the flyer itself. So there's a fun loop-hole for future reference. I'm thinking about printing 8 1/2" x 11" posters on my own printer and just hanging them randomly. I also learned about SCAD's Film Collective: 16x9. (That's their name, "16x9"). They seem to be mostly for film students, but I'm sure plenty of those kids would be interested in working on animation projects as animation is still film; it's still moving images. They can be found on facebook, and twitter (twitter.com/16x9film) and on their blog: http://blog.scad.edu/16x9/projects/ and if you're an actor or crew member those blogs are: http://blog.scad.edu/16x9/crew and http://blog.scad.edu/16x9/cast Their email is: 16x9@scad.edu

As for finalizing everything and getting down to shooting and getting this dang project wrapped, I just need to finish the face on the deer, add protectant to its hooves, fix the girl's broken arm, finish her foam, latex, hair and costuming, hang black trash bags in my windows to control the light in my shooting space, retime the animatic, add sound, send to my sound peeps and finish cutting paper and doing whatever needs to be done to it. I have some odds and ends, including installing Stop Mo Pro, maybe increase the RAM on my laptop, set up the lighting, continue posting posters, maybe create some camera systems (i.e. dolly, etc.) reprint my flatbook and finish up the stuff that is on the list my professor checks off. (3D Pre-Viz, shot on 8s, blocking and an X-Sheet).

It looks like a lot, but in doing one thing I am often doing several. (As is the case with the last few items listed). I don't know if everything will be done by midterms, but I know that by this weekend I should be ready to roll!

Finalization

I think I have decided to cut the montage and add the bit back in with the growing and shedding of antlers on the girl. But, instead of 3D, real object antlers, I'm going to have her grow and shed antlers that I draw over the frames in charcoal. Possibly inverted to white so that they show up better on the BG as well as look like those of the deer. This will also be a clue to the deer's spirit form.

Here's an example, from a short I made, of how I want it to look: LINK!

(Kremlin Tetris).

Layout Sketeches

Below are some sketches that are aimed at posing and answering questions I have about my set. I also begin composing shots, thereby allowing me to think about how to place the "trees" as well as think about the set in more metaphorical terms.

Poster & Ideas

I'm reposting he poster below around SCAD. I should be getting them stamped/approved tomorrow before class. Yes, you may have seen them before but I need to continue to drum up enthusiasm.

It cost $47.62 to print 25 of these on 11"x17" paper. However, now it should be free to get them stamped because I don't say that I will be working in an off-campus location and it's to help get people for my film. (Not advertising a business of some sort). Also, I will be getting them stamped at the Student Center, 1st floor, in the Student Involvement Office.

Ideas: I am considering cutting the montage scene and maybe having the deer become one with the girl at the end. I do like the idea of repurposing the deer's body as a vellum sheet, but it seems superfluous. Thoughts?

Paper Stacks on Set

I decided to take a few photos of the paper stacks on set to see what they look like through the camera lens:

Green-screen

Here are some photos Jenna took of our cheap-o green-screen. (Thanks OfficeMax for 99 cent poster board):

Set

The set is finally assembled, here are some photos:

Colin's calculations for the fabric that creates the background.

Here's the whole set. (The flash on the right is being reflected by a giant mirror that is behind the set; the fabric is a bit see-through).

Here's a view of the corner without a flash.

Here's a view of the corner with a flash.

Here's how my deer looks with just the room lights on.

Here's my deer with a flashlight on. (Not exactly "awesome" but it gives the viewer an idea of how the black reacts).

Keep in mind that I may be repainting the location white, so...this is a test.

Sound List (First Draft)

Sound List for “Hunt”:

1. Just score intro.

2. Sound of charcoal on paper. (Long strokes). (maybe)

3. Ripping of pages from a large pad of paper. (Possible sounds of frustration).

4. Score: An elevation in volume and intensity.

5. Same.

6. Same.

7. Echoed laughter, or something “like laughter.” (maybe)

8. Rustling of papers. (As though they are leaves).

9. Rustling stops with turn of head.

10. Silence or some gentle music to highlight this pivotal moment of seeing.

11. Same.

12. Same.

13. Score begins to rise again.

14. Same.

15. Determination is heard in the score.

16. Same.

17. Same.

18. Chase Begins: Paper rustling, feet, hooves and a reflection of the chase in the score.

19. Chase slows, music and intensity slow.

20. Reaches to touch deer. (Gentle tension).

21. Touches Deer: Big but quietish moment. A sort of calmness is felt.

22. Rustling of hunter (deer silently bounds off). Score: a rising of fear.

23. Heavy footfalls (and rustling?) Score: Louder with fear and realization.

24. Fear.

25. Same.

26. Same + Panting, and sounds of characters running.

27. Same – Hunter’s feet. (Girl has lost the other two but still runs). Score: Height of frenzy. Panting is at its most frustrated and frantic.

28. A slowing of the footfalls and rustling of “leaves.” Slowing of score. Huffing from running and small sounds of frustration/fear.

29. Jarring of music as we zoom to scene. (Breathless moment). (Possible emulation of heart beat, or something like it. A moment of tension: fears have been realized). (Could also sound as if underwater).

30. Weight of body as girl’s knees hit ground. (Or an emulation of this with music. A sort of “drop.”)

31. Near Silence: Could be a continuation of this “drowning sound.” Only score though.

32. Same.

33. Same.

34. Same + Soft tears. (This carries on for a bit until the light begins to flicker, music then begins to rise).

35. Music continues to rise.

36. Music caps.

37. Montage Begins: No voice or sound FX. Just the score which follows the action and denotes the montage.

38. Same.

39. Same.

40. Same.

41. Same.

42. Same.

43. Same + A reflection of the music in 36. (Bigger?)

Other Progress

I drew thumbnails based on the final script and then re-edited the script based on what I learned from drawing. Then I photographed the images for my animatic (cast picture below). I also am going to print out more posters to drum up more interest in the film and make a list of sound FX, etc. for my crew. And then do a final assembly of my set, which I will show later.

Props

At the end of last quarter I had the props done, here they are:

From left to right: Mirror, charcoal, knife and three coins.

Easel.

Puppets

By the end of last quarter I got almost done with my puppets; here are a couple images to show the progress I made. I still need to finish the deer's face and as you might be able to see, the latex on the girl got all screwed up. So I only got so far on her.

Anyway, here's the result: