Animating the Carousel

First bit of animating under way! I glad I'm starting off doing this one as it doesn't involve any performance. I put a bit of green screening fabric behind the doors so i can colour key it out in post.It took a while to sort out the lighting- I made a spot light from lighting foil and had to try not to get any hot spots as the box has a bit of a sheen from the varnish and also the doors having white on them makes lighting quite tricky. White does not bode well in stop motion I have found... Flipping great seeing as a lot of my characters have some form of white...

Anyway, after a few quick tests I got the whole list of shots done in a couple of days so I can get on with the more daunting animation- character based...eeek!

Finiiissheeed!

Box Decor

Now to get on with painting up the box, distressing it etc...


I used the inside of tomato puree tubes for the runners on the roof. They are a brilliant gold- copper litho and its very soft so you can cut it with scissors or a scalpel. It can be embossed by drawing on it.
I used sandpaper and turquoise ink to make it look tarnished.

The feature at the top is a bead I found and a glass headed pin.

Bearded Lady

Monkey

Pip: The Girl Who Swallowed an Apple Seed

Lody's Mistress

Birdman

Gorran and Bran

Move In!

I moved into the animating booth today! I'm in the first group- we have 4 weeks to shoot our films. I am not ready! still got quite a bit of making to do and I was meant to have moved in a week ago!. At least the mermaid is finished (apart from eyes) so I can start with her. Monkey is almost finished just needs his hands and for me to decide wether to put rods from the elbow of from the hands. The crows are finished but I am waiting on Paul Spooner to send me a paper bellows that he has kindly made for me. I'll be making their squeezebox from the bellows/ concertina.

The Gang So Far...

 I also completed the woodwork for the box! So pleased with my self for doing this.

Doors

Painting up the doors. Lovin' it lovin' it lovin' it....

Left before, Right after sanding back

Halfway through the Monkey Door

 Pip's door

Playing around with antique effects

Painting up the Doors and Monkey Face

Today I have been mostly painting.....

Little tiny ears

Lipstick on

Bit o rouge

Tranny Monkey.... Ooh la la

And painting boarders on the doors....

Set Fabrication in Wood and Paint Tests

I braved it and went to wood work to do my set box. The technician cut the sides as they had to be cut on an angle for the hexagon shape to fit together. I measured and cut out the openings for the doors and then on separate pieces of ply I cut out the double doors. I used a fret saw to cut the openings and a ban saw to cut the doors.

The 45 degree angle for the joints

Measuring out the doorways

Cleaning up my terrible cutting

The double doors cut out

I've sanded the doors and rounded the hinge edges so they don't rub and opens smoothly. 

I've been doing some paint tests on the veneer scraps that I'll be using to put on the doors and on the ply wood for the main body of the box.

Wood Veneer