Filming in the Big Wide World

My plan for filming was simple. Set up a camera in the middle of town in a busy location so that the back ground was filled with activity. Then animate in the fore ground with the 8 models.

It would have been nice to do some shots with the model in the back ground but that meant taking a shot, running to the model, replacing it, then running back to the camera, hoping it was still there. And a 2 inch model can’t really be seen from to far away.

I was forced to use the only camera available to me, my phone. I like this camera and have always used it for all my pictures, but found that because unlike a camera it doesn’t have any where to attach a tripod, it wobbles a lot when animating.

I solved this problem rather ingeniously by using a clamp to hold the camera steady. My poor phone was tightly secured into the clamp, which had a large flat base to keep it steady.

My first test shied away from the outside, but turned out to be one of my favourites. I shot it out of my bedroom window, which despite not having much action, has caught the clouds moving with the guy as he passes.

I filmed in several locations around broad mead in the centre. There where thirteen locations in all. I know this area very well so I had no overall plan of where to go, but knew in my head some good locations to film.

When I found a location I would sit crossed legged on the floor, set up the camera to get a good shot, got out the models and started animating.

In all it took 2 days to shoot the whole film. I feel the best locations were the ones with the most activity in the background, such as the escalators and the bus stops but I also like the slower more natural movements like the water and clouds, and the traffic lights where interesting because they change colour every frame.

Model Production and Test Animations

The above images are of the very first stage of the model making process. I decided that the success of the whole animation would depend on how well the legs animated.

This meant that I concentrated on the lower body until I was satisfied, and left the torso off, so it wouldn’t distract me.

The running cycle was going to have 8 frames meaning I could concentrate on the models in the first 4 frames, knowing the rest would be a mirror of these first 4.

The above 4 pictures are just mirrored images of the previous 4. Doing this gave me the opportunity to put all 8 frames together and view the run cycle as a whole, allowing me to analyse my animation with out making the other 4 stages.

After many fine corrections, including removing one whole model which fitted between frames 3 and 4 I was able to put together this run cycle, on a continues loop.

Next I concentrated on the spacing between the models, (still not attaching the body). This would change the animation from running on the spot to running across the screen and was the hardest part.

This show an early attempt at spacing the models run cycle. There is a circle drawn on the floor for each model to be placed in. I found this an over complicated way of working, often forgetting which model went with which circle, and where I was in the animation.

It also meant planning where every single frame would be, meaning my final scene with over 50 frames would need a piece of paper laid out with 50 pre-designated spots on it, which its self would be visible.

There was also no guaranty that in every frame the model would face forward with the round base, leading to poorer animation.

These problems annoyed me so I distracted my self by completing the models. First I green stuffed up all the horrible gaps left by my converting. I missed out a bit by accident so it looks like he crushes his foot when he lands. Oops.

For the paint scheme I choose good old reliable ultramarines, seeing as they are the most recognisable chapter. The red head and green shoulder pad are rank insignia, but where chosen to give contrast and definition. He is 4th company, 9th squad, devastator sergeant.
I removed the round bases and used square ones instead. This was so that the model had a definite facing and stop the problem of the model twisting randomly during animation.

Then I drew the centre point on each base and stuck the foot there. This meant that the first 4 models would be in the exact same place, then the 5th frame would be positioned ahead of the previous frame, then frame 6, 7 and 8 would be in the exact same spot as 5. Then frame 1 would be placed ahead of frame 8 and the process would repeat.

The spacing between frame 8 and 1 and frame 4 and 5 was very important to the animation. This distance was discovered though trial and error, turning out to be a base and a half, or 1 and a half inches. I made a marker to measure this distance when animating.
With all 8 models complete I was ready to enter the big wide world and start filming!

This is my animation I made using replacement animation. There are 8 individual models used, and photographed in various locations around Bristol. It was edited in windows movie maker.

This is my statue I made for a display at the games workshop where I work. It was done for the war of the ring release, and the brief ‘was something really big’ from the books. Its really nice having people stop by to look at it though the window and come in and ask what its for.

Tech head 2

The second head is designed as a lower ranking medial who assists the first technician. All no essential organs have been removed, such as the eyes, mouth and ears, so that he can better perform his tasks, such as communicating with computers and processing data.

Tech head 1

I made this model as a futuristic technician, augmented with parts designed to help with his daily tasks. It was made from a shop manikin head, covered in air hardening clay with parts I have collected and screwed into place.

the images here are of the work iv done over the last year