Jimmy model motion test

(I'm still not entirely sure what the mess in the first two seconds is.)

New test video, the first successful video of what I believe is going to be one of the final models for Jimmy, the main character of our wonderful little film.

I experimented with tying down the puppets feet in this video, used some eight dollar particle-board from a hardware store and tied off lengths of aluminum wire around the puppets feet through the holes in the board.  It seems that a top-heavy puppet really requires something like this, although I'll have to use some thinner wire to be able to poke through a felt-covered surface in principal photography.

Building Trees

[A more detailed instructional view of this to come later] I'm making some really cool trees out of wire and paper mache. I bought one hundred feet of wire with some mystery grease on it at a hardware store for nine dollars. Paper mache is just flour and newspaper, so that part's virtually free.

It's a ghastly looking tree, I'll admit.  I didn't use a reference. All-in-all, I'll be making at least three of these things. Someday I'll talk about how to make a tree skeleton out of mystery wire from the hardware store.

This particular tree is currently hanging from the ceiling so that its roots can dry. To be painted soon.

Welcome to the Naughty List blog!  Come here to catch up on production of the movie and learn a thing or two about stop-motion animation along with us!

Here's a couple of short videos testing stop-motion animation.  I used one of those small wooden mannequins for sketching, you can find a pretty cheap one at any craft store for about two dollars.