Making the models!

My stop motion cast is coming together! I created a few models this weekend. Here follows a step by step guide to how I made my actors.

1. I  chose red plastacine for my models and bought it fairly cheaply from a craft shop. I used some regular household metal wire for the model's 'skeleton.'

2. I then cut several lengths of wire to form a basic skeleton including limbs, joints and supports for the head.

3. I then twisted the separate sections together at the various joints to form the complete skeleton.

4. Once the skeleton was complete, I could start applying the plastacine to flesh out the figure.

When all the wire is covered, the figure is complete. The first model I made, I realised, was far too large. So I made another attempt at making a smaller one which came out much better.

A quick coffee break on a busy day of shooting.

Video Treatment from Sam Paterson on Vimeo.

This is a short video treatment I recorded to summarise my idea. Enjoy!

Detailed Action Plan

3 December - Stop-animation workshop

10 December - Models made

3 January - All filming complete

10 January - Rough cut complete

21 January - Have final cut completed

28 January - Final deadline for main task

11 February - Complete ancillary task

18 February - Final deadline for ancillary task

Contacting Outasight - The Answer

Contacting Outasight

I've just contacted Outasight (the artist of the song I'm using) via his Tumblr blog page to make sure he does mind me using his material.

This is what I wrote:

" Hey Outasight!

Can I just say, I think your music is amazing. It just seems to get everything right.

What I wanted to ask was, whether you would be happy for me to use your song Good Evening (Dream Big) for a school project.

We have to make a music video and I choose your song because I listen to it almost every day on my way to class, starts the day off right. The sound is so optimistic!

I can't wait to hear back and get the project moving!

Also, I wrote about you on my Tumblr blog a while back, have a read if you are interested! "

So that's the message, lets hope I get a possitive reply soon!

Initial Idea

My initial idea uses stop motion. I'm thinking of using the song 'Good Evening (Dream Big)' by Outasight. I like it's optimistic feel that I associate with the beginning of a new day. I think the idea of a Plasticine stop motion character would lend itself well to the song. I imagine the character having their own smaller, colourful world based around toys and homemade scenery. The main challenges I can see are making stop motion of a decent quality, within the time frame I'm working to. Wallace and Gromit animators aim to make 2 seconds of film per day! I'd hope to work a little quicker than that.

5 Things that...

... I will do this year, having learnt from last year

1. Be more experimental and ambitious with my ideas.
2. Listen to teachers advice on my coursework more closely, and take their comments to heart.
3. Make sure my shots have a greater variety and that I don't dwell on specific images.
4. Attempt something that isn't so sombre.
5. Make sure my blog documents my planning from beginning to start.

... I hope to avoid this year, that were issues last year.

1. I won't rely on actors. Although mine did a good job, it's easier to rely on myself.
2. Just using the school DV cameras.
3. Just using text to document on my blog.
4. Think that I'm the first person in the world to think of using black and white.
5. Research into people that are exclusively my own age.