After 2 years of talking about it I am happy to finally be sharing the finished film. I found its creation to be a welcome change of pace from my previous work.
JACK
While painting this puppet the character of Jack from American Werewolf popped into my mind. I quickly called up some pictures, and while they don’t look anything like each other, I really liked Jack’s paint job, so I kept the images handy as reference. After all, it’s Rick Baker, you really can’t go wrong.
BROKEN BONES
Today I completed the sixth and final armature for my next film. Trial and error are a major part of the armature building process as can be seen by my pile of discarded parts. There are a number of reasons a part might be unusable; they don’t track correctly, they’re too big, too small, too short, too long, or just a bad idea. Everything is a learning experience, no matter how many times you’ve done it.
DRY RUN
Before running any foam rubber I always pull a liquid rubber casting from all my molds. I use Monster Makers RD 407 Mask Latex. I build a basic wire armature which I wrap with some foam padding. Using the latex again, I glue the two halves together over the armature and do a really basic clean up of the seam. Next I will paint these rough versions until I’m happy with their final appearance. This way there’s no screw ups when it comes to the foam rubber puppets.
EARLY REVIEWS
CARTOON BREW posted a very complimentary review of DRAIN this past week on their website. DRAIN also garnered some kind words on KITLEY’S KRYPT. The animation world is very crowded and getting exposure for your work can be difficult. Independent films like mine need all the help they can get which is why write ups like these are so important.
BRASS AND STEEL
I’ve machined about 40 to 50 armatures over the past 10 years. Hack saws, metal files and a drill press are basically all I use. No lathe work. And while they may not be the most polished when it comes to appearance, they have served me well. Once they are covered in foam rubber all that matters is that they move well.
SCULPTING
I’m not much for sketching out designs. I just pick up some clay, grab a couple of reference photos and have at it. After some trial and error I find that I reach a point where I know where I’m going and the final character starts to come together organically.
WRITING & SCULPTING
Sculpting characters and designing a film while simultaneously trying to lock down the story has proven to be a very productive approach. As I move back and forth between the practical aspects of design and crafting a script, I have found that each process is inspiring the other. I find it useful to not become rigid in my film making process regardless of how successful previous efforts may have been. Changing up your approach can lead to all kinds of interesting possibilities.
STARTING WITH A DESIGN
I usually don’t start sculpting characters until I have some kind of story outline but when you have an idea, sometimes it’s best to just get it down. This maquette is about half way there but having something tangible to look at can really help bring a story into focus.
25 MONTHS
I think about this day whenever I start a new film. It’s fair to say that the early days of production can be overwhelming. The lists, materials, designs, sculptures, story boarding, animating, etc… when you work alone it’s a daunting task to say the least. But slowly I work my way through each phase of production and even though I can see it coming, the day it all ends always comes as a shock. I am exceedingly pleased with IT CAME FROM BEYOND THE DRAIN. The finished film was well worth all the time and effort. As I weigh the pros and cons of a festival run I can’t help wondering what I should do next. Until then, it’s never a bad idea to look at where you’ve been.
a film by ADAM CIOLFI 