Final Film

Francis (Gus) Kearns_St George and the Dragon FMP from Gus Kearns on Vimeo.

Post Production Process

I assembled a rough cut of the film in Premier Pro over the course of shooting.  This was to give me an impression of what the final film would be.  More complex shots, such as the fire breathing and juggling, were imported into After Effects for the intricate editing process.

The fire breathing effect was achieved by overlaying a fire blast effect over the footage.  This effect was available for free from ActionVFX.com.  I tweaked the footage to appear more integrated in the scene.  I added a few final additions, such as the flame effect on the torch and rendered out the shot to finish.

For the juggling shot, I composited out the rigging in every frame of footage.  This was done in After Effects.  While shooting this shot I ensured to take a few frames with the characters out of the frame.  This gave me a base plate which I overlayed the juggling footage over the top with the rigging masked out.

I put together an end credit sequence in Photoshop.  I used various medieval fonts found online as well as a high-res parchment image for the backdrop.  The black and red text reinforce the olde-worlde aesthetic but also conveniently matched the colours of the Staffordshire University logo on the final title.

I finally edited all the completed shots in Premier Pro and included the soundtrack and sound effects (As detailed earlier).

Animation Process

Upon completion of the puppets and set, I began the animation process.

I set up a total of five lights up around my set to give the scene a bright and clean, children's animation aesthetic.  I also set up a separate small puppet repair booth behind the animation table.  This was of great use when the puppets were damaged or needed element replacing, such as mouths.  

The tie down process of drilling into the set and screwing the puppets in place, was as effective as I was hoping it would be.  The holes left in the set were virtually unnoticeable in the animation and could be cleaned out in post.  I also utilized a small vacuum to clear away any dust left on the set after drilling.

I made use of a large screen which came with the room I used.  This allowed me to check my progress while animating the puppets during production.  I made sure to glue all the lights and the animation table to the ground so that any accidental bumps or nudges would not ruin a shot.

The film is animated mostly on 2's.  I occasionally animated on 1's for quick movements which would otherwise look awkward on 2's.  This method allows me to animated more rapidly than I would have had I been animating solely on 1's.  This process of animation is used by Aardman and Factory Create.  Seeing as these companies are the largest employers of animators in the UK, I thought it best to ditch my usual process of animating on 1's in favor of this speedier method.

I used a rig on some shots where characters are seen from the waist up.  This allowed me to animate them walking without having to animate the legs which would otherwise be unseen.  I would ensure to also place down a flat board beneath the rig so as to create a smooth surface for it to slide across.  (See below)

I utilized LAVs (Live Action Videos) throughout the production.  These helped me create realistic and pleasing movement from the puppets by referring to them while animating them in a given sequence.  I would cherry-pick the elements I thought were most effective in the LAVs to produce the most satisfying result.  (See below)

LAV Reference Comparison "Fight Sequence" from Gus Kearns on Vimeo.

FMP Assistant

As a part of the Module brief  I was required to bring on assistants to help with the project.  I attempted to work with one of the sound design students but was let down, as I mentioned earlier in this blog.  I did receive some help from 2nd year animation student Joshua Boyd in digitally painting a version of the background.  Despite the work he put in, I ended up physically painting it on the foam board / papier-mache hills.  This provided a stronger depth to the background which would not have been seen if I had used the Photoshoped image.

Sound Design/Soundtrack

In November I enlisted the help of a music tech student to provide me with a sound design for the project. Unfortunately this individual did not deliver on the work required.  I ultimately used free sound effects and music found on online, from sites such as; freesound and bbcsfx.  I considered hiring someone to provide me with a soundtrack but I was unable to find anyone affordable enough to provide the authentic medieval music required for the film.  In the end, I used a medieval festival soundtrack found on youtube with the permission of the artist.  Once the film is completed and possibly put out on the animation festival circuit, I may decide to invest hiring a musician to provide the soundtrack.

I also enlisted two voice artists to provide the voices of the Mother and Son characters.  I found these women on Fivver.com and within a few days of communication, received the final audio files.  Although I considered bringing on a child to perform as the St George character, I couldn't find anyone suitable for the part and went for an adult voice actress instead.  Animated television shows frequently use female voices to voice younger male characters so I was not under the impression that I was doing anything out of the ordinary.

Replacement Mouths

The mouths were designed in Photoshop, printed on paper then carefully cut out with a blade.  I finally inked in the white edges of the paper with a sharpie.  Terry Gilliam used this same technique when animating his paper cutouts for the Monty Python television series and films.
I designed multiple facial expressions as well as all necessary lip movements for the speaking sections of the film.

Publicity Images

Poster Design

Publicity Still #1

Publicity Still #2

Set Design - Part 2

I set up my animation table in the animation studio and dressed it with all the prop elements.  I glued the set to the table with hot glue to ensure there would be no movement between shots should I bump the table.

I painted the background in acrylic once I could see it on camera.  This was so I could ensure that the paint mix was muted to make them appear a greater distance away from the foreground.  I also applied further grass and foliage elements to break up the green of the AstroTurf in places.  In the image above you can also see that I have begun fabrication on the flag rope which hangs between the tents.

As seen above, I followed my concept art closely when decorating the set.

I took a number of publicity shots of the puppets on set.  This gave me the opportunity to make any final touches, upon viewing how the puppets appeared in the environment.

Stop-Motion Cart Prop

To begin with, I designed all the elements of the cart in Illustrator.  I ensured that the design fit within a single A3 sheet. 

I then handed the files, along with a plank of A3 mdf, over to the university laser cutters.  (See above)  This process took around 45 minutes, which was a heartbeat in comparison to how long it would have taken if I had individually cut each piece in the mdf.

I finally glued everything together following my reference images.  It was extremely satisfying watching the prop come together in such a short time.  Within two hours of handing over my illustrator files to the laser cutters, I had completed a prop, ready for painting.

Set Design - Part 1

The first thing I constructed was the the animation table which was to be the base for my set.  I knew that this would be placed on top of the University studio tables and that it would need to have enough space for me to put my arms underneath to tie down the puppets to the set.  I measured the mdf so that it would fit on the table exactly.  I ensured that the set had multiple supports so that it would be stable and hold up to potential drilling and pressure during animation.

Once the table was constructed I was free to dive into the set fabrication.  I stapled down a layer of AstroTurf and cut away a small section in the middle to serve as the performance area.   (See below)  I also set about building the tents from wood supports, hot glued together with cloth glued in place over the top.

I applied filler as well as a layer of pva and sand to the ground area.  I also added small sections of astroturf onto this area to bring it to life.

The backboard was fabricated from a large section of 6mm mdf which was supported with strips of 12mm wood.  This was then spray painted in first sky blue and then in parts with white for the clouds.

I painted the base and barrels in acrylic.  This was a great opportunity to utilize the painting techniques I developed as a teenager in Games Workshop.  The mountains at the back of the set were constructed with foam board.  I would later go on to paint them following the colour design set in my concept art.

Sewing

Once all the silicone elements had been casted I then set about in fabricating the clothing.  With my coloured character art in hand, I made a nomber of visits to my local fabric store.  I bought multiple cloth strips for each clothing element and I would compare and test these once I returned to my workstation at University.  Sometimes fabric would look different under the studio lights or not drape over the puppet suitably.  Once I had made my decisions on what cloth to use, I set about sewing the elements together with a Sewing Machine which I lent from mt fellow student, Jonathan Garvey.    I also utilized fabric pins, fabric glue and a clover iron to drive out any wrinkles in the fabric.

I found that the blue material I used for the Princess' dress was too 'puffy' in the end.  I had no time to revise and so had to continue onto the other costumes.  If I had another week or two I would have redone this element.

When working on multiple puppets at a time I found that my workstation would get rather messy - as seen above.  The Father's leather arm gauntlets were made from miliput and painted to look like leather.

Here I am placing the gold detailing onto the puppet.  These were first sculpted and then casted in batches using resin.  I then painted each of these pieces in gold, ensuring that the lower sides were painted with a slightly darker colour as they would be facing downwards.  The belt was fabricated from a strip of leather with the buckle glued on which was sculpted with a kneaditite/miliput mix.

Sword Fabrication

The swords were cast in resin mixed with aluminium powder.  As I planned them to be juggled between St George and the Dragon, they would have to be rigged with wire and would require to be able to be re-positioned in the air at different angles.  I devised a rigging system with wire and magnates which would allow the swards to be positioned in anyway required as they would attach to the rigs magnetically.

Head Armatures/Resculpting

I produced an internal wire pulling mechanism on the Princess’s armature head.  (See above) This was designed to pull the lips up in a smile – similar to the character of the Corpse Bride in the film... erm... Corpse Bride.  The mechanism is constructed from a guitar tuner and thin fishing wire.  The armature head pictured here, as well as those for the other puppets, would have to be scrapped as the silicone faces did not provide the effect I desired when I tested them under the camera.  

In the end, I decided to capitalize on my acrylic painting skills and quickly re-sculpt the faces in grey supersculpey.  After taking them out of the oven, I found that some cracks and imperfections had developed.  These were filled up in miliput and lightly filed over to smooth the faces over.

Full Body Cast

Once cast, I first set about in removing the flashing.  I did this in the same way I removed the excess on the other silicone elements.  I achieved this by utilizing a small pair of scissors and a Dremel.

The full silicone body set just as desired, with all joints bending in the appropriate places.

I cut slits in the silicone for the Allen keys to readjust the joints where required when animating.

I also tested the armature's foot joint by balancing the ball of the foot on a section of threaded bar.

Casting In Silicone

Once the armatures and two part moulds were made, I then prepped my workstation for the silicone process.
I began by mixing the silicon with the desired pigment and a tiny amount of cure accelerator.  I layered this mix into the mould, working up in several layers until I have created a skin almost 1mm thick.

Once these had dried, I then placed the armature in the mould, brought both sides of the mould together and finally poured in a softer silicone; which I used in order to reduce any resistance when moving the puppet's joints when it came to animating.

I braced each side of the moulds to minimize silicone leakage and reduce potential flashing on the final cast.

The moulds themselves appeared dirty once they were cast.  I believe that this is due to the conditions I had to cast them in.  As the University had temporarily closed their moulding/casting room, I had no other choice but to cast the resin outside.  Despite working under cover, the moister in the air resulted corrupted moulds.  The cracks and imperfections could be repaired with miliput. 

I wrapped the joints of the armature in tape to ensure that the silicone would not interfere with the movement.

I placed the armature carefully into position in the mould, ensuring that the joints were positioned correctly so that they would bend correctly on the final cast. 

Completed Armatures

Here are the completed Armatures, pictured side by side.
Armatures - FMP Work from Gus Kearns on Vimeo.

Armature Construction Pt 1

With the moulds completed I then set to work building the armature.  To begin with, I cut each element of K&S required following the armature template sheets I had previously drawn up.  I then filed the ends of the K&S with a diamond needle file to ensure that the male and female sections would interlock smoothly.  See above.  

I then set about cutting out the foam to be used for the interior structure.  To do this I first cut out the sections in paper, following my armature sheets I had drawn earlier.  I then used these peices of paper to make a template on the foam which I cut with care to ensure that they were the precise size as presented on the paper.  The foam will be a vital internal element as it will hold all the internal wire and K&S components as well as provide me with firm gripping points on the puppet for the animation process.

Here are the feet for the Princess puppet which have been drilled and then tapped to an M3 size in order to match the nut which will be welded on later.

I prepped a series of armature hands to be later placed in the hand mold and covered in silicone.  I spun a strip of copper wire in with the aluminium to give the fingers more durability.  I will be sure to paint the hands in a suitable flesh colour before molding so that the armature does not show through.

Everything is coming together in this image. The wire, K&S and foam is all glued together here for the boys lower body section.

Preparing the Moulds

After getting back after the new year I set to work on building the moulds for the sculpts which I had completed the over Christmas.  These were built up using WED clay.  I had a total of 10 moulds in total to put together!  See images below.

Hand Moulds.

Foot Mould

Head Mould

Full Body Mould

I would go on to build up the mould walls in foamboard and cast them up in resin.