AN EXTRA DIMENSION

One of the things I strive for when shooting is to be creative with the framing of my shots. I like dolly shots, dutch angles, rack focusing and the inclusion of extreme close ups. Most of time this can be accomplished with the existing puppets and sets. Extreme close ups however are another matter. Miniature sets and puppets do not have the amount of detail needed to withstand that type of framing which means the building of oversized props. Last week I constructed a large voltage meter face. This week it is an oversized portion of Leith's neck. To build these pieces can take as little as a few hours to several days.

More often then not, these shots last 2 seconds or less and take very little time or effort to shoot. The close up of the volt meter was animated in less than 20 minutes but required 20 hours to design, build, paint and light.That shot and others like it are crucial in giving the film scope.