BUMPS IN THE ROAD

Final touches are added to the Clarke puppet.

I started this blog in order to document the making of a stop motion film and to show that with a little hard work and dedication, anyone can do it. Stop motion animation is over 100 years old and the difficulties inherent in the process really haven't changed in all that time. If anything, it's never been easier, but as anyone who makes their own films will tell you, there are always challenges.

Clarke on set under full lighting.

Sometimes they are small, other times they seem overwhelming, and then there are those times you just have to accept that it's the price of doing business. In the first 4 weeks I have spent shooting I have had mild issues with flicker (I admit I am extremely sensitive when it comes to this issue) I've also had an over sensitive lens slowly lose focus over the course of a shot due to the camera's shutter movement (I tape the focus rings on all my lenses now) Then there's the neck joint on Leith.

The puppets for Broken were built using mostly old spare armature parts left over from The Lady of Names and in the case of Leith, although the neck joint is firm, the movement tends to drift to the left.

Again, not a big deal if you don't mind adjusting each frame a couple times to get the motion right. Just to be clear, I am not complaining about these issues. Quite frankly, after decades of animating I find them amusing and I hope you find them informative.