The 48 Hour FIlm Fest Video

At the start of this production, I was put in charge of testing various methods to create the natural terrains of the entire show. This was a fun time of experimentation. There are a lot of tried and true ways that we use in stop motion to achieve certain looks, but they can sometimes start to look rote. We wanted to challenge ourselves to try something new, and make the “normal” things to be made in a totally new way.

For example, we experimented with using dyed wood chips and sawdust for our grass textures. I was in charge of the early tests to determine the proper look and scale of this important terrain texture. In the end we ended up using a combination of both, dyed green and yellow, to achieve the grass at various different scales.

Better L.A.

At the start of this production, I was put in charge of testing various methods to create the natural terrains of the entire show. This was a fun time of experimentation. There are a lot of tried and true ways that we use in stop motion to achieve certain looks, but they can sometimes start to look rote. We wanted to challenge ourselves to try something new, and make the “normal” things to be made in a totally new way.

For example, we experimented with using dyed wood chips and sawdust for our grass textures. I was in charge of the early tests to determine the proper look and scale of this important terrain texture. In the end we ended up using a combination of both, dyed green and yellow, to achieve the grass at various different scales.

From the top to the bottom

The Waterfall was the first set on Shape Island that I took all the way from start to finish. Starting with the initial foam carving, to coating the surface with our dense expending foam, and continuing on into a round of plastic coating and terrain texturing, this one truly felt like i out my signature on it.

I also spent a decent amount of time figuring out how to do the water in the pond, and rolling down the mountainside. The waterfall itself is number of delicately poured, built-up layers of clear resin, combined with some lighting and VFX magic to make it appear in motion. The pond was a large piece of clear acrylic sheet, cut to fit exactly in a deep divot of the carved foam. We then painted to underside of the acrylic, to give it the illusion of surface depth.