Fab, Rick!

My fairygodintern, Sophie began the task of blending the Answer Tree's branches with the hot glued-on leaf stems yesterday. She used flexible cement to make a start on the hundreds of mini sculptures needed. (will you look at that concentration! Love it!)

Proud to say, I just completed the book design/production project that I've been working on since January. It's finally off to the printer today. I'm gratified with the way it has turned out so far. and look forward to showing it to you when it's finished. The author came here to make watercolor illustrations to accompany her text. I also completed my first website design last week and my partner, Young Ron, is coding it for the next few weeks. I've got only collateral project deadlines, for these two projects, still on my plate. I've got to design and produce a print campaign to launch the website next month and give the book's author some further marketing direction as well. But after that, Paul and I are toying with the idea of my not taking on design projects for the next 6 months to see whether I can push through some major progress on Halfland. We'll see if it's possible to swing this financially. (Lawd knows I don't waste money on grooming!)

Yay, yesterday my lovely intern, Sophie, came over to work. I got her started (Sucka!--No seriously, Soph, thank you for this help.) on finishing the leaf installation by covering over the blobs of hot glue, that were applied with with blobs of FlexAll cement. The hundreds of blobs will then be painted to match the bark. (and any errant cement on leaves will be magically painted to look like natural outdoor-schmutz-on-leaves.)

Whilst Sophie was doing that I continued to sculpt a lip on the sides of the stream bed out of twisted sheets of newspaper and masking tape. Then we both took Sophie-torn pieces of brown paper and started machéing it into the set. I noticed that the lip was working but that the cello was too fragile to hold up to much animating. My latest brain storm for solution is now to use shades of shiny iridescent sheer pale blue and aqua fabric, wired on the edges to conform to the stream shape, covered by the lip as it rolls down. Made a few frame test with fabric I had on hand to test the effect. I miss the gloss of the plastic but am loving the material effect even more.



Also on board, Intern Sophie's big sister, Tash, joined us in the shop for the afternoon. She finished a wonderful colorful large canvas she'd been working on here. She completed it and took it home, still wet, to hang on her bedroom wall. Way to go, Tash.

Comments

  1. Anonymous3:57 PM

    Hi Shelley,
    The set is looking incredible! Is this going to be shot where it sits? It's huge!

    -Yuji

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  2. Hi Yuji, YES! Shot as it sits. It will also break into wedges for getting close in to the cottage, etc.

    I'm planning on getting the camera deeply into the 360º set rather than shooting at it.

    There'll be a distance shot or two that I can get from across the space here, once I figure how to knock out the background.

    What are you working on?

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  3. Wow! Fun to do things with friends. You guys are like the sisterhood of the traveling pants. Anyway, reading that last comment got me to thinking, do you have any plans for the set AFTER the shoot? Seems it could potentially make a great decorative item. Be a shame to tear it down.

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  4. That's definitely one of my favourite things about filmmaking; Todays problem(s) is... Todays solution(s) is...

    It always keeps you on your toes, hey!

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  5. hey shel,

    i'm stopping by for my quarterly halfland check in.....really cool to see your progress.....the set is looking awesome (and seems to be about to take over the living room, by the next time i check in i expect to see the tree has engulfed the couch!)

    river's looking very cool.....i'm taking water notes in case justin and i ever find ourselves in an aquatic situation.

    an intern is a brilliant idea and sounds like sophie is a great fit....yay!

    love that gernerous moby tidbit too! great info, thanks for the posting it.

    see ya girl...

    rock on,

    shel

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  6. Hi Ryan, I plan to make add'l films with the set. Poetry videos concerning trees and such. I won't be throwing the set away, even if it's just as a whimsical world in the corner. The cats love it! They take turns sleeping in the cottage.

    Hi Rich, tip toeing over here, how about you!?

    Hi Shel bell, I love your quarterly check ins! Are you the most organized disciplined person on earth? Thanks for the cheers.

    Be sure to book us in for an annual Riggity trip to Halfland too. I'd love Aedon to be a part of things. Maybe she'd like to help paper mache?!

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  7. Me? GLACK! I had to bin an entire DVD run because of a single misused still image... moral: don't do final DVD approvals and 1:30am. Luckily I caught the mistake shortly into the run. But still... GLACK!

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