FIRST LIFE!! Puppets begin to move in Halfland


Frog Test Editlo - Computer from Shelley Noble on Vimeo. (fyi; right clicking on the play button and selecting "turn loop ON" will playback on auto repeat.)

This is a very big deal here, gang. For the very first time, The real production filming has begun in Halfland last weekend. Here, a very brief 60 frame test, shows the Finished Time Frog puppet moving for the first time, the first life in 1/2L. Did I say this was a big deal?

It's taken 20 years to get from when I thought of this film to the point now where all the sets and props are fully built, aka pre-production, is done and that the choice of method for filming has been made and equipment kindly loaned or aquired within our means. The project has now moved into PRODUCTION.

And now, thanks to many of your long standing encouragement and help, the actual shooting has begun. I sent up the official Bat Signal to 1/2L Hero, Dick Kaneshiro last Saturday and even though he had just finished a long week of very long days at his pro animation gig, he went to all the trouble to bring over equipment he hasn't needed to let me try it out to see whether it worked for what I wanted. It does!

By the time Christine! Kuper came to help out on Tuesday, we were able to set things up enough (thanks to her brains) to actual forge into frame-by-framing together to make this little test.

Since then, I've been searching out ways I could get a bit of atmosphere and texture into the straight capture to get a bit more of a storybook magical visual style with software I already own. Mike Brent once again and ever helpful, suggested I try a little manual batch processing to see if that would get me closer. Later versions of Adobe software will do this kind of adjustment layer effects more easily as will other Adobe video editing applications but I don't have those right now and want to see what can be done with what I have.

What you see above is the result of my hand placing a texture layer over and hand-blurring around the focal point of each frame. This isn't how I'll be making the entire film, just a test to see if what I had in mind could get anywhere close. I didn't pay too much attention to the precise placement of the texture layer over the base image and as a result it shimmies a bit like antique nickelodeon celluloid, which is kind of interesting and may have a place in the effects here and there.

Rule #44: Nothing is ever completely complete. Even when it seems like something is fully done, there will still likely be revisions and adjustments to be made once the Latex hits the Papier Maché, as it were.

Comments

  1. Congratulations Shelley! I am excited for you ... but most of all for me! This greedy fan can't wait to see your world start to move! xoK

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  2. Karima, you dear, thank you so much for the cheer. Me too me too!

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  3. SCREAMS of happyness!!!

    fantastic!!! what a huge thing.....GIMUNGOUS congrats!!

    cant wait to see more...

    jriggity

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  4. Thanks, Justin, screaming back!

    Can't wait to make more to show you!

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  5. Great test Shelley.....But leaves me wanting to see more...good luck with it and happy filming

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  6. congrats! adorable froggie, by the way. i'm excited as well!

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  7. "IT'S ALIVE!!! AAALLIIIIIIIIIIVEEEEE!!!!!!!"

    Wow, awesome!!! That really looks fantastic, and I can feel the electric excitement there in 1/2land!! So glad you went ahead and tried the batch process thing, I think it's just what the doctor ordered. Im not sure, but often when a phot processing app adds video capabilities they're severely restricted compared to the full range of effects you can apply to photos - that
    s the way the Lightroom video processing is anyway - as opposed to the sliders that allow complete control on photos it only gives you like 3 clicks on each of the controls - low, med or high. Pretty lame really, I;d much rather batch process the image files and get ultimate control.

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  8. A small mouth movement for a little frog, a giant leap for halfland! The shock wave from this momentous event has now reached the opposite side of the world!

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  9. hee hee, THANKS, Steven, Sylvï, Mikeee, and Mr. Nick!!!!!!!!

    Thank you each for being here and your kind comments!!

    Mike, I think the PS video editing is really like you said, a batch processing of all frames. But I think, because it is Photoshop (all Hail the King of All Apps) they effects are nearly as powerful as the still photo effects; adjustment layers, filters, blending modes, etc.

    If I could get this capability I would be very happy with the results, especially since I am very familiar already with these features.

    I will however, even after this miracle of video edits in PS, still need a video editor proper. Right now all I have is the quite awful iMovie '09 (v.8.0.6) and straight trimming capability in Quicktime.

    Nick--The remote click heard 'round the world?! ;)))))

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  10. Shelley, really, only 20 years? ;)

    So your kid is leaving the house now, isn't it? I'll bet you'll be doing a great job on the shooting, and I'm so glad you reached that point!

    I still think that even though all the tinkering is great, the best moment in an animated production is when it all magically comes to live…

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  11. HI Jessica! I'm now thinking of Halfland as a 25 year project. That doesn't sound too crazy to me. And I may very well be able to finish it over the next 5 years.

    Complete and utter magic making the puppets live. An incredible feeling. I'm HOOKED!~

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  12. woohoo! magic time! Congrats Shelley.

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  13. Thank you, gl and Rich!!! woooot!

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