stop-motion animation

Day 199

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Wow, really? It does not feel like I have been out of school this long. But I do have to start paying back loans now, so yeah, it makes sense. Bah. I am getting a good amount of reading in. I missed it. Next on my list is to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. And then I can read Harper Lee’s other book. Ha! That’s the way to do it; write one amazing book, and then 55 years later publish your second. If only I was that good.

I am good enough to be in the CCAD Art Fair, selling stuff. I will be selling some of my boxes from last semester, some pottery, and some stemless wineglasses with the state of Ohio sandblasted into them. Who doesn’t like wine? Mmmm.

I’m still making. Can’t seem to stop. Even if it is just little things around the house. Like Christmas stockings, bookcases, a firewood bin, and Ohio stickers. (long live the Oxford comma!) I’m also making a stop-motion puppet that I started last semester for a animation class that I was taking with Tracy Robbins. He’s halfway done at the moment. Looks a bit like a skinny gray alien version of the Iron Giant with a top hat. Pictures when he’s finished.

I did see Thom’s work that’s hanging in the Urban Scrawl Gallery. Fantastic. Go see it. Now.

I’m going to go make something. Coffee, probably.

Day 590

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I sat with my work earlier today, listening to Sigur Ros and trying to drown out the ambient noises. It kinda worked. Wrote some new realizations down, legs fell asleep, took some pictures, realized that it was raining, walked around a bit, and finally saw pieces and installations that I hadn’t seen on Friday.  Looks good, guys. Impressive, even.

I’ll post pictures of my install later. Don’t want to spoil the surprise for anyone who hasn’t been in the gallery. *finger pointing*

Still working on stuff. You’d think that there would be some sort of lull, but nope. Animating and editing those damn paper puppets. Writing on the thesis paper. And making more things out of clay. Hopefully I’ll have one more firing before graduation, just to finish everything. Loading and firing an electric kiln is so much easier than firing my woodfire kiln. Not nearly as fun, but so much easier. There was an idea about naming all the boxes that Charlotte had mentioned a while back. I’m working on that. These bits will somehow be added to the boxes. It’ll make sense later. Thinking on what to do next, is that supposed to be the whole idea?

I’m going to go make stuff.

Day 579

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I’ve been doing a little animating downstairs and have enjoyed watching Toby Hale put together his Transformers display and curse at the led lights in between takes. I’m not sure how many of these will make the final cut. I will continue to animate until my eyes are bleeding, I’m swearing like a sailor at everything, and my brain shuts down from not enough sleep.  Then, after a nap and a coffee, I will edit the final two cuts. I’ve also decided against the static. It’s a bit too literal and is too reminiscent of last year. Instead, I will invoke the time honored tradition of giving people something to stare at while they wait:

test pattern

Some people have already begun. I have a simple install and a couple more days to finish everything. Then install, sleep, dinner with my parents, and then the opening. And lots of drinking! Hahahahaha!

And the next bunch of craziness to edit:

Day 569

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DSC_0740

Hahahahahahahahaha! It works!

I went to the thrift stores yesterday and, aside from the numerous versions of Trivial Pursuit, found two more working mini t.v.’s. They are about to be shucked and placed inside the boxes. This one has poor picture quality and may be disqualified, but we’ll see. It could be a different take on watching the animations. To what lengths will people go to watch t.v.?

I also submitted my microfilm (anything I make that is under 8 minutes should be considered a microfilm. Calling it a short seems too presumptuous)  to Ohio Shorts at the Wexner Center for the Arts this morning. Fingers crossed. I added music. Turn up the volume dear readers. Hopefully it will be accepted. Or a least make the judges giggle. Which is the whole point, in the end. Right?

Day 563

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I’ve been awake for 20 hours now. Four more and I’ll be technically drunk. Without the added benefit of alcohol. Dang it. Though with the huge lack of sleep in the past couple of months, I’m probably right there anyway. It’s strange how awake I am at 4:29 am after staying up this late for a couple of weeks. That graveyard shift in the warehouse would be a breeze.

I’m trying to make the final boxes and get them in the kiln before spring break. Last bunch of boxes and they seem to be the most difficult to put together and transport. How am I going to get a 18″ cube down into the kiln? Let’s try using a cardboard sling. And if it breaks or warps considerably, I’m going with plan b. Plan b is to spend a day in the metal shop and make the base boxes out of metal and then paint them. It’s not cheating, since they aren’t the focus of the piece. I dare you to make a huge mesh box out of clay. Pictures tomorrow.

I’m submitting a video to Ohio Shorts at the Wexner Center. I think I have it finished. I’ll get some real sleep and then watch it again. I added music and credits and a title: “The Meticulous Ununhexium of Calamity.” Hopefully it gets in the show. Thanks, Phil for suggesting that I apply.

That’s it, I’m going to go make something. And then sleep.

Day 535

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And many thanks to Charlotte who edited my storyboards and explained the rule of thirds in further detail.

No sound yet. That has yet to be determined if it will exist. We’ll see.

Thanks to that empty studio on the second floor, I now have a decent space to shoot in that doesn’t require me to clean off my work table. That alone could take me an hour. I’m a tad messy.

And that’s it. I’m going back to work.

Day 533

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I have commandeered an empty studio on the second floor today. I’m going to be shooting my animations down there. Or at least for the next two weeks. I’ve been story-boarding them out, and we’ll see how far I get before I break something. I’ve also been putting the finishing touches on my box sculpture. Which is finishing the boxes for the t.v.’s and the boxes for the bases. And the bases are 18″ cubes.

photo

There is a strong possibility that I will be putting stuff outside my studio. Be a dear and watch where you’re going. Thanks!

Here is another thing I had to make before continuing. Actually, two things. Out of wood. And metal. Not clay. That would be silly. One is a banding wheel and the other is a table for my throwing wheel. Making things to make things! Inception!

photo(1) photo(2)

That’s it. I’ve got work to do.

Day 518

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It’s been a while, dear readers. Oops. There are a large amount of boxes just out of the kiln. They are sitting in my truck right now, waiting to be brought up stairs and animated. Boxes and boxes in boxes. Inception, hmm…

We started discussing our thesis papers last week in thesis, and I laughed when I started to write down my bibliography. A lot of my research is going to be short animated films, feature films and t.v. episodes, whether it’s stop motion or traditional. It all ties into my baseline theory of humor. My research is actually fun, getting to watch stuff rather than read. Though I am doing a bit of that as well, mostly comic books. Hahaha! Don’t worry, it will all come together. I’ll make it happen.

Sentient Tricksters.

I am starting my second sculpture and it’s going to be a round one. And I’m going to throw them. Similar idea for now: multiples of one. And the locking table leg hardware just came in the mail and now I can finish my throwing wheel stand. Yay! I get to spend a significant amount of time in Battelle tomorrow not on duty. If we had a miter lock bit my life would be that much easier, but alas, no such luck. I’ll have to make due with a dado blade and a rabbet bit. Woodworking lingo! Anyway, as for the animation on the second sculpture, I may do something a little different. Charlotte Belland told me about this company here in town that prints lenticular images. Remember those “hologram” images for when you were a kid that changed as you moved? It’s lenticular printing. Awesome. I’m thinking about it as a possible way to present my animation. The viewer would have to walk around the piece to see the animation. Hmmmm…

That’s it. I’m going to go work now.

Day 465

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BOXES! I’ve been trying to read a bit between making these things. It’s really hard not to get red iron oxide everywhere, including the books. Yay for Lava soap. Stuff’s amazing. Oddly enough, Rube Goldberg machines have come into my research. Not really sure why, but the humor and genius behind them is fascinating. Maybe it will lead to something later on…

But for now, I’m making metal things. Out of clay. Still.

Animations to come soon. Don’t panic.

pile o' boxes

These are the boxes that I have finished. There’s about 35. I didn’t actually count. Maybe later. Math, pbbbth.

tvs

T.V.’S! (damn you thrift store, why don’t these come with power cords?)

preassembly

Pre-assembly as of this morning. There is enough material here to make another 25 boxes. I want to get these into the kiln before break begins. Here’s hoping. *clink*

I’ve found a new use for the FabLab: the ceramics spray booth. Making my life so much easier.

That’s it. I’m going to go work.