Set scaling and design

As one of my roles is preparing the set for being built, I have to look at scaling the furniture and objects within the set in order to fit with the puppet.

We've decided that the puppet will be around 7" which is roughly 18cm. A man in real life could be around 5ft9 which would mean that the furniture I've been looking a would have to be divided by 10 in order to get the right sized furniture scaled down for the puppet.

Callum's plan

Callum gave me a set he envisioned,and told me it was set in the 1800s.  

We had put together a Pinterest board so we could add images of what each of us thought the room would look like. I also looked for 1800s furniture on eBay to find dimensions so everything will be accurate. 

I did suggest some adjustments with eh design, as we want some of the walls to be removable so it allows for different camera angles, I thought the wall the stair case is on, would be a wall that we'd want to remove, so I suggested for the stairs and balcony to be along the back wall so that it can be a permeant wall and out the way of possibly blocking the character in shot.

Why this project

I asked to Work with Callum on this film, he already as a rough idea for the story, and I'd like to work on my skills as a puppet/set maker for my portfolio. I want to work on a bigger project, to show my skills of set making, by creating a whole set, instead of a section. So working as a team is ideal to get this amount of work dome.

From what I can tell from the story so far, it's a bit of a mix of sci-fi and horror, with a monster creature, and to be set in a victorian study so it's quite a dark looking room to reflect the film. so it's audience will probably be for adults interested in monsters and dramatic tension builds.

I already have an idea what I want the puppet to be made from, based on my COP project, none of those materials would be suitable. We talked about creating it in plasticine, but I don't think we'd get the same movement from plasticine as we would from a latex puppet, which is what I plan to make him in. I think we'd be able to have more materials options with a latex puppet, and it would be more realistic looking to the old adventurer Callum visions 

Rationale

1. Blog AddressWhere are you documenting the development of Extended Practice online?

- http://hdalrymple-extendedpractice.blogspot.co.uk/(all process work)
- http://hayleydalrymple.wixsite.com/hayleydalrymple/motionblog (selected professional process work) 

2. Subjects and ThemesBroadly speaking what are you interested in exploring and why?

- I'm interested in putting into practice what I have learnt in puppet making and stop motion animation.

3. RationaleWhat you want to do during this module? Be as specific as you can at this moment in time.
If you plan on working on multiple briefs to demonstrate your practice, identify clearly each brief.

- I'm working a a single brief, in a paired group with Callum, we may have others to do things like character design for us, but I'd really like to be hands on with this projects. I want to use the knowledge I have on puppet making to put more time in to creating a puppet that will be really effective for the animation I will be producing. it's also my last chance to get into the workshop to experiment more with materials to see which will be the best to develop.

My main roles will be:

- puppet making and developing (material tests with Callum)  

        Main character - old, adventurer, journalist.

        Monster - Dementor style, loose hanging fabric, wire made

- Set room sizing - in proportion with puppets

- Animating (joint role)

...and anything else I can help out with along the projects. But the main thing I want to get into is puppet making and stop motion animation. 

4. Explain how this will be developing your Specialist Practice?

- it will develop my puppet making and stop motion animation further, in which I'm hoping will become my best animation during my time on this course. It will also add to my portfolio of puppet skill and stop motion skills. The animation is based on H.P. Lovecraft stories so will be quite dark. Even though I love working in plasticine, I want to show I can create puppets in other materials will open up my job options.

5. Resources and Workshops
What do you need and by When?

- I'd like to start creating puppets as soon as we come back from Christmas, this will enable time for puppet making and developing and allow lots of time to focus on the animating. So workshops will have to be book in January to get the puppets underway.

6. Will you be working on a group project or brief? 
( If YES explain )

- Yes. Callum wanted to work in stop motion this year, so I thought it would be a good idea to collaborate with someone new, he'd already got a solid idea of story, so my role would be mainly puppet making, developing, and then we plan to both work on animating as I discovered with Ciara last year, working in a pair made animating easier, as one would direct and take shots, and the other would move the character.

7. Are there any stakeholders in your project?
If YES, explain who they are and what their responsibilities are? - This is essential if you've got a Live Brief from a client

- Not that we've discussed. We could have the opportunity to collaborate with a music student to go with our animation. 

8. What, where and when do you need to research. Begin to identify and artists, practitioners, companies or organisations that you will need to talk to. This could include getting to speak to people at conferences, events and other organisations. 

- Research will need to be done as soon as possible, we need to know who the animation is aimed at and where we can enter it into suitable competitions/festivals. so that will need to be researched before we begin making.

9. Please identify at least 6 books, periodicals, websites or other media that may be informing your rationale. Please use Harvard referencing. 

- H.P Lovecraft novels,

- Barry Purves, Tchaikovsky: An Elegy (2011)