Robert the Bruce and the Spider

What are "Dragon" head sculpts

2008-05-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned that I use "Dragon" head sculpts for My puppets , this has caused a wee bit of confusion which I would like to clear up.
I do not make these heads myself they are 1/6th sculpts from a company called Dragon Toys these are very detailed collector figures ,each character has it's own unique head sculpt unlike the cheap Action Man figures. Click this link PICTURETRAIL to see some of the many heads I own and have added more detail to. These heads are static and require manipulation using PhotoShop to add blinking and mouth movements, I am slowly getting better at this here is a link for a TUTORIAL I did on blinking using the PhotoShop morph tool.
Here is a still from the test below of a "Dragon" head with real eyes and a blink added in post.

Eyes open.

Blink frame.

Zoom close up end shot.

Original image, the eyes are still good.

Canon 40D

2008-05-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have decided to take the plunge and sell off my Nikon D70 in favour of the Canon 40D for the live preview it provides. I can stop using a second camera attached to the viewfinder for a video feed and get a better quality image for an assist, others at StopMotionAnimation.com ( link to thread) are changing to Canon. I will keep the Nikkor lenses I'm using and buy an adaptor ring.

2008-05-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have been working on My own technique of adding real eyes to some close up shots ,here is an early test with other added facial movements such as blinking and the start of a smile.

2008-05-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

Overall news was really a test film to see how 1/6th figures /armatures and Dragon heads could be animated, I learnt a lot from this project.

"Dragon" head sculpts

2008-05-10T02:25:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of tests lately with various head sculpts from "Dragon" , the heads are 1/6th scale and are very detailed.

2008-05-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Title test

2008-05-02T11:35:00.001-07:00

A compression test.

2008-04-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Video Test

Webcam assist test

2008-04-15T05:02:00.000-07:00

A quick assist test.

Spamalot

2008-04-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that the Bruce puppet does look uncannily like a member of the Spamalot cast.

Two heads are better than one

2008-04-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Belt detail

The Bruce puppet has two interchangeable heads, one with hair and one with a chain male head dress. I also wanted to have as much detail as possible like the sword belt which i sourced from Germany.

Puppet ready

2008-04-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

The puppet is now ready for animating, however I'm not and still have a lot to do before shooting including making the spider armature, web etc.

2008-04-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Look Of The Bruce

2008-04-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Re-enactor Jock Ferguson

The Puppet

I based my puppet on a Re-enactor who attends various events as Robert The Bruce, you may find it difficult to tell the real guy from my puppet so I have labelled them.

2008-04-10T22:18:00.001-07:00

Window Gobo

I intend to use live lighting effects to create the mood I want for the animation.
This will save on set building and I feel better suits the poem.
The lighting will include effects created by using gobos to portray a mood or hint of location.
Above is a pic of an effect using a window gobo.

Equipment

2008-04-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

I'm using a Nikon D70 to capture the frames for the animation. The D70 has a web.cam attached to the viewfinder to assist with animation and provide a live feed which can be viewed using Animator DV simple +.

This pic was taken during a previous project.

The Animation

2008-04-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

I had done a test animation a few months ago with a puppet I made using aluminium wire and sculpey. I had a few problems animating the puppet so decided to start again, here's a couple of pics of my first attempt.

If at first you don't succeed ,try again..

The Poem

2008-04-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

BRUCE AND THE SPIDER

by: Bernard Barton (1784-1849)

FOR Scotland's and for freedom's right
The Bruce his part has played;--
In five successive fields of fight
Been conquered and dismayed:
Once more against the English host
His band he led, and once more lost
The meed for which he fought;
And now from battle, faint and worn,
The homeless fugitive, forlorn,
A hut's lone shelter sought.

And cheerless was that resting-place
For him who claimed a throne;--
His canopy, devoid of grace,
The rude, rough beams alone;
The heather couch his only bed--
Yet well I ween had slumber fled
From couch of eider down!
Through darksome night till dawn of day,
Absorbed in wakeful thought he lay
Of Scotland and her crown.

The sun rose brightly, and its gleam
Fell on that hapless bed,
And tinged with light each shapeless beam
Which roofed the lowly shed;
When, looking up with wistful eye,
The Bruce beheld a spider try
His filmy thread to fling
From beam to beam of that rude cot--
And well the insect's toilsome lot
Taught Scotland's future king.

Six times the gossamery thread
The wary spider threw;--
In vain the filmy line was sped,
For powerless or untrue
Each aim appeared, and back recoiled
The patient insect, six times foiled,
And yet unconquered still;
And soon the Bruce, with eager eye,
Saw him prepare once more to try
His courage, strength, and skill.

One effort more, his seventh and last!--
The hero hailed the sign!--
And on the wished-for beam hung fast
That slender silken line!
Slight as it was, his spirit caught
The more than omen; for his thought
The lesson well could trace,
Which even "he who runs may read,"
That Perseverance gains its meed,
And Patience wins the race.
"Bruce and the Spider" is reprinted from Historic Ballads and Poems. Ed. Rupert S. Holland. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1912.

The Legend

2008-04-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

King Robert the Bruce I was born at Lochmaben Castle in 1274. He was Knight and Overlord of Annandale. In 1306 he was crowned King of Scotland and henceforth tried to free Scotland from the English enemy.
After being defeated at a battle, Bruce escaped and found a hideout in a cave. Hiding in a cave for three months, Bruce was at the lowest point of his life. He thought about leaving the country and never coming back.
While waiting, he watched a spider building a web in the cave's entrance. The spider fell down time after time, but finally he succeeded with his web. So Bruce decided also to retry his fight and told his men: "If at first you don't succeed, try try and try again".