Kaikahu Road


Production begins next week on Marama's HD feature Kaikahu Road. So I don't expect much animating to be done in the next two weeks..

Just do it for Santa

The opening train sequence and titles are now done.. These are some highlights..

Note that this all needs a lot of colour grading. A friend of mine has offered to do this early next year which will be good timing.

The workspace: Had to dress the set during the day, and animate overnight (because I couldn't black out the whole room), then pack up the set before a kid's show opened in the morning. I used 4Kg of Rock salt and another table salt shaker this weekend..


Started out with something I learned from a Nick Park book.. when they filmed Wallace and Grommit (whichever movie it is with the train race), they moved the train a few centimeters every time they took a photo. This is exactly what I did for my fast train shots and it came out really well...

I also don't have proper animation lights (flicker free), so a slow shutter speed balances out the lights and keeps a consistent look.


Getting a bit trickier... a focus pull. This shot is a little darker because any key light killed the train reflection. Although I've just made it bright enough that the colour grading will match up this shot to the rest.


Hogspot's factory:

Joe Hitchcock's North Pole Deception
Welcome to the North Pole... Ice on the sign is spray on adhesive and table salt.

(I was going to animate the reindeer being destroyed, but felt it was better to just have a spooky still frame).

Joe Hitchcock's North Pole Deception

Exteriors



I'm about to lock myself in a large "studio", and attempt to animate over 1 minute (screen time) of "exterior" sets within the next two nights. Fortunately there is no voice lip-synching, so I'm expecting to get it all done, which will mean I can finish the animation in smaller studio spaces.

Elves recorded

Recorded voices of Chelsea Beckett and Michelle Fitz-William on Saturday and it couldn't have gone any better. The script couldn't help but sound scripted, so I asked questions which led to similar responses and the girls were awesome!

Am also pottering away slowly with various shots.



Above: Hogspot's house at Sunset.