Abovlt: Don Dohler's front projection roto scopmg techniQue can be used to create many interesting effects. The techniQue uses front projection onto ordinary typing paper. The three e~amples abo~e (left 10 right) are: a laser ray effect: a flymg saucer with ray effect: a roloscoped monster. The story begins on page 24,
Left : Dean Barnes (on left) and Greg Gilger (on fight, pain ting animatIOn eel) are two Cali fornia fi lmmakers who are sconng big with their humorous short film, The Good, The Bad and the Furry. The live action. stop· motIOn film IS a parody of westerns A profile of Dean and Greg begins on page 16_
-----
CONTENTS Editor's Bench _ _
4
Prome _ _
16 Rotoscoping
Editor David Hutchison passes on a word of lIdvice from professional fantasy film ·
makers, "00 It Now."
Makeup Magic _ _
6 Create Laser rays. glows and animation effects with i!I easy rotosc:oping technique.
By Don Dohler.
Books _
_ 32
Books for filmmakers-vlIluable sources of information end techniques for the
filmmaker. By John
An inexpensive a/terMtive to complic8ted foam latex is slush molding. Makeup artist
Craig Reardon creates "FlIOOISY Faces," Dean Barnes and Greg Gilger talk about
Producers' Bulletin Board _ _
"Matching Miniatures lind Live-action
15
Sets" in their award winning short film. The Good. The Bad and the Furry. By John C1a)ton.
Filmmakers'22 Forum _ _
A regular department devoted to readers' comments and co~ponden<::e about Latest news of our readers' productions.
fantasy filmmaking.
Cla~n.
Cinemagic Marketplace
33
Classified Advertising and announcements.
Close-up_
34
Zap [, Bubbles. MlIke: a ray gun for absolutely zero dollars from II detergent bottle lind odds and ends. By Don Dahler.
c/NEMAG/C '12 3
~
Editor's
@'I4!.:iW
BENCH______________
Pubillihed by: O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC. 475 Park Avenue South New York. New York 10016
Do It Now!
ISSU E /f 12
Pubillihers: NormanJacobs/KerryO'Quinn
Auodate Publisher: Rita Eisenstein
Editor D!!Ivid Hutchison
Design Director Cheh N. Low
Designer Robert Sefcik
Managing EtUtor John Clayton
Editorial Contributors: Dean BlIrnes
Don Dohler Gr@gGilger Craig Reardon
Art Staff: Laura O'Brien Amy Bergenfeld
Production A.......nt.: JOlIn Beetz
______
-=~
n the last issue ofClNEMAGIC I mentioned that r am often asked: "Where should I goto school in order to begin a career as a filmmaker?" Well. it's not necessary to go to school or college to become a filmmaker, but many people do, If that is the route you choose to take, checkout the review on page 320fthis issue for the latest edition of AF.t's Guide to College Course in Film and Television.. Many fine filmmakers have graduated from filmmllking schools and gone on to very successful careers: others never went to "school," but instead graduated from mlIking their own backyard Bmm movies to forming their own production companies and are producing 16 and 35mm films for theatriclli release. For the filmmaker as with other artists, there is no single road to "success:' You will have to find your own way. There is one thing, you shouldn't be doing, however, and that is waiting. Waiting for someone to offer you a job or until you get " training" or a " Iucky bfe/lk.." You should be making films .. , now,., in your backyard ,. ,onweekends, afterschool,aloneorwith the help of friends, neighbors or parents, George Lucas did it. Steven Spielberg did il You can do it. After all. you WlInt to be a filmmaker, because you enjoy mlIking films, .. nothing else seems to mean quite as much to you or give you quite the same sense of satisfaction or pleasure .... So what are you waiting for? Do it now, The formula for "success" in filmmaking is pretty much like anything else-it takes a combination of talent. persistence and lIlucky break.. In other words, you have to be good, you have to stick with it and you need luck-the luck of having something good to show when the right person comes along. The " right person" is. of course, a b2K:ker. a distribu· tor, a producer, a director or whoever that can give you /I " break." Such "luck" doesn't come by very often. so you need to be ready to show your best ... and it had better be good. Toward that end, there also is recognition in the pages of CiNEMAGIC and with the CINEMAGIC Short Film Search. This years film contest differs only slightly from last year" s. Rules and entry forms will be availllble after June 15. Send a S.A.SE to the ClNEMAGIC office for your copy. Basically, films can be in B or 16mm, but no more thlln 15 minutes long. If you havea film you don't want toenterinto the contest. but would liketo see written up in the magazine you clln ~ it to me. personally for editorial review. If you would like towriteforC1NEMAGIC about your work or someone else's, you can get a free copy of our CiNEMAGIC Writer'sGuide by sending a SA.S.E. (after June 15)to the ClNEMAGIC office. I'm looking forward to this years contest. so ... good filmmaking!
I
- David Hutchison/ Editor
Eileen Dempsey Cindy Levine
NlInCY Reichardt
Founder of CII"IEMACiIC and Editorial Consuttant:
Don Dohle.~ng
triomlllllon: RM Elseow:in (212) 689-2830
Abouc .". _ _ C..i, R"felon's I.t.. ac>PoHIU ere.,
lion ollila myth%tielol C,..adlf, Pan. is
1"'.
4 ClNEMAGIC ·/2
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CI NEMAGI C i. pUt)IIln.., l)I.monlnly by O'OUINN S TUDIOS. INC .. . 75 P.,k A.. n.... SouIM. Ne .... yo,~ . NY 10010. ISSN0090-3000. ThllI. I•• UI Numb..- 12 (Volu",. 2. No. ' .) Conlanll._ Copy,lgMlllllll by O'OUI"'N STUOIOS. INC . .... 11 rlllni. ,......., RtoprinlOf ''''''
ll.nen ,•• ,,'clly 1...- . CINEMAGIC .nOfOl".,. ....II'..... tlulill .....r>« ... ~II .... _n*lby.-"·_ ... _ .• taml*l~. tMy """ M_IIyC...... _ PrOducI •• dvMll_ .,. _ _ r l l y _ by CI NEMAGIC • • ,.., 1"1 .;.wl UP"_ in "'~ori.' copy,,, nOI nec_rliy 1!>oM 01 CI NE MAGIC. s...bIC,lpnd ...... ico. I........ n ... t.crlption. $11." In U S. tion , ....: $4."on.y..' (Ii>; ' - - t ) .,.,...,.., In u 5.. lund. only. Nt .... kerlptl .... " .... d di,eclly 10 CINE M.... GIC. c/o O'Qulnn SI""IoI. Inc" _75 P.1l< A.,n ... SoUln. New Yo,k. NY 1001'. NOlille.lion 01 c" . ..... Of ...... ... .... d 10CINEMAGIC. 5Ic"pt!on Dlpl.. P.O 80. 1'2. MI . """,I •• IL 'IO~ . ""'lmu llr. S.nd lo,m 3:11' 10 CINEM.... GIC. P.O. eo. "2. MI . MOfll •. IL 61OM. P,'M'" In U.S. A.
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W
hen I planned this makeup demonstr i!lti on for CINE·
MAGIC in 1975, [ felt that a new version of the ancient god Pan would make a fascinating subject. My
notion was to create a more animalistic Pan-less human, more humanoid. I wanted him to look very goatlike, 50 I did a little preliminary research at the library and sketched some goats from the encydopedias. My brother Jeff Reardon agreed to be my subject. With his fadal contours in mind, I sketched a small portrait of Pan in c harcoal. This was not intended to be bind-
ing, but to inspire me and suggest an
approach.
COVER S T O R Y
Makeup Magic With
Fantasy Faces
When [ was younger and a/ways on a
budget, I liked to use moulage to take
By CRAIG REARDON
impressions of faces. it's sturdier than algi·
nate, shrinks less and you can re-use it Alginate can be mixed cold, which is com· fortable on the face, but it also sets up quickly. which can be a little nerve-wracking. because, once it's set, a new application of alginate won't adhere. This last goes for moulage too, but moulage has a slower setting time. Moulage comes in damp chunks which you melt in a double boiler. I would just dump the moulage in a saucepan and put the pan in a larger pan which had a few inches of water in it This be<:ame an improvised double boiler. I"d heat the moul· age on the stove until it melted down into a hot, lumpy paste (the older the moulage, the lumpier it becomes, but you can add water to thin it)
i• 1,
i
Casting the Face Jeff reclined on a piece of patio furniture, lying prone, as I put the cooled moulage on his face and neck with a metal spatula. A little vaseline on the eyebrows and lashes before applying the moulage helps separa· tion.1 worked the moulage around the nose carefully, and didn"t use breathing straws, which only distort the nostrils. When the moulage set I soaked strips of pre·cut cheese-doth in a bowl of plaster-of·Paris, and laid them over the m OUlage. They soon hardened into a shell, called a mother mold, which enabled me to remO\le the set moulage from Jeff' s face without damag· ing the impression. Next, I mixed a bowl of Ultracal, whi ch is a slow setting, accurate plaster. "Accurate" means that it doesn't expand appreciably when it sets up and. therefore your cast or mold is accurate in shape and size. Thi s is important when you're making a mold, because if the mold expands away from the positive, the casts you make from that m old may be too large, or have thick edges-if it's a foam latex appliance you're casting. Next, I brushed Ultracal into the moulage mold. Having done this carefully so as to fill in the details and 2I\Ioid air pockets, I poured in what was left in my mixing bowl and spread it up the sides of the mold, using a metal spatula. About three bowls of plaster later, l"d built up the mask completely. (By the way, when
6 ClNEMAG/C" 12
The completed Pan makeup consists of a II began as a charcoal sketch. Craig wanted him to look very goatlike, so a slush· molded latex appliance with eyes, horns and beard added as finishing touches. little research in the library was useful.
Slush molding latex ca n be an inexpensive alternative to foam latex appliances and produce comparable results. you wash the plaster waste out of your plas· tic mixing bowls, throw the watery slurry in the garden, nol down the drain.) When the plaster was set, a few hours later, I broke away the mold, taking care to save the moulage for re·use. I cleaned the miscel· laneous lumps and bumps off the cast. and also carved off the eyebrows and sidebums. using inexpensive wood carving tools from the hobby store.
Sculpting t he Horns Everyone knows Pan has horns, but usu· ally these are depicted as puny little nubs buried in his hair. I wanted husker horns, coming right out of the forehead. I knew that if I made them the right size, I could adapt them to my subject's face, so I made them without using the face cast. I rolled plasticene (which is oil·based clay) until I
got a tapered, carrot shape, and skewered two such shapes on a pairofwires anchored on a wood base. Next J built the horns over the clay forms , using one of mankind's old· est fabrication techniques-papier mache. I soaked newspaper strips in which glue and water and pressed them around the clay forms. This procedure took two nights and then I let them dry thoroughly. Mer they dried I sliced them in two and removed the clay, then glued the halves together again with white glue. When this procedure was completed I had two lightweight. rather lumpy horn forms. I carefully shaved off the irregularities with a sharp. single-edge razo r blade. I wanted to build detail over these forms, so I mixed some papier mache paste, using powdered asbestos, which is readily available in most hobby stores. Som etimes irs sold under the brand name
1. Unmelted moulage. Moulage is very handy as a casting material as it can be reused many times and lasts for years.
2. The moulage must be heated in a double 3. The moulage should be allowed to cool boiler arrangement until it melts to a thick before it is applied to the model's face. creamy consistency with no lumps. The subject can be upright or reclining.
5. The plaster is allowed to set lnoroughly before the mold is removed. Note air holes allowing the subject to breathe comfortably.
cloth or regular bandages are layed over the moulage for addiliooal strength.
CelluClay. Taking care not to inhale the dry stuff, 1 mixed it with water and white glue, then puttied it over the forms (which were anchored lit the base by beingjammed into a layer of plastkene), using a pallette knife. J then worked in a ringed texture with a plastic modeling tool. This process took a few hours. \Vhen the homs finished drying after a couple of days, theywere lightweight, and had such a convincing grey color that I decided not to bother painting them.
Pan's Eyes Now for the eyes. The brilliant makeup artist Dick Smith once wrote an indispen· sible makeup handbook for amateurs (from which most pros could also profit), in which he described a great way to make false eyes using a toy once made by Matt~ , called a Vac.(J·Forrn. UnfortUNlte/y, they don 'I make it anymore. However, I have the toy and hoarded the plastic sheets it requires, and eventually used it to make the eyes I needed. Nevertheless, I worked up an alter· nate method, utilizing clear casting resin. First. as Dick Smith describes, you must
rve
make an eyeball form . He suggested get· ting a red·rubber ball like the kind incorporeted Into paddleballs orinduded with a set of jacks. It should be about en inch and an eighth in diameter. Cut it in two, end model e nat, hemispherical lump on one of the halves, to represenl the corneal bulge. which every animal (including man) has on its eye. Use piasticene. Next, cast molds of both halves with plaster of Paris. Pop out the rubber balls and pour in some Ultnlcal, but not before you've lubricated the mold with some soft soap or e little Veseline, for separation. Remove the positives and let them harden for a few days. Then polish them with fine sandpaper (if ~ry) and lecquer them. Rub out the IecqL!er with a pinch of rubbing compound until the forms ere glessy smooth. Now you need to make a mold from these completed forms. I used an expensive material called RlV (RlV stands for Room T emperllturt: Vulcenizing) silicone rubber, which costs almost $g for a pinl can. I used this because ifs a flexible, non·rotting super rubber, and nothing sticks to It. I wanted to be able to flex Ihe mold to
6. After the moulage and plaster is set, the mold can be removed. The subject can assist by slightly moving his facial muscles.
pop loose the resin casts I would make in it Perhaps you CM get by with some other material. Check your hobby store and ask what they have to offer to make a nexlble mold. You might try coating your plaster eye forms with I8tex, and backing that up with a plaster jacket for support You could then lubricete the latex mold with some spray silicone lube end try cesting your resin in that If you want to use Ihe RlV, go ahead. You'lI need a triple·beam balance to weigh it It comes in two parts, the base and the catalyst The base is a thick, sticky goop which you pour into a wax cup, and weigh on your scale. (First weigh the cup empty, 50 you can deduct the weight of the cup from the weight of the cup with the rubber base in it.) Subtract the weight of the empty cup from the weight ci the filled cup to determine the weght of the rubber itself. Next, mix in one part (by weight) of catalyst to ten parts rubber base. To determine the correct amountd catalyst. divide theweight of the rubber base by ten. Whatever you come up with should be added to your
C/NEMAGIC ., 12
7
7. Materials required for casting the positive life mask from the negative moulage mold. Ultracal or dental stone should be used.
8. The Ultracal should first be brushed into 9, After a few hours, the plaster will have set. Breakaway the mold taking care the mold to avoid airpockets and to fill in to save the moulage lor reuse later. the details. Fill in the mold completely.
...
10. Jeff Reardon with the completed positive cast of his face. MirlO( imperfections can be filled in or carved off.
11. The horns are built up with clay on 12. The basic forms from which the horns curved wire armatures mounted in II wooden are cast are sculpted out of oil· based base. Sketches in backgroond were a gUide. plasticene clay and smoothed. sliding weights on the triple beam sCllle. That'll tip the sCllle, and to bahmce it up lIgllin you lIdd Clltlliyst tothe rubber. Pour a thin stream 0( Catlliyst into the cup. When it bala~. you'veaclded enough. You'll hllVe lidded one part call1lyst to ten parts blJse. Next. mix It up thoroughly. TlIkellt lellst five minutes: mllke sure it's blended. Let the bubbles rise out of the goop and open them with II pin. You mlly now pour the mixed RlV over your pllIster f!!je form (the one with the corneal bulge.) This will create the negative mold. Make the positive mold at the SlIme time by pushing the rounded eye form, the one without the bulge, into some plasticene. Pop it out lind pour the RTV rubber Into the depression left behind. RTV cures In 24 hours. When It Is cured you may pop the RlV eyeball positive out of the clay depres· sion, and lIlso pop the plaster eyeball form (with corneal bulge) out of the RTVneglItive mold. You will have an R1V negative mold of the eyeform with the bulge. and an RTV positive eyebllll to push into the mold. What's left in·between is a narrow space
B C/NEMAGIC 1112
that will produce a thin eyeball shell, 'NIlen as it takes to cure the plastlc. you pour in CllSting resin. Put some resin in a small waxed paper cup (only about Y.z ounce) and tldd th~ CllllJ· Casting Resin Woes iyst, stirring It In very thoroughly. Pour just a Whatever method you decide upon to small amount into the negative eye mold, make the molds, you must make your eye- then COllt the positive mold with resin (to ball forms from these molds, using resin. discourage it from trllpping lIir bubbles.) Casting resin is awful stuff. I have a personal Now push the positive into the negative grudge against It. because no matter what mold. Som~ of the resin will be squeezed brand, it never seems to work &ecording to oul The resin should set up. or gel, in the directions. It alWll)'S seems to set upwith about Y.z hour, and be hard in two hours. a tacky surf&ee if you follow those darned Remove the casting from the mold and directions. I suggest using severlll drops inspect it. If it is opaque, it needs to be more callJly$t than the directions call for, polished. Use a rubbing compound and II especially since it is such a thin, small cast soft cloth, and rub it till it begins to dear. you're going to mllke. Resin cures by an Rub the outer and inner surf&ees. It 'Nill exothermic (heat coming out) reliction never become dear as glass, but it will look caused by the addition of the cllllllyst. If the satisfactorily "clear" and shiny. The wearer casting issmllllllnd there isn't enough heat. of this false eye will not be lIble to see it just won't cure. It'll be sticky and worth· through it, due perhaps to the light refract· less. There is such a thing liS too much ing properties 0( the cornelll bulge you've catalyst, especillily when you're casting II added. If the bulge is omitted, you 'Ni11 have large object. itclln build too much heat lind less realism, but may gain trllnsparency, cause the castlng to crack lIpart from the although I clln't guarantee it. In any event. heat and pressure. But if the cllsting is the f!!je forms must be reduced in size. tofl! small, go lIhead lind use as much Clltlllyst closely agllinst the fllce. MlIrk the excess
14. The pepie, mectle forms are lell.tured with CelluClay or a mi.ture of powdered asbestos and glue. which is allowed to set.
13. The horns are cast in pap/., mach. (strips of newspaper soaked in glue) and sliced open and the clay discarded.
16. Parts used to cast the eyes from back to Iront are: 2 halves of rubber ball; 2 plaster forms from halves; RTV silicon rubber molds taken from plaster; resin casting from mold; cut·cIown and polished casting; file used 10 cut eyes.
15. After a couple of days of drying. the finished horns are very light weight and have a convincing grey color and tedure.
17. Plaster positive of Jeffs face before 18. The resin eyes are posi tioned sculpting the appliance In white plasticene. very early In the modeling and sealed In The appliance is built-UP In cl ay on the form. place with clay eyebrows and eyelids.
portion off (using a grei!lse pendl) and draw were taken, I redid the eyes. roughly an almond shape around the corI next sawed off the base of my papier neal bulge. Next, file through the mark with mache horns at an angle. so . . .nen seated a nlIrrowtrianguli!lrfile, and you must take it they would arc back from the forehead. easy, because the ¥piece is fragile in pla- ll1en I stuck them into the clay forehead I ces and can shatter. wa s building over the life mask, modeling the sockets around them. I pulled them out Modeling the Face of the day and marked one hom T' for left, I K!ually made two eye pieces using the one " R" for right, so I would later know above method, and used them in the next which hom went on which side of the forest6ge, modeli ng the appliance in day. I took head. Later I was be able to fit the horns white plasticene (an inexpensive tm md right into the sockets which resulted when bought at the local toy store) and began to this sculpture was cast in rubber. build upthe features over the plaster cast of I finished up by pressing rubber stamps Jeffs face. I positioned the resin eyes in the onto the cli!ly surface, Imparting a texture. clay early on in the modeling and sealed You can paint latex rubber on an orange or them in place with day eyelids and brows. grapefruit and get one kind of texture, simGetting these independent eyes to line up ilar to the texture on a man's nose. r correctly is very difficult They must not only obtained another interesting texture by be at the same level back inside the face, painting latex on a section of the plastic but the two corneal bulges must line up interior to my VW. There are many interest· properly, when viewed from the front and ing textures available in everyday objects. fro m the side. I ripped the eyes out ci the which you can capture in rubber for makeday many times before I was fini!llly satis' up/ sculpture purposes. fied. My photographs show i!I " finar· version 1built a mold up over the clay face. first of the day face, but even after these photos painting the Ultracal on with a brush to
penetrate all the nooks and crannies, then buttering It on with my spatula. Afier getting a good coat on, I added a strengthening layer of cheesecloth soaked in plaster. I continued to build up the plaster until I was satisfied with its thickness.
S lus h Molding With Latex I took the dry mold and first glued the plastic resin eyepieces into place with a drop or two ci liquid latex. Later. when add!tionallatex flowed around these eyepieces. it encased them and automatically created little eyesockets for them - lillie envelopes in the mask from which they could be snapped in and out With the eyepieces fastened in place, I poured about Yz ounce of latex into the nose, because that was the deepest partofthe mold. I rocked the mold in my hands until the rubber was evenly distributed over the mold surface. When the Ii!Itex would no longer flow, due to surface tension. I encouraged it with a dry fingertip. VJhen you use your fingers. be sure to rub the dried latex off your finger imm ediately before using it for the same ClNEMAGIC • J2
9
19. Three·Quarter, profile and full front views of the finished sculpture with the horns in place. Getting the eyes 10 line up correctly is very difficult. They must be at Ihe same level and line· up properly when viewed from any angle. I ripped the eyes out of the clay many times before I was finally satisfied. The clay should be textured to resemble pores and lines.
'-"'!'ll!
I
20. EQuipment used for modeling the clay positive, diagonally from lower left to right: rubber stamps for texturing the clay; modeling tools including an X·Acto blade; white plasticene modeling cl ay. The rubber stamps are home made.
;
7h~'i;;:l ~~".:,h'
clay can be found around the house. purpose again. Dried latex sticks to itself like contact cement, so if you put your fin · ger In the mold again without rubbing it dean, the latex surface is liable to grab the Ialex skin off your fingertip lind create a lump in the mask where you may not be able to disguise it(like on a blending edge.) If this happens by accident. try to pluck the lump away with tweezers, but don't force the Issue. You might pull a section of the mask loose, which is disaster. You risk these minor hazards using a brush too, so I prefer to use my fingers, since latex Clln gum up a brush terribly. If you get latex (or practically anything else) dried in your brushes, it can be removed using a chemi· cal " brush saver," actullily methylene chk> ride, available under Vllrious brand names in most hardware stores. IlIllowed the first cOllI to dry, then added subsequent coats, 'NOridng them llway from the thin blending edge-about ~" per coat. I used a hand hair dryer to accelerate the drying time of the latex.ltonlyworks on thin coats of latex-if its too thick, you've got to give it time. \\!hen the latex In the mold
10 ClNEMAG/C #12
22. Ultracal should be painted on with a brush to fill up all the nooks and crannies. Then butter it on with a spatula.
looked dense enough (you begin to recog· coated the clay with a plastic makeup nize this by the color, a dark amber·brown sealer. I hl!ld to make two-piece molds of in the thicker llreas ), 1added paper toweling both ears, so I needed to build a dividing in those pla~ where I wanted extra rein- wall around the sculpted ears. I built the wall forcement. and where flexibility wasn·t a around the ears with i!I green shade of pIasprimary consideration (forehead, cheek· tkene, to distinguish it from the white day bones, nose). After letting itdrycompletely, ears. I put depressions in the Wc!III to act lIS I took tak:um powder on a puff lind spread it keys, so the mold halves would lock toall over the inner surfllce of the latex. This gether. I built the mold over the ears and takes away its shiny surface tack, and the dividing wall with Ultracl!li. When it set up, l powdered surfaces won·t stick together. I flipped it over and peeled away the dMding always look for someplace where the mask wall. Next I grel!lsed the exposed plaster wall will hl!lve I!I thick, abrupt edge to start work· with Vaseline, and poured up the second Ing it loose. If you start on the blending half of the mold. When the plaster mold hlld edge, the delicate Inner surface can stick to completely hardened, I carefully pried the itself befone you can get powder on it, ruin· halves apart and removed the ears. I deaning the edge. I worked the mask loose ed off the day and wllshed off the pll!lstlc l!lbove the upper lip, and begl!ln to dust sel!ller with acetone, so the day could be powder under it with I!I brush. I peeled it all used again. out, and trimmed the casting with small After the molds had dried out over two manicure scissors. days, I put them together and wrapped a heavy rubber band around each one to Don't Forget the Ears keep them shut. Then I poured in latex. I I've skipped telling about the ears. I sculp- gradul!llly built up the layers inside the ted day ears over plaster casts of Jeff sears. mold. 8e<:auseofthe depth of the mold, the When I was sl!ltlsfied with the sculpted el!lrs r ears took several days to dry. \\!hen I finally
removed the ears (using the same precau· tions as with the facial appliance), I saw that thf! ear tips werf! pale, indicating there was stitt plenty of moisture in them. This even· tually dissipated
Painting the Appliance I laid out my com pleted rubber applian· ces and prepar~ to pelnt them, so my makeup tasks would be simplified when it actually came time to put them on Jeff. I mixed a purplishilrey base color from acrylic paint and latex. I use a ratio of about one part latex to two plIrtsacrylic paint, plus some water. You don't need more than a medium· sized puddle of paint to C08t a large appliance. I blended the colors with my pallette kniff!, and applied them with a Mit nat brush. Mer using my brushes I dropped them In a pot of water, to keep the pelnt from setting up in them. Mer the base coat was dry I stippled Of! highlights with a pofyurethlline sponge. I mixed a compllmental)' color to the bMe color to get a subtle, greyed effect. (Two compli· mental)' colors always produce some shade
23. After get· ling a good coat on. a layer of cheese cloth is added and then more plaster for strength and thickness.
26. Gently work the latex piece loose from the mold taking to dust with powder to keep it from sticking to Itself.
24. The plastic resin eyepieces are glued in place with a drop or two of liQUid latex. This automati· cally creates an eyesocket.
27. The fjn · ished latex piece placed over the mold of Jeffs face. It shoold be thick at the center and thin at the edge.
25. A ~ ounce of latex was poured into the nose and worked around the interior of the negative mold With my finger.
28. Clay ears are sculpted over plaster casts of Jeffs ears in the same way that the facial appliance was sculpted.
of gray.) In this case, it WlIS a yellowish color. My next step was to paint the eyes. At this point I decided to make Vac.(J.Form eyes, ~ause I wanted my brother to be able to see out ci his makeup. The resin eyes I'd made weren't transparent enough. (They would have looked fine to the observer. but the man behind them would be blind.) I formed two round and two bulged eyf!forms on the Vac{J·Form and cut them down to fit the eyesockets in the mask. I snapped the round stll~lls Into the sockets, and marked the approximate shape of the weird black pupil on the surface, using opaque black watercolor. I wanted to be able to wash it off later. I then removed the eyes and began to apply acrylic paint to thf! backs of them, &vOiding the black area, which I left clear so Jeff could see through them. When this paint dried, I flipped the eyes over again and wiped 8way the black plIlntf!d pupils, leaving 8 clear hole through the paint in the identic81 shape. Next, on the same side, I stippled on some mottled colors to give the eye some character, 8lways 8voidlng the clear space. When Ihls
was finished, I snapped the completed painted eyf!S into the sockets again, and snapped the shells with the comeal bulges in over them.
FInishing Touches I mixed 8 tittle acrylic gloss medium (8 milky fl uid) with a smidgin of latex, and PtJinted around the eyes, the nose and the muzzle of a mouth to put the finishi ng touches on the mask. This dried with 8 wet look. Next, I took out my collection of crepe hair and selected some brownilrey shades. I mixed another puddle of latex and acrylic maUe medium to make a glue for the hair which would dl)'with 8 flat finish. I chopped some crepe into a pile of whisers with my scissors, and stuck these around the muzo zle. Then I took longer crepe str8nds and began to lay in the eyebrows, sttJrting at the outer comers of the eyes and lapping inwards. I worked grayer hair into the btend as I ne8red the inner comers of the ~. laying the hair on full and long, then trimming the brows to size when I was finished pasting. This done, I took an inexpensive
CINEMAGIC '12
II
29. I build a dividing wall around both ears with a green shade of plasticene to distinguish it Irom the white clay ears.
30. When the plaster mold had completely hardened. I carelully pried the halves apart. Acetone cleans off the plastic sealer.
31. Because 01 the depth olthe mold the ears took several days to dry. The latex was built up gradually in layers.
33. The painted latex lacial piece with eyebrows and whiskers glued in place with liQuid latex.
34. The makeup table sel With aU of the tools and colors needed to apply and com plete the makeup.
32. The latex pieces are prepared IOf painting using a mixture 01 2 parts acrylic paint to one part liQuid latex. pair of false brown eyelashes and glued them just under the upper eyelids. using latex for glue. The facial appliance was finally ready.
Applying the Makeup I was ready to do the makeup, so I set up my makeup table. [like to have everything I'll need right at hand. I never mix anything or pour out anything until about 15 minutes before I start. to avoid waste. Certain glues and sealers will congeal after being exposed to the air awhile. I pour out as much spirit gum or latex as ru need for the job. to avoid dipping a dirty brush back into the bottle and polluting the main supply. I had Jeff shave, and I swabbed his face with alcohol to remove all tra ces of oiL I then dampened his hair. The first thing I wanted todo was da~en his hair and style it into a tousled mass, so I began to work·in some F&ctor hair masque. Hair masque is simply a cakeof mascal'll.1 used black. As it dries it stiffens the hair slightly, so that the hair stays in whatever shape you put illt's best to do your hair coloring first. If you w.!lit
12 CJNEMAGIC '/2
till after you've done the fadal makeup. you may wind up slopping the hair coloring on the face no matter what precautions you may take. then you have to arduously clean it off. perhaps disturbing the makl!\Jp ;ab. The next step was to glue on all the appliances. I Stllrted with the ears.] painted spirit gum (F&ctOf'S adhesive) on the in· sides of the rubber earpieces and slipped them over Jeffs ears while the gum was wet. Then I pressed down the edges till they stuck. Next, I held the large facial appliance over his face, .!IlIgning it properly, and began to glue down the upper portion along the forehead with spirit gum. As I got to the cheeks and around the mouth, I switched toa stickier, more stubborn adhesive, Siomon's .M.edico, which is like .!I rubber cement This adhesive dries so fast that I don't dare apply it an inch at a time, like the slow drying gum. I just smear some over the pr~ lIrea under the rubber edge, and press the edge down over it, holding it until it is firmly stuck. You should take pains to stick your edges down very firmly. Don't rush it Attempting to stick them
down later. when there is greasy makeup all around and your subject is beginning to perspire. is almost impossible. I used my latex and matte medium mix, ture as a sea~r, stippling it overtheedges of the mask. I noted that the earpieces had obvious edges, so I filled the gaps between the earpieces and Jeffs actual ear with bits of cotton satur.!lted with the latex·acrylic mixture. [dried all these applications with a warm stream of lIlr from my hand hair dryer. then powdered them .,.,;th talc. I had prepared a small plastic pallette with a puddle of Nbber grf!!l.sepllint, mixed to approximate the color of the appliance. I keep two or three flesh shades of rubber greasepaint in my kit, and doctor them with lining colors to get the strange shades J want I mixed my basic flesh tone together with a grayish purple color till I had approx, imately the right shade. I sponged a light coat of this grease over Jeffs ~ skin. face. neck., and shoulders), then powdered it thoroughly with plain white talc. I then took a wet, soft polyfoam sponge and liter· ally washed the excess powder aw1l'j. The
37. The large facial appliance IS glued with spirit gum and Slomon's Medico which is much stickler and laster drying than gum. 35. Model Jeff Reardon was shaved and his face swabbed with alcohol to remove all traces of oil. Hair should be styled first.
36. The ears are applied first with spirit gum painted on the inside of the appliance and then slipped over Jeffs ears.
38. Rubber mask greasepamt is used to cover the r exposed skin and match
i I color of the greasepaint began to emerge again. with a soft surface sheen that is neither greasy nor dusty. Next. [ began to add additional colors with my fingers and with m y sponge. taken from my lining colors. I broke up the color along the cheeks in an attempt to disguise the blending edge o f the appliance. This additional greasepaint usually doesn't need to be powdered. Next came the goatee (if you'll pardon the expression.) I used my versatile latex· matte medium mixture to stick the crepe hair strands toJeffs chin. I started ilIt the tip of his chin. and worked up in layers.lighten· ing the hair llllith white strands at the edges. I added an additional hunk under the chin, for body. You'll obtain better results if you use very little hair. You should be able to see through the mass. If it's too dense. it looks phony. I applied the latex·matte mixture with the blade of my pallette knife. then pressed the ends of the crepe hair into this material with the nat of my scissors. This is the conventional way of handling the hair when sticking. or " laying". a false beard.
The beauty of the latex·matte mixture is that it dries invisible, with a matte surfllce (spirit gum is messier and dries shiny, lind doesn't even stick the hairs down as well.) You can also peel it off in i!ln instant I didn't trim the beard, .. I wanted it rough. A cake of white masque was applied with a toothbrush lightly all over Jeff s head,just catching the outer layer of hllirs, giving a salt·and·peppereffect The next step was to apply the homs. 1coated the bottom edges of the horns with Wilhold contact cement, and coated the sockets in the facial ap' pliance with more of the same. When the adhesive grew tacky, I inserted the horns and held them in place until they were firmly anchored. Now that Pan was rebom. we could go startle the neighbors, lind look for nymphs!
Anal Comments I hope this makeup illustrates that im· pressive results cilln be achieved using plain "slush molded" rubber appliances instead of foam latex ones. Foam latex is compli· cated to make and expensive. When I was
younger, I tried to avoid using it whenever I could ... and although it may surprise the reader, usually I found I could! I used regu· lar latex castings for large facial features, ears, all kinds of brows and noses and eyelids. and even lips, and achieved realistic results. You don't automatically need foam latex. You do need foam latex for one-piece appliances which must cover a very large area. and must be quite flexible. You could for example get away with ill large facial mask made from slush molded latex, if it didn't need to move very much. Whenever you need to register an extraordinary amount of facial movement through the makeup, you'd better use foam. However, I hope to have illustrated that regular slush cast latex can be used for an overwhelming number of jobs and give satisfactory results. while the material itself is more economi· cal. easier to use and more dependable than foam latex. If you wish to explorefoam latex techniques. check Richard Corson's Stage Makeup. which is mentioned again in my discussion of makeup suppliers. to follow directly. (JI
ClNEMAG/C #12
13
Special Notes on Makeup Suppliers The
best makeup suppliers today are: Paramount TheatriCllI Supplies Aloone Company, Inc.
575 &h Avenue New York, NY 10018 (212) 594-3980
Research Council of Makeup Artists 52 New ~ulding Street Lowell, Massachusetts 01851 (6 17) 459-9864
Paramount Th9tJ1clIl Supplies canies makeup by such manufacturers as Stein's, Mehron. Bob Kelly, Ben Nye, and
KryoIan. They also cany. Of carried, some Factor. but Max Feetor Is sIowiy going out cl the makeup business. St(!in and Men· ron are primarily stage makeup suppliers: Bob Kelty and Ben Nye. operating on the East and West coests respectively. supply motion picture and TV makeup artists with most of their materials; Kryolan is a huge West German mllkeup company, possibly the best in the world. UnfortuMtely, only II portion cl what they manufacture is distributed in America. The Research Council of Makeup Artists is basically ill one-man company headed by a former professional makeup artist. Vincent Kehoe. Kehoe confers with such makeup artists as Dick Smith (and others) to keep abreast of new techniques and materials, wtllch
he instantly incorporates into his line of products. The quality
01 all
his makeup and special materials is high. Enthusiasts should write both Paramount and RCMA for catalogs. A person inte'est~ in creating character makeups will find himself woridng a lot with latex. either di~ on the skin, or made into appliances. Although there are people wor1
Sources For Makeup Supplies Many supplies which are used to create makeups are available from local stores. Fo r example: Hardware St ore/ Paint Store Acetone, brush saver, single edged razor blades, cheesecloth, &eroSOI silicone lubricant, contact cement, spray lacquer, rubbing compound, white g lue. Lumber Yard/ Building Supply/ Ceram ics House Plaster of Paris, Ultracal 30; ceramics supply may include latex, day, modeling tools, and other moIdmaking materials. Appliance Store o r Department Store Plastic mixing bowls, metal spatula (type used to frost cakes).
14
CfNEMAGIC'12
rubber. To this oil Is added heavy pigment Unlike makeup intended only for the skin, rubber makeup must be opaque, because it has to disguise human skin and latex or plastic and make them look alike, and reflect light the same. !-\akeup Intended only for the skin can afford to be a bit tr1!InsJucent, but makeup for rubber cannot. Rubber grease requires a great deal of talc powder to make It rMllistically matte. It is messy. but for the time being it is all there is. I still recommend that amateurs buy a limited range of flesh shades, and perhaps a white, which can then be mixed with the pure, strong "lining" colors (...mich, though they conteln minellli oil, don't contain enough to mat· ter ...men mixed in small amounts) to achieve a range of desired shades. Professional makeup artists use a wide array of Bob Kelly and Ben Nye 6ning colors for character work such as ageing, bruises, clowns, etc. KIyo!an's are also excellent. as are the RCMA (called ' shading' colors.) Dick Smith did some detective work and discovered a remarkable adhesive made by Dow.comlng for medical pur' poses, which Dick found worked well to adhere rubber appliances to the face. He informed Vin Kehoe, who seUs it through RCMA as Prosthetic Adhesive, It's expensive, but it's smart to keep a small bottle on hand, especially for problem areas (around the mouth, for example), RCMA and KIyoIan are the major suppliers of offbeat and useful plastics for makeup purposes, which can be used for sealing the surface of modeling wax (....tlien would otherv.ise reject makeup), or to build up scars and wounds right from a tube (RCMA calls this stuff "PM.A fIIolding Material," KryoIan calls it ''Tuplast''), or to c reate your own plastic bald caps, etc. Max Factor Co, has always made the best spirit gum, but sev· eraI other firms make it too, Paramourt offers a good selection of crepe hair, which is inexpensive i!IInd can be used to make surprisingly realistic beards, mustaci'H!s, eyebrows and wigs, especially if combined so that the hair colors are contrasty (...mien makes the wool crepe look coarser, like actual hair). The best lx>ok for an all-around makeup education is still Richard Corson's Slage Makeup, available through AJcone Company/ Paramount Supplies. If you know next to nothing about makeup, then this is the source I would instantly potnt you toward to begin leamlng, This book will teach you enough to be able to create very impressive makeups,
Upholstery Supply
Sheets of
po~rethane foam
(best for
cutting up into makeup sponges), and natural latex foam (some artists prefer it, even though it eventually rots).
Art Store/ Toy o r Hobby Store Acrylic paint, opaque watercolor, brushes, pallettes, pallette knives, plasticene, modeling tools, papier mache mix. draW" Ing materials, paper. It's best to call the above stores to confirm ahead of time if they have...mat you want. but then again, browsing sometimes unearths treasure. Some materials that you might expect to have to mail away for can sometimes be found nearby if you use your phone directory, For example: Look for latex under Rubber; casting resin or R1V rubber under Plastic Pfo. ducts, Retail; triple beam balances under Scale Manufacturers! Be inquisitive!
Ordering by Mall Write Dow Coming, the company that makes several typ6 of R1V silicone rubber, for a distributor near you (or, you may be able to order the material direct from them),
Dow Coming Corporation, Midland, MI
48640. Write Sculpture House In NYC for their excellent catalog, They cany aU types of modeling day, tools; moulage, latex, piaster, etc, Sculpture House, 38 East 30th Street. New York, NY 10016, I've always been able to locate an economical local supplier of latex by looking in the phonebook. but if you need to mail away for it, try: General Latex and Chemical Corp" 666 Main Street, Cambridge, MA. R&D Latex, 590 1 Telegraph Rd., Comm erce, CA 90040 (J(
Producers'
BULLETIN BOARD
Re ndezvous With Destiny. ~ yellr Is 7491. Though ~rs lin! ~n<:t, one man, Lord Cordex. plots to take over the three remaining countries on Earth: Australia, Spain, and New Jer· sey. He hires three "supposedly" evil vllillins to help him. One, John Daye, tries to stop the evil plot. Producer/ Director: KB Speclalists. Miniatures and aliens: Bud R. Peny. Editing and cinematography: Kevin Finneman. ClIst: Kevin Finneman, Bud R. Perry, Vernon Duwell, Jim Fessenbedrer. FX inciude:
Roach Power 2. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into your apart· ment again, here comes Roach Power 2! Based on the classic short subject, Roach Power, which depicted hundreds of common household roaches tlIking over a typical New York City apartment without the owner being aWlire. Roach Power 2 picks up where the original left off. Roaches are taking over the block and forming a block association. They are slowly taking over Manhattlln! Producer: Impossible Productions. Direc· tors: Paul 'vitous and Mike Antonucci. 16mm, color. sound. FX include: tlnl· mated roaches. (Impossible Produc· tions, c/ o Paul Vrt.ous, 50 West 29th St, New York. NY 10001.)
!I I
Dazzling battles in outer ~e. Music: Dale Park. Super-S color, sound. Running time: 8 minutes. A Tycro Film (a division of KB Productions). (KB Productions, Dept. Of New Pro-
jects. P.O. Box 254 Veneta, Oregon 97487.)
A Sticky S ituation. A young man buys a pack of gum from
Mr. Scuuo and goes to a bar.The wad of gum comes to life and Gumma is born. After some stop.motion perversion, the young man goes home to bed. He wakes up to see Gumma grow to be nine feet tall. Sheer terror and destruction on a massive scllie ensue. Producers/Directors: Brad McGovern and Joe Calderaro. Writer: Brad McGovern. Animators/ FX: Joe CladeRilro and Brad McGovern. Cast: Doug 'vincent. Mary Luft.. Gummo and others. Frve months in the making. In post production. Super·B, color. sound. Running ti~: IB minutes. (Kzth·Kzth film Productions. c/ o Joe Calderaro. 733 E. 78th St.. Brooklyn, NY 11236.)
C onvention. A satirical tribute to science fiction conventions. Producer/ Director/ FX: David Fietze. FX Include: clay anima' tion, miniatures, flat animation, explosions. stop motion, fire, live action. costumes and makeup, laser FX, underwater photography and latex molds. Original musical score by Stephen Fietze. Super·B. color, sound. Running time: 15 minutes. (August Productions, c/ o David Fietze, 9020 Evansport Dr.. ROSf!~, CA 91770.) The lRSKto1d. A researdl scientist tries to create the perfect human being-part man part insect. The result is far from human. Producer/ Diredof/ Script/FX: Wayne Barnaby. Cast: George \Vhittaker. lallY ~I and several extras. FX include: fuU body monster costume and gore FX. Completion date: September . .1980. A Twiighl Production. Super·a, color, sound. Estirnated running time: 45 minutes. (Wayne Barnaby. 7 Utah Trail, Medford, NJ 08055.)
The Galile o Encounter. The U.S.S. Galileo. returning from a deep space mission. discovers an immense alien craft and its terrible secret. Producer. Galileo Productions. Ltd. Director: Paul Wous. Director of miniature effects: Jeff Polliuotto. Mini, atures/ Props: Jeff Pollizzotto. Animation: Paul Vrtous (,. Mike Antonucci. Sound: Howard Hirsch. Cast: Jerry Parisi in the lead role. all other parts uncaSl In preproduction. 16mm, color. sound. (Galiloo Productions, Ltd., c/ o Paul 'vitous. 50 West 29th St.. New York. NY 10001.) t he Time Traveler. A young man stumbles upon a time machine unearthed by construction work. He accidentally travels into the future ond finds earth a desolate wasteland. He happens upon the last home (in great disrepair) d the last human on earth. The house is guarded by two robots. Due to slow radioactive poisoning. the last human on earth has placed his brain in suspension with instructions for his robots to procure a body-any 'mrj they can ... Producer/ Director/ Wo· ter/ FX.; Robert Moorloy. Cast: Mark Gurley, Mike I'-\arquart and r.\an Brown. FX include: rear screen projection with minia· tures. explosions and a dazzling light trip for the time travel sequences. Super·B, color, sound. Running time: 15 minutes. (Cast of Thousands Productions, c/o Robert Moorloy. 27 Glenwood Ct. Ballston Lake, NY 120 19.) A n Investigation into the Slaughter of Two Pheasants. Mer killing a couple of pheasants, three stoned people decide to make mincemeat out of them and do everything from tear· ing the feathers off to dumping out their entrails. Producer. Dunwich Productions. Director/ Cinematographer: Lany Apa. kian. Cast: Steven Apakian, Bob Apakian and Jim Hewitt. Super·B. color, sound. Running time: 7 Y.1, minutes. (Dunwich Productions. c/ o Larry Apakian 150 I . 2230 Forrester Ave .. Holmes. PA 19043.) (Jf
CfNEMAG/C .., 12
15
I2ROFILE The Good, The Bad
and the Funny By JOHN CLA¥fON
E
veryone loves a funny movie.
Dean Barnes and Greg Gilger, two native Californians of the
LA. area, have been scoring many successes lately with a funny short they've made entitled The Good, The Bad and The Furry. Essentially a parody of the spaghetti western genre. The Good., The Bad and the Funydepicts a showdown (at high noon, of course) between a Clint
Eastwoodesque gunfighter and Bigfoot. The gunfighter is brilliantly played by Gary LeBous,a high,school friend (the price was right) of Barnes. The Bigfoot character is a masterfully crafted animation model that was made by Gilger. The Good, The &d and Ihe Furry took
second place in the 16mm category at the ClNEMAGIC/SVA Short Film Sear<:h last year. The film got most of the biggest laughs of the evening at the screening of the winners of the CiNEMAGIC contest last November at New York City's Beacon Thea· ter. Clearly, Barnes and Gilger both have a sense of humor and they know how to make a film that can make people laugh. The film is a pastiche of cel animation, live action and stop motion animation. The opening shot shows a cartoon cowboy out on the range trying to light his hanMolied cigarette. A giant. funy hand reaches in from off screen and lights the cigarette. The cowboy's delayed reaction is to bulge his eyes in typical cartoon fashion and piss in
/6
ClNEMAG/C #/2
his pants. The audience roars as a yellow puddle grows underneath the cowboy's feet. The next scene introduces Ga'ry ' LeBous' gunfighter. He's seen coming out of an outhouse. He looks around the desolate ghost town and anxiously checks the grand· father clock in a nearby window. It's high noon. Suddenly, a giant creature comes out from behind the last building on the town's only street. The gunfighter stares in awe. The creature is three stories tall! The two size each other up. They get ready to draw their guns. They draw and fire. The giant creature is shot in the chest. He's mortally wounded. He drops his gun. The gunfighter cooly puts his gun back in his holster. Suddenly the look of satisfaction on his face disappears. A giant shadow crosses over his face. He looks up and sees his impending doom. He swears his last curse and is crushed by the falling body of the creature he has just slain. The next shot shows the fallen creature lying face down on the deserted street. The legs of the gun· fighter protrude out from under the crea· ture's body. The gunfighter's legs twitch in the throws of death and then are still. An appropriately corny western song ("Blood on the Saddle," sung by Dean and Greg's Above; Opening shot in The Good. The Bad and the Furry is animation of a gun· fighter who can't control his bladder.
friend, Peter Lauritson) begins to play and the film' s end credits come onto the screen. "I approached Dean with the idea for making the film one night when we were out drinking in a local bar," Greg Gilger begins. "Dean is a filmmaker and rm an artist and we've been friends for about six years. Dean thought it would be fun to make the film, so we immediately began the preproduction work. Dean put the shooting script together and I began mak· ing the animation model of the creature, We started storyboarding the film and about a week later we hopped inthecar and drove 350 miles to Bodie (California) to scout out locations. We shot some location test stills at Bodie so I'd have photos to work from when I made the miniature buildings for the stop motion sequences. The m inia· tures had to be accurate replicas of the real buildings because we had to match the stop motion sequences with the live ac· tion." " Bodie is a California slate monument," Dean explains. "It's an old ghost town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains near the Nevada border-not far from Yosemite National Park. The state of Cali· fomia has kept it in a natural state of decay. It's a perfect location to shoot a western." "I constructed the miniature set·up of Bodie in my two car garage," Greg reveals. " The buildings are made out of cardboard and balsawood. I painted them to make
RIShl : The closeup head that Greg made was made of clay. It is about the size of a large grapefruit and is painted with acrylic paint over several layers of gesso. T he hair is macrame. which was unbraided and combed out. The head showed a full range of facial expression In the humOfous short film.
SUBSCRIBE TO
left: Gary LeBous' portrayal of the desperate gunfigh ler in The Good,
If you are a young fi lmmaker with a special interest in science fictio n, special effects and the limitless magic o f the cinema . , .
The Bad and The Furry was superb.
His rea ction shots were shot on 10cB' tion in Bodie and inter cut with stop· motion footage of the creature walk, ing down the mini ature Bodie set. It looks as if the two were sizing each other up before drawing their guns.
them look as old as possible. The back· ground is a canvas I painted to match the slides we had taken of Bodie. Dean kept me going when Ifelt I couldn't finish the project I only made two buildings, but it was enough for our purposes. " The creature is made of oil·base day with several COllts of gesso over it to make a proper base for the final paint," Greg con· tinues."Oil·base ldayis nota good base for acrylic paint, but the gesso made a very good base for the final paint There are two separate models in the film-a 13" anima· tion model for the scenes in which the crea· ture walks and a head for close.ups. The close'up head is about the size of a large grapefruit.. The hair is made of macrame, which I unbraided and applied to the crea· ture's skin, The macrame gave Bigfoot very coarsely textured hair which looks perfect I think it looks better for Bigfoot's hair than crepe hair would have. The armature is made of sculptor's wire. covered with mask· ing tape, paper lowel and the macrame hair. I made little latex gloves for the hands. The head and face was day-and, of course, the close-up head was made of day covered with macfame hair." "The stop.motIon sequences took three days to shoot:' Dean exposes. "We eyeballed the animation-we didn't use a gauge. When we shot the scene where Big· foot walks out from behind the building we realized, after about an hour and a half of
animating, that the creature was leaning so far back he looked like Mr. Natural saying 'keep on truckin: We decided not to bother reshooting it because it only lasts a few seconds on the screen. Most people who've seen the film never picked up on the little mistakes we made in the animation. Only ourselves and Michael Lee Reed, the direc· tor of photography, retlily know all the shortcuts we took in the animation." "The Good, The Bad and the Furry was my fi rst attempt at animation," Greg con· fides. "I didn't use any of the standard tech· niques associated with professional anima· tion-inbetweening. wori
THIS IS YOUR MAGAZINE ( INIMAGIC WILL FlATURI: How to produce profe5SlQ!"'lal t
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your ovvn loom IcItex "nlmatlOrl ff"lOdeIs, nok:is "nd al"l"l"Wures and
mc!lke them come "'MI GlaSS palfll''lgS, matte 00lC effeas. spill. screen:;,
ReYJeWS of new equ pment, IWses 5nd 01'11(51 gadgets lOt creatmg soea"j d fects! Reaoers' lorum -~ters "nd QLlt:StIOOS exchdns ng technIQues "nd productl()fl secrets! Step"by·step ,I· lustrMOO 5rtcies deta I,ns methods you C50 use to create voswl effeas, lTl<'I~eup "nd sound rx.
.. -----------O .......OK
Oa...r..SI~1nc ~7S r>,ri. A~~
DEPT. C12 SouII'!, New 'I'oA" tU 10016
SUaseJlll'"nON One Yut(6 ~)$8W dOd c"n"o,,) Onr ~'" f
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E.oc~S ~CWl, checl., or moncyordera4Wfl 10 O"Ournn Sl:udoS, h:
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Clockwis. from top left: Bodie, California was the location of the live action. A close shot 01 Gres's miniature Bodie buildings. Note attention to detail. The creature emerges from behind the miniature set.
back and ink In each frame offilm to fill the gap. It doesn't really show up on the
screen," "We tried to use as little animation as possible:' Greg illuminates. "For instance, the scene where the crellture is lying on top of the gunfighter lind the gunfighter's legs are kicking is live action, not animation. We c ut two holes in the animation table directly under the creature. I stuck my fingers through the holes lind covered them with little cardboard trouser legs and clay boots to make them look like the gunfighter's
legs. Dean directed me to kick and then to heave in the fin.lll death throws. It worked out better than we probably could have done with animation. We also constructed hands and feet out of the slip-over hands and feet you CM buy in make-up supply stores so we could do dose-ups of the crea· ture' s hands and feet without hlIving to resort to animating them. The feet were made out of monkey feet that I picked up in a novelty snap and covered with the mao crame hair. I created a miniature cow's skull that I stepped on In the film IIIhUe wearing the monkey feet to give the Impression of the feet being enormous. " The sequence in lIIhich the creature draws his gun cuts between live action dose-ups of the creature's hand reaching for the gun and stop motion of the anima' tion model reaching for his gun:' Dean
18 ClNEMAGIC "12
explains. ''The live action dose-ups used a gorilla hand that you can buy in any novelty shop. Greg painted the gorilla hand with acrylic paint and his wife, Anna. covered it with the macrame hair. Greg made the tiny holster out of cardboard and the gun was a toy miniature. He slipped the gorilla hand over his own hand and we shot the scene. "When we shot the scene of the crea' ture's gun dropping down onto the ground. the gun landed straight up with its handle pointing up at the sky. It was perfect for dramatic purposes and it was a one in a million chance. When we looked at the dai· lies we realized that Greg's foot came into the frame at the end of the snat. We decided to optically remove it by making a frame blow·up and painting the foot out of the scene. It was worth the $75 it cost to have the gun land the way it did. Amateur filmmakers shouldn't be afraid to consult an optical nause about similar problems or special effects. The consultation is usually free and the price is sometimes surprisingly inexpensive. " We shot the live action sequences at Bodie in one day. We brought the bare essentials of what we needed. We rented an Arri·S and brought a couple of sandbags and renector cards. some sound equipment and a tripod. The one thing we forgot to bring that we really needed was extra clothes. It only warmed up to about 28
degrees while we were there. It was fortu· nate that it was cold because Bodie is somewhat of a tourist attraction and the people stayed away because of the cold. You reallycan't tell that itwascold bywatch· ing the film. Luckily every scene came out and there was nothing we couldn't fix in the editing. We didn't have to reshoot any· thing." It took three years to complete The Good. The Bad and the Furry. but there were 810t of stops and starts inbetween. Dean and Greg shelved the project when· ever something more pressing came along. They managed to bring the film in for under $1.200 with Dean editing the Him in his spare time. They've recouped the money they spent by selling the film to several LA·based cable tv outfits. They also won s300 and a trophy in the ClNEMAGIC/SVA Short Film Search. They've recently sold the film distribution lights to LCAP. (Independent Cinema Artists and Producers). a New York based film distribution company that picked up The Good. The Bad and the Furry after one of their agents saw it in the Filmex Festival in Los Angeles. LCA.P. has bought only the film distribution rights for Him rental and left Dean and Greg free to make further deals with their film. AJI the money that Dean and Greg receive through LCAP. and any further deals they make on the film will be pure profit. (conliflued)
I
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ONLY A FEW LEFT!
Not only is FANGORlA the most frightening and infonnaave horror magazine on the newsst2nds, but it is the only monster magazine that includes full
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Dean and Greg are currently working on accomplishment is a cartoon strip that will a new film, entitled Toilets from Space. receive national syndication in the near Several friends have offered their assist· future. The strip is called Muttsand is about ance on the new project as a result of the the adventures of a scruffy dog named success of The Good, The Bad and the Mutt. Watch for it; it may appear in your Furry. The film will be entirely animated local newspaper. Greg's sense of humor is and will run about fIVe minutes. No further vital to the success of the strip. As is evi· information is available because the film is denced by his contributions to The Good, still in preproduction. Dean and Greg prom· The Bad and the Furry, he has both the ise that it will be another humorous short. artistic talent and the sense of humor that Dean currently works at Paramount Stu' he'll need to succeed asa nationally syndi· dios in the post production department. He cated cartoonisl works mainly with television properties, Both Dean and Greg possess a rare gift: making sure they contain no obvious flaws the ability to make people laugh. Their in production quality before they can be combined talents have brought them suc' aired. He loves his job and consi ders him· cess on their first collaboration. They plan self lucky to hold such a position. He had to continue the association. The world of spent several years at different studios and filmmaking will continue to be a magical various positions, working his way up the place as long as people like Dean and Greg continue to lift people above their daily ladder of success in the film indusuy. Greg is a professional artist and his latest lives and make them laugh for a while. (Jf
in sand, dust, snow and underwater
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Riaht: One of the shots in the film that is most effective in establishing the Bigfoot creat ure's gargantuan size is when the creat ure steps on the cow' s skull. The feet are costume monkey feet that Greg bought in a novelty shop. His wife, Anna. covered them with macrame and Greg painted them. Greg also made the miniature cow's skull.
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Left : The final scene in the film is a shot of the slain Bigfoot creature fal· hng on the hapless gu n· fighter. The gunfighter's legs twitch for a moment and then are still as he dies under the wei ght of the enormous creature. The scene was shot in live action. The gunfigh· ter's legs are actually Greg's fingers covered with cardboard trouser legs and clay boots.
M issing copies? Moving? Renewals? Receiving duplicate issues? Ques· tions about your subscription? Write d irectly to:
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20 c/NEMAG/C #12
Ri&hl: Dean and Greg solved the age·old top bil· ling problem in a novel way by including this frame in the credits. Greg is seated on the right and Dean is standing behind him on the left. They had originally intended to carry the gag a step further and dress up as women, but changed their minds when they saw how many people were waiting at the photographer's studio.
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Filmmakers'
EORUM A Challenge ... Today serious and dedicated amateur film~ ~ II greot deal of sophisticated Supt'1'8 equipment ot their disposal for
sound films. widescreen, etc.aliOllrllng for nellr-profeulonal qual· Ity filming In Super·a We can buy equipment with most of the options we want-1f1Ne h_ the
""""".
But·have you though; cl the future HanyMusens? What about those dedictrted filmmakeni who IItt tearing their nair out trying to make high quality special effects In Super-8? \\!hilt about those of us who lire drellmlng olllnlmatJng
our models using rear pro;ection? I chllJIenge the Lorge Super-8 almeflI and projector manufoc:turen; to make II quality Super-8 ~ je<:tor for frame-by-frame rear projection. With wc::h II prqector. animation would be much J'I'IOI'e profession.!lHooking-and less expensive. Think of the future Hllr' ryiloUSCr1$. We haYe the Ullentand the money. There life many t./Ilefted special efFects Super-8 filmmakers who, like myself. IIrt waiting for the sperl< of genius tNlt"""U create this
proje<;tor. rm waiting with money In hand.
PIerre Beton 5702 3rd Ave. Bsmt. fII\ontrul, Quebec. CarnKbl HIY2W9
... Sorry Pierre. bul the denutnd (Of" a Super.fJ fJfC!jecl0f' (Of' frame-by-(rame rear projection-
22 CINEMAG/C" 12
ful tips on modifying a Super.fJ projecttx fOl" frame-by-frame reM PfC!J«tion. If you can somehow malUlge to COIWlnce II Supu-8 manufacturer to make a projector for framf!
Cheap Set
yet heMd 0/
CINEf.V.OIC-wlll owe you a great debt
Aashpowder .•• I nave two questions trnrt I des· perately ~ IImwered to finish my current film. First, do you know a si mple and inexpensive wtJY to make lasers on film .,..;thout sclllk:hing it on? And second. where ClIO I obWn flash powder and !!pPfOXImately how much does it cost?
Joseph Applebaum 13 OverhDI Rd, MlJI Valley. CA. 94941 One way 10 make si~e and e{fectlve lasers on film Is 10 use a glass shof-lIke!.he one de.<;· cribed in Don Dohler·s anicle on glass shots In issue ·1/. I( you can·t backwind (and you can if you want to and read the anlcle on backwlnding In ClNEMAGIC "I). you can /Jy a simple glass shot 0/ a laser beam made with fluorescent paint airbrushed or painted onlO the glass. Use a.set· up. like a laser cannon. if you are nOllnCOlpOl"llllng wi!.h live action. You can also backwind and expose Ihe laser beam separately against. II black back· ground. but regl.slrallon is tricky. Black oeivel works well. AnOlher way Is to ff'phOlograph the /Jve action In a (ear projection set.·up and place a glass painting o//he laser beam in front of/he (ear screen. You can also do this on an Optical prinler-if you have access to one (see John Cosenll· no·s article about building your own Optical printer in CINE· MAGIC "·s 4 [; 5.) You can obUln flash powder from the Alcone Company, Inc~ ParClfflOunl Thealrkal Supplies.
575 8h Aue.. New York. NY /()(J/a The price Is $4.50 per two ounces. with a minimum order of $10. There are three speeds: unl· versal, slow, and extra fast No Co.D.·s are accep(ed. (lnd they ship F.O.S.-whlch means you pay shipping charges. New York residenls "dd sales tax.. You can write for their /43 page catalog. which costs $1.OOpius $1.00 poSlJJge. Tell ·em ClNEMAOIC sent you.
.,. We at LB.J. Productions recently began WOfk on a film entitIcd., Wonder Kid. The Mouie. It' s" spoof of Superman. The Mooie. The enclosed photo is ci a set to be used In the first pM of the film. The set ci Mor-ers dwel· ling on the planet PiptOn, was con5trocted of styrofoam, alumirum foil and lots of E1me,'s Glue. It Wil5
Pleasant Note . Congratu!!ltlons on an excelent publication. I don't mind admitting th!It rve found II few useful titbits in the !!1st few issues. Keep up the
good """Cam Ford Animation~
ONEJo\A.CilC AnIm!1ted films 4 Camlra 5L Pymble, N.S,W. 2073 Austnltia
made for less INn $15. The photo shows me (on the left) and fellow filmmaker and ONE.M.\G1C reader, Wilde Rod«:t (on the right) Mor·el. our hero, is played by Sean Jones and Wonder Kid is played by George 605005.
a.nJ_
5617Troopcr
las Vegas. NV 89120 FieldIng. The book is published by Hasl.ings House and was reviewed In CINEf.V.G/C By the WllY. you·1I never be alXe 10 use the lXue screen process for an independent production-Irs 100 expensive "nd complex for anyone butlhe pros and the lXg st.ud/os. As far 45 ball [; socket annatures aft' concerned. /Jy the one explained In the Close-up section of CINEM/l.GIC "10 or pick up a copy of Don Dohlus Stop MotIon Animation, reviewed In CINEM/l.GIC '10. Stop MotIon Animation also has a uety good chapter about making molds for stop-moI.lon models.
"a
- ----------- 1 Blue Screen Blues . Could you pIeose explain the blue screen process to me? No matter how much I read r still dell"t understand. rd also 6ke InfOll1"\&tion on how to make a b!l1I [i sockelarl"nllture. because r have a lathe and I w~mt to put it to some good use. rd also ~ke to know how to make a mold for an animation model, such lIS I horse or II dinosaur. Anthony ""'"
Ave... MnmIIr "659 Cond. CutBlo de MIramar .-\pta. ID, Santun:e P.R. 00907
. Sony Anthony. but the only Wlly you'll learn the blue screen process is by reading up on It We don·1 have lime 10 explain il to you personally. Try reading the chapter aboutlXue screen In The Technique of Spedlll Effects Clnematogl1llphy. by Raymond
Getting Actors •.. A big problem facing flImlTlllk· ers" 'Nhere to find qU!llity acting. A good place to look is the theatre dep!lrtment d any ne.\lrby university or community college. There are ITIIIny !alented ~ who are
"";lling to lend their lime and till· enl$ to a film pro;ect. All you have to do Is know where to find them. I hllYe prep!lred a list of some Ups on presenUng your film proposal to potentl!llltCtors to persuade
them to 'NOrk for you. First, present your script. $loryboIIrds and 5ti1ls ci your sets and miniatures to the dl'llllTlll instructor or cnainTl!ln d the theatre department 1hese should be completed before you approach
the Instructor with your pro~1 so thllt you don't WIIste his time describing effects lind other deulils,lt willlliso be more Impres· ~ If you life prepared and have the preproductloo IIo'Of1< completed. Vt'hen presenting your idee to the dRlmll class (If you are Im-ited to do 50), be prepared. Memorize your btlsIc selling spee<:h. Hand out a copy of the script to each student. Be honest. Tell them they are going to hlIve to sacrifICe their leisure time to make the film. Be prepared for any questlOl'l5 they may ask. Wyou can't answeI' their questions about your film you'll ~ II ~ Impression. \\!hen you begin filming, mlIke sure you provide for your volunteer lIctOI"3' comfort on the set. Set out seats, cover from the movie lights or hot sun (if possible). prO\llde coffee end snaoo if you can afford to. T /)' to INke your tlctOl'5 lIS comfortllble lind hllppy liS possI. ble. They're hel ping you, not vice-verSt!, Firltllly, jf you pIlIn to premiere your film. invite everyone who donated their time and \.lliert and arRInge to rMke seating for them and a friendlWllilabie. Lastly, If you can afford to, give each tlctor II copy eX the finished film (YIdeot.tIpe is the most economical) as II reward for their asSistance. If the tIbove suggestions are fol-
11 - Backwlndlng Super-8 lilm: Foreground Mini ature Te<:hnique: Aerial Brace ConstrucTion
-
lowed, (li nd you elIn get good lIctorS for these efforts), your film will hlIve II polished, professiontll fo'k!\ael R. Steams O mega Productions 1354 MYf1I Ct. Ch ula 'llbta, 0. 920 I I
Star Aghter Designs Wanted
OK Film Club '" 1' m looking for lInyonc In the Claremore, OK lIrea IIrtflO would like to form II film club to get In contact with me. The club would be oriented to'Nards the science fiction. fllnt,ny lind horror genres. Nlyone Interested In joining should contact me through the
"""" """~
George Jones 22 1 E. WIll Rogers CJ.n:more, O K 74 017
... I lim currently planning II sf film entitled. The Survivor(title Is subject to chllnge), lind I am in des, per&te need 01 assisumce from other CINEM.A.GIC retldefs. I have been 'IrI'Oriting for about II yellr and have not been lIbie to come up IIIIth lIny acceptllble star fighter designs. These fighters must house one or two men lind (01 course) have some sort of weapons lIrmament. Any contrlbu· tions would be deeply appreciated lind would be credited in the film's end credits. I need both ElIrth lind alien flQhters. Another lIrea I am having trou· ble with is designing the larger mips. I need designs for a large mother ship and a hlIngef ship, The !\anger $hip must appear to be IlIrge enough to hold hundreds 01 the smllil fighters. SOentifte plausibility llrill be lI~led. R,E. Emmons 7957 Kennard Rd. LodI, OH 44254
_2_ Spaceshlp Modelmakin g: Blood Makeup: Smoke GenllraTor: Li ght Beam Ellect s: MakIng an SF Logo
.3-RObot Construclion: Developing an Anlmllt ion Style; Fluid Art An ima tion; Elec tronic Spe<:ial Elle<:ts.
Makeup Supplies .. I lim II ItnIggling young INkeup artist who Is also Inter· ested In special effects lind full body costumes, but I live In a S/TIlIU tcwm where Infor1T\llllon lind lIvall· lIbUity Is nll , Could you please provide me with the addresses of companies that could send me CllUllogs of prices lind IIstlngs of supplies 01 such items liS fOllm Illtes, crepe htllr and other reillted makeup supplies;' I'm lIlso Inte r· ested jn obtaining Instruction book· lets on monster coslume mlIking lind rellIted makeup projects. Bobby Gann Rt. 3, Box 237 Tellico Plains, Tl"I37385
... Try reading Clalg Reardon's makeup article In fhls Issue. 0/ makeupsuWY houses are //slcd at the end 0/ the anicle.
Add~
U - Aerlallmage Optical Prlnler: Con· atruCllon; Wire Arma · tures, A-B Roiling, More EIe<:lronlc Spe· cial EUects, Fog and MIst Ellecls
CINEMAGIC BACK ISSUES
17-Buic C.rtoon Animation; Claymation. Kaleidoscope Ettects: Prohle, Santoslephano
'8- VidltO Tape Transler •. Reverse Filming EUe<:I$, Lab SeNlces, Prohle Vilous" AntonlJCci: Clllh 01 Iha Tlt l n. Preview.
'9-Animating Pogo: lithographic Tilling EUe<:I$, SeTS on a Shoestring: Prohle: The La ng ley Punks.
Another Airbrush Alternative '" J have II tip on wetltheting models thtII. may be of Interest to CINEMAGIC ~ers. rYe been using this technique for aboU four )'ellrs and it works quite well. You wiU need II sIN11 pIlI5tic boVrII filled with water, II mediurTl'sized paint bru$h lind lICI'yIiC bIbck paint (I use Heritage bItIck -9505.) Dip the bru$h Into the paint lind then swtsh the brush in the WlIter to thin OIA the paint. Keep cl'lecking the thickness of the paint on the brush lind apply the paint to the model 'Io'hen the paint is lit the consls· tency you WlInt. It should be fairly thin. ImpoMnt!!! Do not touch until the ptlint is completely d/)'. rYe ttIed using lin lIirbn.lsh, but I find thlItll regular brush gives the finish lin extra rough texture thtll I find desirable. This tech nique can lIl50 be used on decals. Pat Steele 127 Mercatar 0. , (II Greenwood, IN 4 6 142 Address all COTrespondence to: ClNEMAGIC_Filmmalws' Forum. c/o O'Quinn Studios. Inc., 475 Park Ave So.. New York NY 10016.
Doe to the enormous YOIume 01 rMii received, the editor regrets individual replies lIIl! impossible.
_5_Aer;allmage Optica l Printer Uaage. Wldesereen Super-8, Sill Scan Ellects. Gleaming Eyes lor Stop MOlion Models
.6- Amazlng Ele<:tronic Gadgllts Chllap: B"ng Your Allen 10 Life-Latex Masks: Basic Editing Te<:nniQues: Invisibl e Man Efle<:ts,
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415 Plrk Ave South, New York. NY 10016 I I AcId postage and handling 10 )'OUr order $.80 lor one ISSUII. $1 15 for two: $1 60 for three I ~, $2 00 lor lou., $2 40 tor five issues. I $210 lor sill, seven.lIIght I Ch.ck I..u" ",I. ad. I 0.1 -$350 o otS-S3.oo I 0-1-$3.00 0'2-$300 I 0.8-$3.00 0'3-$3.00 0.4-$3.00 O~-$3.OO I 015- $3.00 0'10- $3.00 II '10- MaSterlng Malles; Zero Budgel c~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _c Sets: CINEMAI NAME GIC/SVA Awards I Night: Building a Super Soundtrack; I ADDRESS Pen Set Ball-and· I Sockel Armatures; STATE I CITY Prohle Joe Ritter z'" I I •
Spaceships, Laser-rays, & Glows: Easy to do rotoscope effects! By DON DOHLER
omeofmyfavoritespecialeffects when I was younger (and even now) included the red-dotted laser blasts and the glowing "Id" creature from the classic, Forbidden Pia· net. Boy. did I want to imitate such effects in my Super-8 films! In the sixties. one of my favorite 1V shollllS was The Invaders. mostly
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because of the superb rotoscoped red ,. disintegration" effects of the dying aliens. It's pretty dear at this point that I have an affection for red, glowing effects. But an
root of the problem, the answer came fairly fast. I experimented, successfully. with a simple front·projection·onto·paper tech, nique that opened the door to a universe full of special effects possibilities. II's so simple. it almost seems ridiculous: it doesn't require backwinding of any sort; and with today's faster film stocks, faster lenses and brighter projection lamps, these effects can be nothing short of spectacular for the amateur film production.
affection didn't do me much good back
The Basic Concept
when I was shooting in Super·8 and all my effects had to be done "in-camera," 1pro~ ably tried three dozen different ways to simulate the various effects in Forbidden
Essentially. here is what the technique involves: using sheets of white, 817 x 11 paper as a front screen and animation cel; projecting film almost straight onto each sheet of paper; and photographing each composite scene almost straight from each sheet of paper. I emphasize the word ··al· most"" because the projector and camera are set up side·by·side in this case (see photos.) The important things to remember are that you need a frame that will hold each sheet of paper in some sort of registered fash ion, and you need your projector and camera locked down rigidly. Also, and this is really vital, you must have a projector
Planeland Thelnvaders(eventothe point of trying to cut out mattes. super-impose them over live action. and red·filter them; u nfortunately, they never quite lined up with the actors). Finally, I sat down and logically thought out a way of creating these effects. I began by asking myself a simple question: What do I want to do? Answer: I want to put red laser rays and red disintegration over top of live action. By staying with the elementary
capable of still frame and single·frame advance. [t is also helpful to have a camera with a fast, focusing zoom· lens. If you have this equipment. this technique requires only a couple of other items: a ream or two of quality white paper Cditto" or "spirit duplication" paperis best-available at sta· tionery stores) and some various colors of water·base markers.
Setting Up There are probably several different ways to construct a frame for holding the sheets of paper, but I did it the easiest, cheapest way possible years ago and rYe decided to fe·create the exact same way here. First, you need a box that measures approxi' mately 18 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 9 inches high. On the bottom of the box, placeonesheetof8lhby ll paper sideways (horizontally) in the approximate center of the box. Next, find some fairly smooth and nOHoo·thick cardboard and cut four strips of about an inch·and,a·half wide and 10 inches long. Take two ofthese strips and lay them on both sides of the sheet or paper, so that they overlap the paper by about a half· inch. Tape the outer edges of the card·
Cut two strips of smooth cardboard, and tape them to the bottom of a cardboard box. as shown. The box should be about 17 inches long. 12 inches wide, and about 9 inches deep. Be certain to tape the two strips so that they will provide a "frame" for a sheet of 8 1h" x 11" paper sideways.
Tape yet another strip of the smooth card, board over top 01 the bottom strip. This completes the frame, and will help hold each sheet of paper in place and flush.
24
CINEMAGIC ·,2
Cut another strip of smooth c ardboard and tape it below the bottom edge of the paper. This strip will act as the "stop" for the bottom of each sheet of paper.
Each sheet of paper can easily be inserted and removed from the frame~
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/ board strips to the bottom of the box (see photos.) These t'\IIO strips comprise the sides of the frame. Next, tlIke a strip of the cardboard and carefully place it so that it butts the bottom edge of the paper. This piece will create a "stop" point for each piece o f paper as you slip it into the frame, Secure this strip of cardboard to the box bottom. Now. take! the fourth cardboard strip and place it over top of the "stop" piece. and slide it upwards about a quarter of an inch. This becomes the bottom partofthe frame and helps hold each sheet of paper flush against the box bottom. Test out your completed frame by inserting and removing a sheet of paper several times. If it slides in and out pretty easily, yet is snug against the box bottom, you're in business.lfil is nolsnug,you may have to apply some more tape 10 the outer edges o f your cardboard frame strips to create more pressure against the paper. I should note that if you can construct this frame onto a solid wall. so much the better-it will guarantee that your frame and papercels will never move around duro ing filming , If you go with the simple card, board box arrangement. be sure to put a
cinder block. or several standard bricks inside the box, once it is in place, to hold it stationary. With the frame completed, you need to find a work area. The ideal arrangement is a long table of some sort (the heavier and the more solid. the better). In the photos, you can see that I used a long coffee table. This has an advantage: if, during filming. you happen to move the tlIbie: slightly. both the box with frame and projector will move together. If you can manage to secure the camera to such a table also. alllhreecomponents would move in unison if the table was jarred. and you would maintain the all·important registration. With your work area selected, place the box with the frame at one end (don't forget the bricks in the box!) Then. line up your projector and camera on the opposite end. facing the box. You should be able to get the projector and camera aimed at the frame area so that there is only a very slight pitch off of dead-on. Since this isn't Scotch· lite, whkh requires absolute straight-on alignment. this minor angle won't matter. It will not even distort the projection orfilmed image to any noticeable degree. Once you
are satisfied with the placement and align· ment of camera and projector, lock them down somehow-or at least weight them down, A tripod braced with bricks would probably work for the camera, and you can probably place a brick on top of the projec· tor. or use large C-damps to secure it to your table or platform. The key thing is 10 make sure none of your three components wilt budge during the preparation or execu· tion of the technique. Something else to be sure of is the focal lengths of camera and projector, and the size of the image being thrown onto the sheet of paper. A zoom lens on the camera helps quite a bit here, but if you don't have one. be sure your camera is placed so that it will crop out the cardboard frame. It's generally okay if your projector throws the image a bit off the paper and onto the frame, but the camera must be in dose enough that the informa· tion on the paper onJyis picked up through the viewfinder.
Preparation For Effects As you have probably guessed by now, this technique allows you to project a frame
A straight·on view 01 the set·up. The
box with the paper frame at one end of the table faces the projector (left) and camera (right) at the opposite end of the table. Note how closely the projectOf and cam era are placed. All three components should be secured rigidly. Four regu· lar bricks are inside of the box to hold it in place.
Another view of the basic arrangement.
ClNEMAGIC 1112 25
Another exampJe of live·action tracings turned Into an exaggerated allen creature.
A projector frame of the man coming over the hill, with the paper cel containing drawn ··Iaser·rays." The paper acts as a front screen and animation cel.
A close, side view of the camera and prOJector. The camera is locked onto a tripod for absolute steadiness.
26 CINEMAGIC'12
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i The prOjected frame of the man who is about to be "hit" and diSintegrated.
of film onto the sh\!'et of paper. and then have the ability to add fantastic elements right onlo the paper while you view the scene. You can do this in several ways. but the most intriguing application is in adding effects to moving. live action. For starters. let's do a breakdown ofan effect in which a man runs over the top of a hill as laser rays are nashing lICross the sky toward him. He Is suddenly hit; the blast flashes on his body. then makes Impact with the ground. The man glows red as he falls to the ground, swells and disintegrates into a pile of red dust. I did this very effect (see photos) with the help of mydaughter. Kim. Our first step was to go find an appropriate hillside with a clear view of the sky above it We filmed on a hazy day on purpose: the more " whiteish"" sky gave usa better background for the laser rays we would add in later. I ran up to the top of the hili. winced (as though struck by 8 ray). then tumbled down tothe ground. Kim stopped the camera. without moving it, and I got up lind left the scene. Kim then filmed II few more feet of the same back· ground without me. The processed film shows me running to the hilltop. wincing, falling down, lind seemingly ""disappellr· Ing."
Creating The Effects Nowcomes the creative and fun part We loaded the film onto our Bell (, HOVo'e!1 456A projector, which has a 17·27mm f/ l,6 zoom lens, still frame and singl~ frame advance, We projected the film to where I stllrt to run to the top of the hill and we stilled the frame onto the paper in our cardboard frame , Okay. we want to add laser rays whiuing at me. Kim marked in very light pencil the approximate position of the first ray " beam:' I advanced to the next frame (note: this projector requires lhre.e. rotations of the advance knob for each frame, so if you're using one like this, be
sure you don't ""double frame""), Kim miux, ed the next beam area. We did this for several frames until we got to the one where I wince. Then Kim took a red marker and carefully drew in the brief ""nash"" on my body and began drawing the ""hit" on the ground, Afterthis. she did the tedious chore of tracing an outline around my filmed body, one frame at a time, II new piece of paper for each frame, as I fell totheground. When this series was completed, and we got to the frllme where I ""vanished"" we turned off the projector. We took the last frame of my body out· line and several blank sheets of paper to a little light table we made (merely a piece of frosted glass with a 2!).watt lightbulb under· neath), We placed the final outline tracing beneath a blank sheet of paper-aligned exactly on top of each other-and began the exaggerated ""swelling"" effect. We con· tinued this until we had several drawings of the progressive swelling, and then started drawing the disintegration, This was really quite easy: we merely dotted the approxi· mate body""area" with the red marker, mak, ing less and less dots getting closer and closer to the ground on each subsequent sheet of paper. Satisfied with our rotoscoping and lIdditional ""sweH "" and ""dust"" effects, we took II ruler and carefully drew the laser beams where Kim had marked light pencil Indica· lions. Forthe beams, we used a broader tip marker, Analty, our lIrtwork and paper cels were ready! We reversed the film to the first frame of the sequence, Then Kim carefully placed the first sheet of paper back into the frame, At this point, if the frame alignment is ""off' a bit. it doesn't matter. since you haven't filmed anything yet. Just r~align the rotoscoped paper sheets with the projected image and you're ready to film. We re' checked the camera, and clicked the frame, Kim removed sheet III and placed sheet
Kim Dohler carefully outlines man'S body uSing a fine point red marker,
112 into the frame, We clicked another frame on thecamera, We went through the entire sequence, sheet by sheet, frame by frame, until it was completed, The: only drawback, upon viewing our composite film, was that it was a bit on the dark side, This was because we used II normal speed film instead of Ektachrome 160 (which, we've since learned. yields perfect exposures), So, that's the basic technique. The rea· son it works so well is that the paper acts as a renectant for the camera, In earlier years. I tried this same technique by projecting through the paper from the rear, Trouble was, this made the grain texture of the paper visible to the Cllmera. and ei!ICh frame jumped and danced around because of the texture variance from one sheet to the next. The image was also much darker because of the light loss through the paper, By projecting straight onto the paper, you g8i(l added brightness and the paper's texture doesn't show up. Kim and I decided totakethetechnique II step further for our second effect. This time I would run over and down a hill, while a flying saucer rises from beyond the hill. stops in the sky, and fires severlll blasts at me (missing and exploding on the ean.h near me,) Since I wasn't ""disintegrated"" this time. we merely filmed the scene straight through. without stopping the camera. We followed the same procedures as before, only for this sequence Kim had to lightly trace the top of the hill in pencil. This Indicated to us where the SlIucerwould rise and where the Illser billsts would " hit" the earth. Afterdoing all of our tracings, we went back to the light table. We began by drawing the tip end of the saucer as it rises from beyond the hill. Progressive drawings had it rise into full view, then stop at a point in the sky, This was difficult, because we had to re-create the saucer for ei!ICh frame. Although we colored
After filling the entire body trac· ing In With red marker. the paper celiS Inserted back Into the frame,
C/NEMAGIC 1112 27
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the saucer in dark blue marker and tried our best to keep it consistent, it turned cula big "jiggly" In the final footage. With the saucer in place in the sky, Kim added the laser RlYS. and then the blast " hits" on the ground. And, as usual, we re-set our footage on the projector and went through the frame by frame, sheet by sheet
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procedure. However, once we got to a mid· point in the sequence, I dedded to change the camerlilinglea bit to add some variety to the sequence. To do this I merely zoomed in closer on the sheet of paper and we continued the procedure. In the final footbge. the results were nice: it looks like Wlrj
an editing "cut" to a closer view of the action, which is why I recommended earlier that you use a zoom lens.
Animation Cycle FX Now we come to my " poor man's" version of the cartoon " Id' monster from For· bidden Planet This sort oflhing is actually much easier to d o in cl!rtilin cases. I filmed a hill and hazy sky, and projected the processed footage. Then r merely traced an outline on the ground to show where the creature's feet would make contZlct. WIth this tracing r went to the light table and drew the first cel of the creature. After that, I merely traced the creature onto each suc· cessive sheet of paper, making movement alterations as I went But I only needed todo 6 individual drawings! Reason: I created a "cycle" or " repeat"" pattern, meaning that once I filmed the 6th drawing, I went back to the 1st and photographed through the same 6 cels. This gives the creature a pattern that is not unlike that of a " walking cycle" using for cartoon characters-and it sure saves a lot of work! Of course, an exciting application of something like the Id would be to film a person on top of the hill reacting to a giant, terrifying monster; perhaps having the per· son act as though he was struck a mighty
The laser-ray/ disintegration sequence: DraWings show the "Iaser beams". The beam "hits" the guy and the ground beyond him (the ray '"hit" on the ground is shown, as well as the '"shock" effect of glancing the
The projector is turned on, with the red marker ~ilow" effect OYer top of the man's body, and the frame is exposed. Each frame of the man's falling must be traced, cotored, and rephotographed to complete such a sequence.
28 CINEMAG/C' 12
guy's body). The drawings are actual rotoscopes of the red glow Within the body. The art was exaggerated to show a "swelling effect" and then the body diSintegrat ing to red dust. I re·photographed the actual red glow ovsrthe live action, but I could have advanced the film to a point wh ere the body is off camera and used jus t the red glow rotoscoping to show the disintegrating body.
A new sequence is being created: the man runs oyer the hill as a flyini saucer rises from beyond the hill, stops in the sky, and fires laser blasts down toward the man. Kim begins making hght pencil marks on the paper to indicate the edge of the hill, and the area of the hill the saucer will ascend.
blow. Then, merely draw the kI creature (or
whatever creature) eels to have the thing lash out and" strike" the actor. Since you're
seeing each frame before you do any art· work. you have total control. Taking this even farther. you could actu'
....
allyfilm II friend pretending that he is some
ferocious monster-have him get down on hands and knees and go through roaring gyrations. or lash out with his arm. Then.
you could project your friend frame by
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The Spaceship over hill sequence: The saucer is drawn,
one eel at a lime, coming from beyond the hill. Once It gets to lis lixed position In the sky
frame onto the sheets of paper and instead of rotoscoping him perse, meretyfoliowhis basic J'T"IOVements. but draw the outlined form of something like the "Id" monster. The monster would then have a totally real· istic. natural look. This can be applied to some very difficulHo-duplic:ate live rT'IOVements. like a person walking or running. Years ago I did this with my brother. I filmed him walking along in a stealthy man· ner. Then I projected each frame of him and traced his real outline onto sheets ci paper. When I colored in the tracings, though, I drew an exaggerated forn), with weird eyes and clawed feet and hands. It was easy to merely "add on" to my broth· er's basic: true-ta-life forms, and the finished result was a green creature who appeared towalk in a totally realistic way(see photos.)
Unlimited Possibilities
It begins firi ng laser rays 211 the guy runnmg over the hilI. The laser fire sequence can then be repeated to show addItional 'blasts' Irom the Ship.
Thi s sort of rotoscoping can create some terrific and convincing effects. Let's say you want your lead actor to be chased by a red, g lowing energy being. Let's put them both on top of the usual· hill. with the hazy sky (which helps the red marker rotoscoping to show up better). Without moving the cam · era. film your hero running across the hill. looking back over his shoulder a few times and then out of frame. Stop the camera, and then start it again, this time having your "creatu re" actor stalking along after the hero (who is not really in the scene here). The timing is a bit c rucial , so make sure the
i!
! After Kim has gone through the live action frame by frame and made light pencil marks on each sheet of paper, she colors in the pencil marks and draws the laser's "blast" on the hill, rays, and saucer. The rays and blast were done with red marker; the saucer was done in dark blue marker.
Several of the paper cels shOWing the saucer firing rays and hitting the hill.
ClNEMAGIC "/2 29
second ector (representing the creature) runs at II pace slightly slower and a bit behind the path your hero took. Vlhen you get both pieces of film back, you need only project and rotoscope the second scene, with the "creature" chasing, After tracing the outlines of the IIctor frame by frame, lind drllwing the exaggelllted " creature" on e&eh sheet of paper in red marker. you then ' project the footage of the hero being chased. If you paced the "creature" actor a bit slower and behind the hero, the two will not overlap on the composite and you will have a scene in which an alien energy being IIppears (in totally realistic movement) to be chasing your real·life hero. This takes some work and planning, but ifs not that difficult and the possibilities are unlimited! You could even have the alien firing a laser gun at the hero (you simply add the gun into his hand and drllw the laser beams as described earlier). I'm sure the potential of this technique is more than dear to you now. Ifs simply a matter of adding rotoscoped or other special effects elements onto a scene of previously-shot live action, be it static or full of motion. Using a paper sheet frame in conj unction with the projector and camera actually creates an amllteur's version of an Oxberry (the professional and highly-priced animation camera you've probably heard 00. What makes my technique within the grllSp of anybody is using the sheets of paper as both the screen and eel; such an arrangement would be impossible with Scotchlite or even the best rear-projection material. Ditto paper Is cheap (about $3.50 for 500 sheets, whi ch gives you more than 27 seconds of rotoscoped effects at 18 FPS) and best of all, it works! The limitations of such effects in such a set-up are obvious; all such effects have to be of the " glow" or " energy" or "laser beam" variety-anything that would not be totally opaque (solid). However, you can
The rotoscoped "creature" sequence: Film a person walking (or hobbling, or whatever) and prOlect the processed film onto the paper one frame at a tIme. Trace each movement Wi th a pencil. Once you have traced the entire seQuence. color In the pencil tracings. By exaggerating the shape and out·
Kim places a paper eel into the fra me and advances the projector to the matching frame of live action. Then the composite is re-photographed one fram e at a time. A log sheet should be kepi so that you ca n keep tra ck of live action frames and paper cels (whi ch are also numbered.)
30 CJNEMAGIC -12
line of the figure, you can turn th e drawings into a weird alien creature. These drawings are then lined up with a suitable background a!)d photographed one frame at a time. The result IS an alien entity moving entirely realistically. since the movements were traced from live action.
An effect reQu iring only one projected frame of film: the "tdlike" creature is merely allimated on severa l sheets of paper. Each is then placed in the frame and photographed one at a time. The same effect can include live action. like a person "running" from the creatu re.
create the effect of a solid form in silhouette (as though backlit) by merely coloring in the traced forms with a black marker lind making sure your background is very light
A Bright Idea
The "10" series of paper eels. This IS merely a 5·drawmg "repeat"" pattern; i.e., after drawing #5 is put m place and photographed. you start over agam with drawing #1. This IS is similar to a ''watk cycle" In reg· ular cartoon animation.
Kim has cut out a spaceship from the paper· foil m a cigarette pack. The spaceship is then glued onto a sheet of paper, In an area pre·determlned with a pencil mark.
A final twist on the technique, and rn let you go create lasers and energy beings galore. It is possible to create an object that appears to be solid mass. Envision the scene: a car speeds along a country road while a metallic lIlien spaceship paces it in the sky above. How to do it? Find a country road with a high shoulder and the sky clellrly visible above it Film a friends' car driving along this road (you should be in II car driving next to his). Thread up the nOllI footage. pro.iect it onto a sheet of the paper and draw a thin pencil line in a sky area where you want the spacecraft to be. Next, all you do is remove the foil· paper from a Cigarette pack (works better than regular aluminum foil because of the paper back· ing), draw your spaceship outline on it and cllrefully cut it out. Glue the foil·spaceship onto your sheet of paper where you drew the indication line, mountthe paper into the frame and lellve it there!Merelyadvance the projector one frame at II time, film a frame, and so on, and the results will be stunning. Because the projector is angled into the paper a touch to the right. and the camera is aimed in a touch to the left, the result is a brilliant silver reflection off the foil, and what appears to be a solid. brilliant metallic spaceship zipping along at pace with the car. As before, the sky background should be as white lind un·blue as possible. There are probably a thousand other applications to this technique, and you've probably thought c:l hlllf of them by now, so rn dose. Good luck. and we certainly hope to see some fantastic rotoscope effects in theCINEMAGIC/ SVAContest entries this year because now, literally, the sky's the only limit! 01
The composite effect of the spaceship " flying" over the land. The reflection of the prOJector's lamp onto the shiny foil create s a natural "metallic" look. The ground and sky are filmed from a moving car. so that the ship appears to be zooming through the air. ClNEMAGIC ·/2 J I
KODAK1S ANIMATION GUIDE
BOOKS New Edition of A.F.I. Guide, New Focalguide Book on TiUlng technical aspects of making movies. Che· shire' s views on style can help budding movie makers develop their creative awareness-which is makes filmmakers artists. not just recorders of life. David Cheshire is a writer and film· maker who has produced and directed numerou s television films for the BBe.
Kodak 's, " The World of Animation ," is an authoritative guide for anyone who is Interested In making animated films. It Is jam-packed with tips on every aspect of film production and animation technique. This In-depth guide book was prepared by Kodak especially for the animator who wants to make professional-Quality animated films on a MODEST BUDGET. " The World of Animation" INCLUDES-
33 pages of complete tllueprints for
building your own animation stand. • A guide to all the Kodak films available for animation and when to use them!!!
• A "hOw-to" guide for achieving all t he major animation techniques!!! How to find work with a prOducer!!! • HOw to break into the business!!! . 152 pages-full calor through-out!!!
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I I "tne world of Animation" I c / oO'Cuinn Studios DEPT. C12 I I 475 Park Avenue SOuth I New York, NY 10016 I 57.95 per copy. add 51.25 for postage and I I handling each (53.25 for Foreign P&HI I I I I EncIQSed5 (cneckormoneyorder I I I drawn to O'Culnn StudiOS. InCJ I I I I I NAME I I I I I I I AIlO
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The Book of Movie Photography. By David Cheshire. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc" New York. 81h" x lOW', 288 pages, $22.50. There are so many books on the subject of moviemaking that it's hard to decide which are the most informative and valuable as learning tools. Some are stuffy treatments that, while they contain a wealth of information, fail to hold the reader's interest long enough to impart their wisdom. Others are beautifully designed and contain hundreds of strik· ing illustrations to captivate the reader's interest The Book of Movie PhOlo, graphy, by David Cheshire, is both beauti· fully put together from a design stand· point and is written with a crisp style that makes it hard to put down. So many aspects of filmmaking are cO\lered in The Book of Movie Photography that it's hard to compile even a partial list without omitting some impor· tant ones. There are valuable tips on shooting sound movies. lighting, script· ing. editing and virtually every aspect of filmmaking. Over 850 illustrations-some frame blow·ups of sequences from fam· ous films, some beautifully drawn dia· grams of various pieces of equipmentare included to stimulate your eyes as they graphically exemplify Mr. Cheshire's points. The most striking thing about The Book of Movie Photography is that it concerns itself with style as much as the
_c.-. _ _ _
The American Film Institute Guide to College Courses In Film and Television , Edited by Dennis R. Bohnenkamp and Sam L Grogg, Jr. Published by Peterson's Guides Publications for the American Film Institute. Peterson's Guides, Princeton, NJ 8Yt x 11". 430 Pages. $11.50.
The American Film IfI!;lilule Guide 10 Coliege Co urses in Film and Television was reviewed in ClNEMAG1C #7. Now in its seventh edition. the book demands a second round of attention. The American Film Institute is dedicated to promoting filml""Mklng talent. That i$ i~ only pur· pose. AF.I. issues grants to filmmakers who prove their worth. AF.t. is truly one of the independent filmmakers' best friends. A.F.t. has done another great service to aspiring filmmakers by publishing the Guide to College Courses in Film and Television. The guide is a complete list· ing of all the colleges in the U.S. thal offer courses in film and tv. Foreign schools are also listed, but no information, except an address, is given. It is the best source to use in choosing the college to attend
for i!I degree in film or television broad· casting. Schools are listed in alphabetial order under the state they're located in. TIle name of the person to contact is given for most schools. TIle nam~ 01 i!l1I the faculty members ~o teach film or tv are given and a complete list 01 courses offered is included. The faciliti~ that the school possesses are frequently described to give you an idea of the particular school's commitment to film education (the longer the list, the bigger the com· mitment). All 01 the information in the seventh edition has been updated from the previous edition that was reviewed in CINEMAGIC "7 -so be sure to get the seventh edition. ClNEMAGIC frequently gets letters from aspiring filmmakers asking which are the best schools to attend for a degree in film. \Vhile some schools are rated higher than others and a handful are recognized as the best for studying filmmaking -we cannot make up your mind for you. The American Film Institute Guide (0 Courses in Film and Television will give you a complete list 01 schools to choose from and 'Nill aid you in your choice by describing each schoors offerings. lbe guide also indudes an incomplete list of establishments that offer grants and scholarships and contests and festivals for students. If you're planning on studying filmmak· ing in college, The American Film In5l.1· lute Guide to Coilege Cow:ses In Film and Television is the best place for you to start looking for the school to attend.
Then! is no longer any excuse for not making exciting titling sequences to augment your IMest epic. Focal Press has just published a complete gUidebook devoted entirely to the art of making movie titles. The Focalguide series is one of the most comprehensive series on the general subject of photography. Many of the recent additions to the series deal 'Nith various aspects of filmmaking. The Focal Guide 10 Movie Titling 'Nill teach you numerous techniques for creating flashy titles that will i!ldd sparkle to your films. Philip Jenkins has written a very handy " how· to" guide in a clear, concise style that all ClNEMAGIC readers should be familiar with. Mr. Jenkins has included several techniques that should have special appeal to CINEMAGIC readers. These include: vertical tri!lveling titles. how to make a home-made roUer unit, backwind· ing both super·8 and single-S, fi!ldes i!lnd wipes made with attachments, an entire chapter on cartooning and many other subjects of interest to specii!ll effects filmmakers. Your films can i!llwi!lyS use i!llittle extra pizzazz.. Making classy titles is a good place to sti!lrt adding those " special touches" that show you mean business. The Focal Guide to Movie Titling ci!ln get you started on your wi!ly to producing films with a polished, "professioni!lr' look. (J/
The Focal Guide to Movie TIUlng. By Philip Jenkins. Focal Press. Inc., New York. 5Yz" x 714" . 87 pages. Many amateur filmmakers never bother to make titles for their films. 1l1ose who do often settle for very crude and unpolished·looking titles. This is a shame, because a well executed title sequence can immeasurably enhance the over·all quality and effect of a film. An audience expects to see titles and credits and when it doesn't, it feels it is watching a home movie instead of a serious attempt at filmmaking.
Unless otherwise noted, all books are available through your local bookstore. Books not currently in stock can be specii!llly ordered for you by your local bookseller.
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CLOSE-UP Zap From Bubbles: Making Props From Detergent Bottles By DON DOHLER
A common Laundry detergent bottle ca n be the basis of a realistic Laser-gun prop and, with a littl e imagination, ca n probabLy be used in severaL other prop applications_
The basi c parts required (lett to right, back row) : An empty Downy fabric softener container (only the cap is needed), an empty Body On Tap shampoo bottle, and an empty Fresh Start detergent bottle; Front row : A l'Eggs nylons container, a Bic "Banana" marker (only the cap needed), and the plastic spool 01 a paper adding machine tape. You will also need some plastic model glue, a can of Ilat bl ack spray paint, and silver "Rub N'
Buff', an an tiQuing compound (art/hobby stores) .
Fir st, glue the adding mac hine tape spool into the center of the "short" half 01 the L'Eggs egg,
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II I Glue the top of the Bic Banana marker onto the end of the adding machine spool. Set this component aside to dry.
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c/NEMAGIC '/2
Use an Fresh Start . glue the top of the Oowny container to the bot· tom of the Fresh Start bottle, on the side opposite the handle.
Glue the Body On Tap bottle si deways to the bottom 01 the Fresh Start bottle, as shown. Be sure this is glued well, since it will become the laser gun's "handle."
Lay the Fresh Start bottle on Its side and you will begin to see the gun takmg shape. Remove the Fresh Start cap
Stand the Fresh Start bottle nose-up (I used the unneeded Downy bottle as a support) and carefully glue the L'Eggs egg component to the mouth of the Fresh Start top_ EKcept lor pa inting & flnlshmg, the basic gun IS completed.
For some added detail. I glued a solid rubber washer to the neck 01 the Fresh Start bottle.
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Take the completed gun outside and spray the entire prop flat black. II you Wish, you could leave It like this; or you could spray It solid Silver
Above: To g",e the prop a "weathered" metal look, I had my w,fe Pam, apply a light coatmg of "Rub N' Buff'-an antiquing co mpound sold at hobby stores Right: My son. Greg, poses with the comp leted laser gun prop ThiS simple prop costs absolutely zero dollars_ Since we had everythmg on hand (Inclu(M g the pamt and Rub N' Bulf)_ II you had to purchase everythmg. the costs would come to about $9 50-bu t hopefu lly, your mom could get some use out of the detergents! If you're Into mmot electrOniCS. you could easily dnll some holes and run a 'gram-ol- wheat" light bulb through to the tiP 01 the gun, and rig a trigger to the back handle. In add ition. you c an add more detallmg to the gun, or modify some of the components, PlastiC detergent bottles come In all sorts of fu tUristic shapes and sizes-check them out next time you're at the store. and your Ideas lor props Will run wild!
CiNEMAG/C "12 35
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