Brother Thomas Film Blog
2016 Brother Thomas Teaser!
On 20, Jul 2016 | 6 Comments | In Brother Thomas | By Steve Leeper
Introducing the 2016 promotional teaser for the Br. Thomas project! This teaser showcases the best of what we’ve accomplished over the last couple of years and gives a glimpse of the what’s in store.
I may be a little biased but I get goosebumps just watching it. . . I hope you do too!
Special thanks to all the folks who worked to make this happen and to everyone who have patiently been moving the Br. Thomas project forward.
BT Puppet: Armature/Brenda Baumgarten
On 15, Jul 2015 | No Comments | In Fabrication | By Steve Leeper
From a guy who’s been walking around with a rigid maquette for the past 12 years, you have know idea how satisfying it is to post these following images!
All I can say is THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME ARMATURE BRENDA!
Brenda assembled this armature from existing parts that she had in her shop but you wouldn’t know it to look at it. I gotta get me some of those spare parts. 🙂
Just look at those feet! There’s even holes to wire each and every toe!
Body Parts II: Storm Trooper Underwear
On 06, Jul 2015 | 2 Comments | In Fabrication | By Steve Leeper
Because Br. Thomas is rather portly there was a concern that his girth would interfere with the puppets ability to pose and bend. Especially if he were cast as a solid block of silicone rubber.
The solution was to give Thomas a rigid set of “storm trooper underwear” that could suspend a piece of lightweight upholstery foam between his chest and hips to fill out his middle without inhibiting movement.
Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Shanay Anderson
On 02, Jul 2015 | One Comment | In Brother Thomas | By Steve Leeper
For her contribution to the Guest Artist gallery Shanay has chosen a pivotal moment in the film. Br. Thomas’ epiphany where he sees for the first time nature in all it’s glory.
Shanay has captured the moment beautifully!
Thomas’ gaze moves our eye upward into swirling branches with shafts of light filtering through their jewel-like leaves, coming to rest finally on the dragonfly. . . gives me goosebumps just looking at it! 🙂
Click here to see more images in our Guest Artist Gallery
Body Parts I: Creating Puppet Patterns
On 29, Jun 2015 | No Comments | In Fabrication | By Steve Leeper
The first step in building the Br.Thomas puppet was to create patterns for each of the body parts that would later be cast in flexible silicone rubber.
The images immediately below are a detail of a rough armature used to sculpt a hand and a detail of the finished hand pattern. The beautiful thing about silicone rubber is that every wrinkle, bump and fingernail you see in the finished pattern will show up with amazing accuracy in the final puppet!
Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Cole Phillips
On 22, Jun 2015 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper
What could be better than staying up late and perusing your sketchbook by moonlight. . . with a dragonfly on your head? 🙂
Cole’s illustration of Br. Thomas brings out the monk’s childish nature. From the look on Thomas’ face he has no idea that the sun set hours ago.
Click here to see more images in our Guest Artist Gallery
Ladybug Part 1: A Whole New Look
On 15, Jun 2015 | No Comments | In Scene Set-up | By Steve Leeper
Funny story about that caterpillar shot we were so excited about? Turns out to be for the wrong film! 🙂 We got so caught up in making our first shot look convincing that we forgot to consider the role realism would have on the film. Waaaaay too serious!
So back to the drawing board to come up with a more playful, hand-made look for the film. A look that would transport us into a different world and play up the magical qualities of stop-motion. The Ladybug shot seemed like the perfect candidate.
Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Chad Bierdeman
On 10, Jun 2015 | One Comment | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper
An Epic image from the Great White North!
For Chad’s Guest Artist contribution he chose to tell the entire story of Br. Thomas in an single epic image! 🙂
Judging from the glowing red clouds and sweeping landscape I’d say he’s settling in comfortably to his new Canadian surroundings.
Click here to see more images in our Guest Artist Gallery
Dragonfly: Bead Sculpt to 3D Graphics
On 02, Jun 2015 | No Comments | In Fabrication | By Steve Leeper
The image above is composited from an actual bead dragonfly ornament that I created when I sculpted the original Br. Thomas makette.
There’s something about the properties of glass beads that enhance the jewel-like quality of the dragonfly while still allowing his character to come through. Trying to animate him is a completely different matter. This is where Computer Graphics (CG) come in.
The images below help to map out the transition from glass and porcelain to computer graphics. CG Artist Jeff Morice has done a fantastic job of bridging the two media seamlessly.
Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Sarah Bodnar
On 01, Jun 2015 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper
Hi-fiven’ a dragonfly!
In classic Sarah Bodnar form, Br. Thomas has been transformed into pure child-like creativity! I love the expression on both of their faces! You can tell they’ve been up to something. The only question is what???
Have they been out exploring nature when Br. Thomas should have been inside working? . . .or did they just TP the statues of the Church Fathers? 🙂
Click here to see more images in our Guest Artist Gallery
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