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Brother Thomas Film

13

Mar
2015

One Comment

In Fabrication

By Steve Leeper

3D Masks Part 3: 3D Laser Scanning

On 13, Mar 2015 | One Comment | In Fabrication | By Steve Leeper

Getting the physical castings of the Br. Thomas’ mask and head base into the digital environment is the job of our 3D laser scanner.  Looks very sci-fi doesn’t it?

BT_ScanThmb2-225w copy

Once fully scanned into the digital environment budding CG Artist/Technician Alex will have to retopologize the mesh.  That’s CG geek talk for rearranging the wireframe from a strict honeycomb-like structure into something that will facilitate bending and sculpting for our animated expressions. . . but that’s at least a whole other post.

Read more…

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11

Mar
2015

No Comments

In Fabrication

By Steve Leeper

3D Masks Part 2: Casting Eyeballs

On 11, Mar 2015 | No Comments | In Fabrication | By Steve Leeper

As part of fitting the replacement mask I needed to make sure that the eyeballs fit perfectly into the sockets in the base of the head.  This meant casting a silicone rubber version of the plastic eyeballs and pinning them to the inside of the replacement (ouch) and then casting the base for the head.  Hopefully the pictures will make a little more sense.

BT_Mask_Thmb2-800w

A HUGE thanks to Brenda Baumgarten at stopmotionsilicone.com for helping me step through this process.

BTW For those who are interest the gloppy blue lolly-pop in the first image is a brush-on mold making rubber by Smooth-on called Mold Star 16.  Pretty sweet stuff!

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07

Mar
2015

No Comments

In Fabrication

By Steve Leeper

3D Replacement Masks . . . and so it begins.

On 07, Mar 2015 | No Comments | In Fabrication | By Steve Leeper

One of the coolest innovations in animated film making  over the last few years is the use of 3D printing to create facial expressions for stop motion puppets.  With the cost of 3D printers and Scanners now in the “affordable” range, it opens up whole new possibilities for giving Br. Thomas a full range of animated expressions.

The following in a handful of images that document the initial casting process I used to get a perfect fit between a base head piece and the facial mask.

BT_Mask-Cast_RegTHM800w

In up-coming posts I’ll be documenting the process of 3D Replacement Masks from casting the first mask directly from my original sculpture, to animating expressions in the computer, right through to the final stages of 3D printing and painting. Read more…

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