Almost ready for filming

I've not posted for a while. Been busy with the day job. I now have a 3 axis rig set up for the filming if Dan of the Dead. You've seen the Emotimo I have. Which gives me pan and tilt. The Emotimo also has an external plug for an extra motor. I've attached it to my slider.



So I now have track as well as pan and tilt. Here is a quick video of it in action with pan, tilt, track and focus. All done through dragonframe

I'm sorry there isn't more to add. But I will be showing videos of voice recordings and hopefully a video blog.

Thanks again for all your support. Big things happening very soon

Pete


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Test Animations

Hi everyone
I know it's been a few weeks since my last post but i've been busy doing test animations and storyboarding the pilot which is coming on great!!! I really feel I have the pilot how I want it now... I'm gearing up to filming next week, very exciting.
So here are the test shots, some of them were to test the Emotimo rig, some for lighting, others just foe fun. Just trying to get plenty of character into Dan now.

I also made a shotgun the other day, i'd been looking on eBay for a couple of weeks and not found anything the correct size, so I decided to make my own.

I think it looks alright, just need to sort Dan's hands out so he can grab hold better, maybe fine for the pilot but not sure for the series?

I'll be posting some animatics up later this week

Keep checking my blog, I always like to hear back from everyone

Pete

Zombie has arrived - Emotimo

Hi all,
Oh have I got some news to tell you lot!!! Firstly I have my Emotimo rig for filming pans, tilts and slides. But you're not bothered about that! You've just read "Zombie has arrived" - so without further ado, here is the first of many Zombies in Dan of the Dead.

Beautifully sculpted and fabricated by Darren Longthorne, he spent many days working away in his workshop, we still have some shredded costume to add on yet, but you can see what it's gonna look like.

I think he fits in perfectly on the set, the set still needs dirtying up and adding graffiti etc. But it's getting there

The contrast between Dan and the Zombie I feel works really well, the comedy of the living with the scowling gruesome look of the undead

Let me know what you think, have any questions to ask Daz, let me know

Ok, take a breather. Time to talk about the amazing Emotimo, I mentioned it briefly in the last blog post, but this kit is seriously impressive, at a very reasonable price, animators can produce pan, tilt and slide moves for there films using the dragon frame arc motion software, it works an absolute treat. Here is a quick set up I did

You can see the emotimo attached to the kovona slider unit. At the moment the slider is hand cranked, but I can add a stepper motor to it which links straight to the emotimo.

Here is a quick test of the kinda shots I will be able to produce using the Emotimo

Check out the emotimo website here - www.emotimo.com Any questions, give Brian an email, he's more than happy to answer them.

So, whats next?

I think I need to do a vlog update! seems to be the new "in thing" but I suppose it makes it easier for you guys to see whats going on, possible talk you all through the emotimo and see Dan of the Dead set up close

But for now... Please keep spreading the word. Let's get Dan of the Dead viral #hashtag danofthedead on your tweets, like the Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/danofthedeadseries and become a member on the official website www.danofthedead.co.uk

Thanks for your continued support

Pete & Darren

Set construction and Emotimo TB3

Hi all

Hope you're all well? I have been busy the past week getting the set built. I am hoping in my next blog to have a completed set ready for Dan to explore!!!

Early last week I started to make some smaller props to dress the public toilet set. Can you guess what they all are?

Don't you just hate not when you go to the toilet and there's no toilet paper!? Dan has this very dihlema in the pilot episode.

I used a small tub of black gloss to make the toilet seat look reflective

The hand dryer was made from fimo, as most of my props are made. This has a varnish finish to make it shine.

Some piping being painted up

Testing the main shot for the ident coming soon where Dan is looking in the mirror

A rusty old tap

I found a great spray can paint at B&Q the other day, it gives the effect of mottled stone, I thought it would be perfect for the toilet floor. Later you'll see how it looks

I started work on the urinals and piping, i'm redoing them in fimo as the clay cracked :-(

An almost finished toilet cubicle!!! just needs graffiti dotting around. Any funny ideas... drop me a line

The set showing you how the floor looks, i'm really happy with how it's all looking!

On an animation note I have come across something excellent which I will be investing in. It's called emotimo TB3. Here is the website address http://www.emotimo.com

This bad boy plugs straight into Dragonframe stop motion. Using the Arc motion via the program you can use pan and tilt just like a professional stop motion company. It has a spare motor socket so you can add a motorised dolly to the fun. Dragonframe Arc Motion speaks straight to the box and tells it to pan, tilt or track. Cool ha? here's a video of it in action

So next blog i'll hopefully have a finished set with a couple of test shots with Dan. Very quickly, Daz has been working hard on the Zombie for the pilot/ident. 

This is nothing guys... just wait until he's painted him up. Can't wait!!! Goodbye for now, keep checking my blog, visit the website too and become a member http://www.danofthedead.co.uk

Become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/danofthedeadseries

Cheers for now 

Pete

Animation tests and script update

Ok, so i've been on holiday and had a well earned rest! I got a lot of writing done for Dan of the Dead, the whole plot summary is practically worked out.
I'm meeting up with Daz later this week to catch up on everything zombiefied. Hopefully we'll have something gruesome to post soon.
In the meantime i've been doing some animation tests with Dan, I want to get his character movements spot on so you'll see a lot more of these little tests over the next few weeks

Hope you're all hard animating! Keep checking back and please join www.danofthedead.co.uk website. Lots of new treats coming soon
Pete

Location:Alresford Rd,Salford,United Kingdom

Website launch and Commander Bent

Hi guys
Dan of the Dead website was launched today. Check it out danofthedead.co.uk Make sure to join with your very own unique zombie name.

In other news, i've started working on Commander Bent's head. He's coming on quite well

Here's an action shot of Dan on the run

 I won't be posting for 2 weeks now as i'm off to France to hopefully finish the script off. Plenty to update you when i'm back, in the meantime please join the website and keep spreading the zombie vibe
Pete

Dan of the Dead update

Hi all loyal fans. Hope you're well?
I am free from the theatre I work at for 2 months!!! That's right 2 months. You know what that means?
Dan of the Dead goes back into full production.
This week I made the armature for our first Zombie. It's been sent to Daz for fabricating, he will also be adding his zombie head. Not long till you see a fully made up zombie!!! Can't wait for you all to see




Whilst at Daz's, he showed me The zombie skin he has been casting.




Ugly eh? Back at the studio I've cleared out the music video set and re-assembled the toilet set. Time to finish that off. Still a lot to do so I'll update soon.
I have decided to redo Dans hands. I was never completely satisfied with them. I am
Also looking at making silicone hands to sell on scope animations website.




Here are the hands sculpted. Before I build up the clay wall I am going to spray the hands with Crystal Clear to give it a film over the hands. This will stop me from making dints and dents in the plastercine when building up the clay wall.




I will update you more on this in the next blog.
In other news. I've been experimenting with gelatine and film blood. This is for blood splatters etc




Thats all for now. Hope you enjoy reading these blogs. More to come very soon. Keep checking and tweeting :-)
Pete
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Zombie update

Hi guys
I'm sorry it's been a while but I've been really busy working on a music video for a record label Liquid Mindsett, the video is available to watch on YouTube here

Dan of the Dead is back in full production again!!! I hope to give a lot more updates to you all very soon. I have started to reconstruct the gents toilet set and do the finishing touches to it. In the meantime Darren will be adding the first Zombie head to my armature so he can fabricate and colour it.

Just to give you a few examples of how the zombies will look in Dan of the Dead. I have a few pictures of Zombies Darren has made up from previous films/tv episodes. I'm so happy to have such a talented guy on board!!!

That's all for now, keep checking back for more updates

Pete

Dan of the Dead/Website

Hi all
I have a few things to shout about today. Firstly, I am working on Scope Animations website. This is my company which is producing Dan of the Dead. It's not launched yet but there is a sneak peak at Dan of the Dead behind the scenes on the home page. Check it out
www.scopeanimation.webeden.co.uk
Secondly, today I have been to see Darren who is making the Zombies for a catch up and see where he's up to.
He was waiting for me to approve his Zombie head before priming it. Which he did while I was there






The zombie is ready for Daz to paint. But not until I give him a new armature. The one I gave him turned out to be slightly small from the waist to neck. Also the arms could do with being longer. I shall work on them this week and pass it back to him for full fabrication and painting. Here are a few shots of the finishes zombie head primed
























That's all for now. Please keep checking this blog and let everyone else know about it. Dan of the Dead T-Shirts are coming soon folks
Bye for now
Pete