Goodwins Animations

Completed animation (Cat Trouble) and next

2012-02-14T12:36:00.000-08:00

Finished my latest animation and uploaded to YouTube:

I had to cut corners a lot when filming and used a slideshow-type montage of the cat destroying the building and machines (chaos). Probably not the best technique really. I plan to make my next animation with plasticene characters. I've made my first character.

Note: I haven't modelled the feet yet so I faded out the bottom. I designed the character with Wallace (Wallace and Gromit) and Postman Pat in mind (from my childhood) with the oversized nose and tiny glasses. I think I also got my inspiration from a character in a shoe shop or something. The kind I sometimes see in shop windows, with some motion, related to the traditions of the trade.

Editing animation

2012-02-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

Currently editing a new unnamed animation (can't come up with a name right now). Adding the sound effects is taking forever but I am trying to improve the quality of my animations. This may take me a bit of a while to complete.

Started animating

2012-01-22T12:04:00.001-08:00

Started animating. Hopefully I will be able to go through with this one but struggling a bit with a suitable plot.

How to make barn door for a standard (clamp lamp) omnidirectional lamp

2011-12-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a serario. I have four "clamp lamps", which are basically 40w lights that have clamps to attach to surfaces. Here's the problem: (1) You can't control the direction of the light (it's omnidirectional, everywhere) and therefore the light is weaker and uncontrollable; (2) it is impossible to add a filter, such as a colour gel, to the light for effect.

Here's my solution, as hinted by http://www.ehow.com/how_5089141_do-stopmotion-lighting.html.

Before addition of barn doors (uncontollable and omnidirectional

With the addition of barn doors and on a tripod to control the direction (side view)

Front view

Before you begin, here is a diagram of the original lamp I have

Fig 1. My clamp lamp (for part reference)

Make barn doors for a Lamp

First of all, note that this may not work for all light types. The kind of light I am using is a standard clamp lamp, as available at Poundland (subject to availability).

NB: The method for creating each set of barn doors so just repeat the process but make sure you have enough of each item.

What you will need:

A tripod (optional)
A3 (or larger) piece of mount board or stiff card
The lamp
Craft/Stanley knife, preferred (or scissors)
Selotape
Double-sided sticky tape (DSST, optional, if you want to patch up gaps with scap card once completed

Method:

1) First of all, look at the diagram below as a referencelamp to create the box net. Note that this is not drawn accurately. You need to first measure the length of the lamp including bulb from the point of the screw (see diagram above). This will be the x measurement. Then measure the diameter of the screw. This will be the z.

Barn doors net diagram (not drawn accurately)

In reference to Fig. 2:

Draw the diagram as above onto the card.

The areas filled with grey lines are to be cut out. The dimensions marked x are the length from the screw to the top of the bulb as mentioned above. The dimensions marked y are the maximum width allowed within the cardboard/mounting board dimensions. If the card is big enough, preferably the same size as x. Otherwise, you can fill in the gaps with the scrap card.

2) Cut out the grey areas as marked in the diagram. The red lines and marking and the arrows with text are just guides, do not cut out. Make sure you cut out the hole in the centre. Make sure that it matches up with the screw size by measuring against it before cutting.

3) Score along the borderlines of the base with scissors or the craft knife so that the flaps can be folded

4) Slot the hole over the screw and screw the collar on tightly so that it will hold the barn doors in place. This is essential.

5) Tape the wings, top and bottom together so that they form a solid shape with an open top. If you need to, use the scrap card to patch in the gaps where the wings and top and bottom are not the same length.

6) Attach the light to a tripod (optional) so that you can control the direction.

That's it. See the photos at the top for my version. Just make sure that the bulb is not touching the barn doors due to fire risk and don't leave the light on and unattended.

Comment if you need more help.

Latest figure

2011-07-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Monster (original name!)

The body is made from plasticene with a basic wire skeleton for the arms and legs. The body is basically a rough spheroid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spheroid) ball of plasticene. The eyes are white beads purchased second-hand from Oxfam. Just about all my figures use them as I have a variaty of sizes.

The advantage of using beads is that you can use a spike tool (or drawing pin with handle) to move the eye. That's how the professionals do it, except they are painted. Having them made from solid plastic rather than plasticene allows them to move independantly of the rest of the model without distortion.

I intend to use this model in an animation.