Plague Bearers

THE PLAGUE BEARERS now online!

2011-10-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

EVERYONE! The day has finally come. A year and a half of hard work, sweat, tears, and all that good stuff is finally available for your viewing pleasure. I proudly present to you, the viewers of the blog, "The Plague Bearers":

I hope that you enjoy it, please spread the word around, and thank you everyone for your amazing support and well wishes!
-Zoë

Grad Review Pictures

2011-10-06T00:48:00.000-07:00

And speaking of the graduation review, here are a few pictures from it! (photos taken by Jake)

Getting ready!

Puppets!

Setup!

Waiting for the review to begin!

End of the review!

GRADUMACATED!

Film has been COMPLETED!

2011-10-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

THE PLAGUE BEARERS HAS BEEN COMPLETED!

I've been quiet for the past few weeks, the reason for which would be that I was busy getting the film done!
Well, I am very, very pleased to announce that the film has been completed! I went in for my graduation review last week and it went very well.

So, what now? Well, currently Jake and I are in the process of making a site for the film as well as prepping it for both film festival and online distribution. The plan is to have the film available by Halloween (PERFECT TIMING), and I will be updating the blog with more information as it becomes available.

At this point however, I just want to say a very loud, very proud, and very big THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone who came by this blog, who read it, who was interested, who sent a shout out, who commented, EVERYONE. Thank you so much!

So everybody, please stay tuned! There will be many more updates.

2011-09-25T01:49:00.001-07:00

After Effects sends me a secret message....

And then there was fire animation!?

Storyboard to film comparison

2011-09-07T01:36:00.000-07:00

One of the things I'd like to do after PB is complete is a storyboard to film comparison reel. Even stills will do.

I've been striving to match the storyboards as much as possible, and it's been a very good learning process.

Busy weekend means more previews

2011-09-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Oh my!

A mystery!

2011-09-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

What could it be?

054

2011-08-28T21:35:00.001-07:00

OHHH NOOOOOO!

So busy, and so little time left!

Backgrounds are a go-go

2011-08-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Though animation is not 100% finished, I've started the backgrounds and as a result, we've got finished shots. ... shhh, it hasn't sunk in yet.

CAN YOU BELIEVE WE'VE GOT BACKGROUNDS AND FINISHED SHOTS!!???

oh man.

Secrets.

2011-08-08T09:33:00.001-07:00

SECRETS?

The best face from the film

2011-07-17T23:07:00.000-07:00

If anything happens on this film... regardless of how it turns out, whether or not people like it, if anything ever matters....

It's how much I love this face. XD

I WANT STICKERS OF THIS MADE.

Face notes

2011-07-17T00:39:00.000-07:00

Working in animation, I have relearned the value of reference sheets. For the longest time on Plaguebearers, I oddly enough did not have a reference file on stand by. I fixed this some time last month, and now you all get some goodies!

I love that Addison has a tongue color when I don't remember there being any point in the film where he has a tongue showing. BUT YOU GOTTA BE PREPARED.

Word to anyone working on an animated project: Always have reference handy! Especially with necessary colors that you can easily access.

2011-07-17T00:31:00.001-07:00

Getting ever closer to that poisonous donut...

The film was on hiatus, but now it's not.

2011-06-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

Oh man... where was I? What happened? Almost a year has gone by??
ZOË, WHERE WERE YOU???

Hiatus, sadly. Hiatus no more, however, as the film has a final deadline and I aim to meet it.

I'll be posting again, so YAY! LET'S BRING THIS BABY BACK!

To my supporters and all interested parties, I want to thank you for everything, for caring about this film, for being interested in it, and I want to apologize to everyone for the lack of any news.

This film is going to be finished, and it's going to be good.

Teeth notes

2010-08-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things I wanted to do with this film was give the characters really nasty teeth, or at the very least interesting.

Here's some teeth notes I made for a friend.

Don't underestimate teeth, my friends. They can give you important data about a person.

BACK??

2010-08-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

Oh yes.

The film has been on a bit of summer hiatus, but now is the time to get back to work and finish the beast.

The teaser's up

2010-05-18T01:50:00.000-07:00

The Plague Bearers Teaser from Zoë Moss on Vimeo.

As the school year comes to a close, we see our first glimpses as a more finished film.

As the teaser says, you can expect to see the finished film in September! I'll be working my butt off to make it so.

On a side note - I'm walking the graduation stage this Friday! OHHHH!!!!!!

Producers' Show Sighting

2010-05-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

If you were at the CalArts Producers' Show in North Hollywood tonight, you may have noticed these:

To first-time visitors of the blog, you may be shocked to learn that I am actually graduating from the Experimental school this year, and *not* Character! However, some of my best friends are in Character and I love to support them. I also can't pass up an opportunity to put my own little stamp on things. Heck, maybe I'll be screening The Plague Bearers in a showcase like this before too long :)

To my regular readers, I will be making a very important announcement about the film in the near future...

Before I head off to bed...

2010-04-26T02:28:00.000-07:00

First finished clip from Zoë Moss on Vimeo.

You get to view the first finished clip from my film.

Note: this may or may not be finished. I think there are a few things I'd like to go and fix, but until then... let's just say it's FINISHED!!! HOOOOO!!

Their faces don't look so freaky anymore.

2010-04-20T01:28:00.001-07:00

Yep yep yep

Busy, yet no pictures today

2010-04-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

AAAHHH, it's busy busy busy. Why? Because I've started on the keying phase. All the blue is going bye-bye. I'm being helped by two friends and I'm happy with the results thus far.

So, just so you know, I'm not dead and neither is the film! We're just busy as can beeeee.

Animation: 1st stage completed

2010-03-16T16:37:00.001-07:00

So, if you've been checking the blog any and wondering where the updates have gone, I'll tell you - I've been animating, so all my energy was on that. However, here's some crazy news - the principle animation is complete! Thanks to the combined efforts of myself and my friends Mick and Arica, we got this project one major step closer to completion. It was an insane weekend, but we did it.

I would also like to add that Jake was there and his support was a huge help in this.

Friends helping! It just makes the process more optimistic.

I've been asked about the set-up of my film as well as questions regarding the software.

I'd love to go into this subject when I'm less distracted, but I can tell you that I was an inbetweenie kit and two kino flows with fluorescent light (I meant to use tungsten! but it actually worked out in the end). The bluescreen was just blue fabric taped on a foamcore board. I didn't make it, but it could very easily be done on one's own.

The software I used to shoot was the one and only Dragon. Effective, easy to use, and lovable. Made for stop-motion people by stop-motion people :P

One night at 3 a.m....

DAD'S NOSE BROKE OFF!

And in the middle of the shot, no less. Poop. I fixed that up, though.

We're always creating art at butler.

Mick's hands!

Mick helped me animate - the dude is like some kind of angel. He works at Shadow Machine and seems to know how to do pretty much... anything. Ever.

Mick went above and beyond on the project, which I will talk about later, but I will say this - I am so thankful to have amazing friends. Mick deserves 20 cakes and then some.

AND SPEAKING OF CAKES...

My birthday was on March 1st! WHAAAA!!! My friend Kelsey, who also helped with the family's costumes and made the Mom's kickass dress, made me a surprise zombie cake, filled with delicious confetti flavor. It was delicious and you could taste the love. It was wonderful and I wish I could have it forever.

2010-03-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

Just something to relax.

Man, Addison looks REALLY weird in cute but insanely creepy sort of way.

One thing I'm really excited about is how f'ed up everyone's teeth will be. Just wait and see.

2010-03-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

Scene 12 from Zoë Moss on Vimeo.

Oh MAN! This shot took forever. It may have been the most difficult to animate thus far. But, it is done and aren't we all just better off for it? Yes.

Cough Cough

2010-03-08T09:06:00.001-08:00

Scene 10 - Father Coughing from Zoë Moss on Vimeo.

A bitter sweet moment

2010-03-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

Too bad I'm going to ruin it. >:D

Scene 16

2010-02-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

Scene 16 from Zoë Moss on Vimeo.

Yeah, mix that soup and have a mental breakdown.. Yeah, just like that. You're doing so fine.

In and out like a ghost

2010-02-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my, what do we have here...

First animation test

2010-02-19T07:21:00.001-08:00

First test from Zoë Moss on Vimeo.

booyah.

Too busy to write

2010-02-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

But not a day goes by where I don't think about posting.

I've got a funny (read: not so) story about why I haven't posted pictures of them with clothes - you see, the first Addison puppet body started breaking before I even got to animating, so I had to make a new one. And sadly, I had to make new clothes for him.

My friend Kelsey has been helping me with the human costumes, she made the dress for Mary. I am so blown away by how dead on it looks. The other two costumes I did, I think I learned the most from Addison's shirt, which was finished today. I actually made a pattern for him and made his sleeves separately from the body of the shirt. Fun fun fun.

I'll be posting more, I think?

I'm in my shooting space, so I'll probably be posting FOOTAGE.

Animation soon.

Things are going by so fast!

It's not that I've forgotten you...

2010-02-10T02:41:00.000-08:00

Oh, production blog. It's not that I've forgotten you, it's just that I've been INCREDIBLY BUSY!!!!

Well, here. Enjoy some work I am currently doing and will continue tomorrow.

Man, I wish I'd done this back when I had Dan Hansen's lighting assignment for his layout class.

Oh man.. I should mention that I start shooting next week. I'm a little nervous, but pretty excited to get started.

The Animatic (ver. 1)

2010-02-03T03:08:00.000-08:00

"The Plague Bearers" Animatic (ver. 1) from Zoë Moss on Vimeo.

Well, I said I'd post it eventually! So glad to actually do it.

I'm really sleepy, so I'll post more about it later. But basically... YEAH! Please enjoy.

Addison

2010-02-01T02:52:00.000-08:00

So, this is Addison, the littlest protagonist. He is but an impressionable lad.

His outfit's gone through a couple of changes, but I like the simplicity of this final one.

Wiggly eyes

2010-02-01T01:25:00.001-08:00

Just a test of tests on the Addison puppet. I'll post pictures of the whole thing when I'm not in a hurry! whoo whoo!

Their new clothes

2010-01-31T23:44:00.000-08:00

So, I'm sorry for saying that I'd have posted pictures of Addison by now... but I haven't had a chance! I think I can get some tonight or tomorrow though, I promise.

For now though, enjoy some all new costume designs. These are the final designs, a don'tchaknow. I feel that Mary's costume is 100% easier to look at now and still authentic... hopefully. I hope someone feels the same way I do XD

Mom and Dad are both so wretched...

2010-01-28T01:37:00.000-08:00

So I've been working pretty much on my puppets for the past two days. The wonderful result of that is that my mom and dad puppets are both finished, at least as far as painting goes. I still need to fill William's belly up with clay (his stomach is hallow for an effect in the film) and get their clothes finished, but aside from that.. they're looking pretty good!

(I also need to buy some colored scupley for their eye lids, but that's hardly a hassle.. unless they run out of brown and peach hues! YOU DON'T THINK THEY WILL, DO YOU???)

So, here we go.

William without hair.

William with hair.

Closeup shots of the body.

Mary with her new 'do and little kerchief hair thing...

What the body looks like.

And here are some super nice detail shots of the puppets. GOD, I LOVE THIS CAMERA! so nice, so crisp.

For anyone wondering how I did the hair, here. I shall tell you. Listen now.

I took cotton swabs/balls and mixed up a watery concoction of acrylic paint and.. water. I dunked cotton swabs in the mix, made sure color got soaked up into it, flattened the water out until the swab was as dry as could be (damp), and then once it was kind of dry (okay, I'm impatient), I hot-glued that stuff onto the head. To do that, I pull out bits at a time so that it was like wool and then I would layer it onto the head. The more you get on there, the more it looks like hair, you see.

Mary's hair actually has wire in some of the lumps, but the build up technique is the same.

I'm actually really happy with the texture of the hair because it's near exact what I wanted. Hell, it's probably just what I wanted. So, yay! Success. Anyone who's been around me this past month has had to endure me asking them "hey, do you know any good tips on how to apply hair to the puppet's head?", so if you're a curious stop-mo fabricator in training I hope this tip inspires you. I don't know what a professional would say about my technique (it's definitely going to have a chattering effect, but I actually welcome the idea for the gritty look it may grant the film. That, or it will look terrible and I will regret everything.), but for someone starting out who's confused about how to approach hair, maybe this will give you a start and you can improve your hair technique later on.

And yes, tomorrow we shall have little boy.

LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES!

2010-01-26T00:17:00.000-08:00

Oh man.. It's been far too long! I'm so sorry for the long break, but I've been very busy.

But, lots of pictures shall hopefully make up for the pregnant pause.

I found that I had to repair Addison, so guess what I did over the break?

A nice detail shot of the old head (notice my attempt to bulk up his face to be more round...) and the new one. Also, this and the next two pictures were taken with the camera that I'll be using to animate! It is such a nice camera. A canon rebel SX if I'm not mistaken. I'll check officially later. (photo taken by Jacob)

Me working on his head. (photo taken by Jacob)

Nice shot of Addison with body included. (photo taken by Jacob)

AH, PROGRESS!

Pupper Fab Test

2009-12-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

HEY! HAPPY HOLIDAYS Y'ALL!

I wanted to do a quick test to get closer to what I think the final look of the film will be for myself. Anyway, it was a good opportunity to see if my idea can be appealing or not. I see a couple of things I want to go back and fix with the actual puppet, but I want to finish the rest of them before I go ahead and fix a puppet. Gotta make MORE!!

DAD'S SORT OF DONE!

2009-12-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ah, nothing quite like your good ol' ominous family portrait.

But wait, what is this? Is William finished? (for the most part)

yes.

His head has been baked several times. I had to do some repairs when the sculpey crumbled in the back of his head with some magic sculpt. I learned the valuable and time saving thing that is baking magic sculpt. What would usually take around 24 hours to harden to the point of "rock", baking it gets it rock hard in about 20 minutes or so. I'm sure there's a waiting period to let it settle, but anyway... SUCCESS!!

He has an open chest cavity because of an effect in the film that will call for a lack of chest. But for now, I no tell you nothin'.

More of his head

2009-12-24T03:16:00.000-08:00

EARS!

There's something insanely disturbing about cooking them puppet heads.

William's head

2009-12-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

In this post, we get to meet the new head of William!

Just another update

2009-12-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

I've bene fixing up the puppets hands, and I gave Mary some.. uh.. breast-like appendages.

This is probably one of the only times you'll see a santa outta me.

MARY'S HEAD IS BAKING IN THE OVEN!!

Looks like a little mummy to me.

Aw, mother and son.

Lonely little boy.

OH HEY!

2009-12-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

PUPPET PROGRESS :D

2009-12-03T19:37:00.001-08:00

Thesis Presentation

2009-12-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I had a thesis presentation for my film. I made a packet, so I thought why not post some of the supplementals? Also, there is a finished animatic! I'm a little on the fence if I should post it online or not, but it would probably be a good idea to. Hell, maybe if I just do it here, I don't' have to post it on youtube.

GOOD IDEA, ZOË!

I'm sending my laptop off to get its screen fixed today! This is huge for a number of reasons, but it means I will once again have the means to document the puppet making process. And OOHHH, you can bet that'll be exciting. I'm excited, aren't you?

2009-11-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Oh GOD! TIME! LOOK AT THE TIME!!

two months? seriously? I'm sort of ashamed, but the good news is that a lot progress has actually been made. I'll be updating more frequently though, so you can keep checking back again. :P

2009-08-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

An Addison Sketch

Dude, mom's gonna stare holes into your naughty little face.

CHARACTER MODELSHEETS

2009-08-23T04:33:00.001-07:00

I've been working on Modelsheets for the characters. Here be two of them.

And then there are some hands.

2009-08-19T02:10:00.000-07:00

Addison, the little boy from my film. Here's various stages of character development he went through before his more final design, which can be found in the last post.

Family

2009-08-19T02:08:00.000-07:00

God, what is everyone so upset about?

Oh right, the plague.

2009-08-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

Hello there. This is my production blog for my 4th year project, "The Plague Bearers" (working title)! I'll be posting everything there is to do with my film.