I've finished the 4 part series on assembling my Animatronic Raven Kit. Check it out if you've got a kit, or are thinking about getting one.
The Facebook group for anyone working on a kit is here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/185149192169022/
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Benny from Halloweentown visits Midsummer Scream
While prepping for the Mr. Chicken's Prop Shop booth for Midsummer Scream, the show's creators asked if I might have time for one more project. The lead actress from the Disney Channel Halloweentown movies was going to be in attendance, and they thought it would be fun to have one of the characters from the movie as a photo op.
This is Benny, the taxi cab driver in Halloweentown. Can I make a replica of him for the show? Sure!
There were a few considerations in my approach. First, it needed to be sturdy enough to survive being touched by the masses. Second, it needed to be a fast process, as there was only about a month until the show, and I had plenty of other things to get done, too. Third, it couldn't be too expensive, as the budget was tight.
I figured I'd start with a plastic skeleton, mount it to a sturdy armature, dress it, and sculpt on top of the skull with epoxy clay to get the Benny likeness.
Thank goodness Amazon still has skeletons in the off season. The one I found had what I think of as the "Target" skull, as that's where I first saw this design show up a few years ago. It's probably the furthest off from what it needs to be of all the generic skulls out there, but we can fix that.
I've enjoyed using Aves Apoxie Sculpt in the past, but I wanted to try a new product, so I picked up some FreeForm Sculpt from the local Smooth On store. I didn't like it. While it's easier to mix, it doesn't hold its shape well while curing, so you end up spending a lot of time chasing drooping forms until it sets. I'll try Magic Sculpt next time, as I've heard good things from my friend at Hellizondo.
The head was painted with acrylics, sealed with my old standby, Polycrylic, and mounted to another piece of armature wire for free posing by pouring expanding foam inside the head to lock the wire in place, and epoxying the wire to the neck.
The skeleton was zip tied to 1" PVC that was mounted to a plywood base with flanges and fittings. The pipe supported the legs and spine up to the ribs.
I chopped off the existing shoulder joints, and ran a hefty piece of armature wire through the upper arms, connected across the torso, and zip tied it to the ribs in the middle.
This way I could get more than a toy soldier's range of movement out of the shoulders, which goes a long way in posing. I also zip tied a length of wire along the outside of the arms, behind the elbows, to allow for sturdy, adjustable posing. You might notice one hand was removed and flipped around to make things feel a bit less restricted, too.
The costuming was all eBay finds. I knew the jacket and hat would be tricky to source locally. Both were sold as military inspired pieces. The navy blue jacket is a Liz Taylor-- go figure. I grabbed some of the skinniest 28" waist black pants I could find while I was in town, too. He still needs safety pins to hold them up.
The final touch, which was actually the first thing I made, was a "TAXI" embroidered patch on the hat. Now that I have to explain my approach, I'm remembering that my sewing machine might have some embroidery settings, but it hadn't occurred to me at the time. What I did was to model it in 3D in Fusion360, then 3D print it, allowing the layer lines to stand in for threads.
I heat warped it to match the curve of the hat, then painted and sealed with acrylics.
He spent the weekend posing for pictures with Kimberly J. Brown and fans, and tells me he had the time of his afterlife!
Buster Balloon even gave Benny a parting gift on Sunday night!
This is Benny, the taxi cab driver in Halloweentown. Can I make a replica of him for the show? Sure!
There were a few considerations in my approach. First, it needed to be sturdy enough to survive being touched by the masses. Second, it needed to be a fast process, as there was only about a month until the show, and I had plenty of other things to get done, too. Third, it couldn't be too expensive, as the budget was tight.
I figured I'd start with a plastic skeleton, mount it to a sturdy armature, dress it, and sculpt on top of the skull with epoxy clay to get the Benny likeness.
Thank goodness Amazon still has skeletons in the off season. The one I found had what I think of as the "Target" skull, as that's where I first saw this design show up a few years ago. It's probably the furthest off from what it needs to be of all the generic skulls out there, but we can fix that.
I've enjoyed using Aves Apoxie Sculpt in the past, but I wanted to try a new product, so I picked up some FreeForm Sculpt from the local Smooth On store. I didn't like it. While it's easier to mix, it doesn't hold its shape well while curing, so you end up spending a lot of time chasing drooping forms until it sets. I'll try Magic Sculpt next time, as I've heard good things from my friend at Hellizondo.
The head was painted with acrylics, sealed with my old standby, Polycrylic, and mounted to another piece of armature wire for free posing by pouring expanding foam inside the head to lock the wire in place, and epoxying the wire to the neck.
The skeleton was zip tied to 1" PVC that was mounted to a plywood base with flanges and fittings. The pipe supported the legs and spine up to the ribs.
The costuming was all eBay finds. I knew the jacket and hat would be tricky to source locally. Both were sold as military inspired pieces. The navy blue jacket is a Liz Taylor-- go figure. I grabbed some of the skinniest 28" waist black pants I could find while I was in town, too. He still needs safety pins to hold them up.
The final touch, which was actually the first thing I made, was a "TAXI" embroidered patch on the hat. Now that I have to explain my approach, I'm remembering that my sewing machine might have some embroidery settings, but it hadn't occurred to me at the time. What I did was to model it in 3D in Fusion360, then 3D print it, allowing the layer lines to stand in for threads.
I heat warped it to match the curve of the hat, then painted and sealed with acrylics.
He spent the weekend posing for pictures with Kimberly J. Brown and fans, and tells me he had the time of his afterlife!
Buster Balloon even gave Benny a parting gift on Sunday night!
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Big Bird Announcement
I'm pleased to present the release of my newest offering, an Animatronic Raven you can build yourself!
Check out the details at ChickenProps.com. There's a full step-by-step how to video coming soon, but if you order by July 6, you'll lock in the discounted introductory price!
Check out the details at ChickenProps.com. There's a full step-by-step how to video coming soon, but if you order by July 6, you'll lock in the discounted introductory price!
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Practically Perfect
I was reminded recently of one of the first movie props I really coveted: the talking parrot umbrella from Mary Poppins. And when I started thinking about it, I realized it’s not all that complicated a piece (unless you get into the mechanics of making a talking version, which…maybe…). So why not have a go at it?
In my research, it became clear that there are several umbrellas used in the film. There’s certainly a talking one and a static one, but there are also variations in the pole, tassel, and paint job of the parrot. These are most of the major differences I caught:
The standard hand prop
This darker paint job (see the white eye area is blue). I'm leaving this one as a maybe because it could just be one of the others repainted
The wide shot flying umbrella (no graduation in the pipe, different/offset canopy
This one in the rain with a border around the canopy
And the puppet version (which you can se here full length with the cables out the bottom!)
I came across an expired auction for what claims to be one of the originals. I’m not so sure that it is. The paint looks unlike anything seen in the film (both in style and color), the eye is painted (rather than an inserted doll’s eye), and the treatment of the handle with wrapped cord doesn’t match anything on screen that I could find. But that’s not to say it isn’t an original that’s been restored, or at the very least a casting of the original bird. What it did give me was a scale to work off of.
Disney has offered three versions of the movie umbrella. Two of the released Disney versions are derived from the original mold, and there are better pictures of these than of the prop in the movie. And while it looks like some detail was softened in the manufacturing process, these still provide a nice blueprint for where things line up on the sculpture. A defunct company called Icons produced a replica of the prop, as well, and someone on the RPF who has this one was kind enough to send me some photos.
Now the other component is, of course, the umbrella itself. I spent some time searching the web for a simple black umbrella to use as a base. It turned out to be rather difficult to find manual open umbrellas of the right size. Eventually, Target came through with one that nearly fit the bill, except the tip is all wood instead of wood and metal. I cut off the hook at the handle, and that looked about the right length for the wider part of the pole.
I started sculpting the bird over a pipe that’s close to the size of the handle, so I could slip it off and try it on the umbrella. This is a couple of short sessions in. I'll do a silicone mold of this and make the final piece in resin.
The next bit of problem solving is how to accommodate the eyes in the casting, and whether to make the lower beak separate for a possible animated version. I set the project aside for a little while to mull things over.
When I next picked it up, I was working out the detail below the bird with my 3D printer, since I don't have a lathe. It's trickier than I expected to get the right proportions here. This is the third attempt, and it seemed pretty good.
Progress!
After a few months abroad on a project I hope to be able to discuss sometime in the future, I finished up the sculpture the other day and threw it in some silicone!
The first cast came out pretty good. There were few problem areas I had to troubleshoot bubble-wise. The eyelids are molded separately so the eye can be inserted, then the lid glued on top.
I've got plans for a mechanical version that are starting to seem doable in my head, but it made sense to get it finished off as the static prop first so that
1) there's a starting point to work from for the animated version
2) I've got something complete to show for my time so far before embarking on that adventure.
I'll be able to cast up a hollow version to modify for movement down the road.
In my research, it became clear that there are several umbrellas used in the film. There’s certainly a talking one and a static one, but there are also variations in the pole, tassel, and paint job of the parrot. These are most of the major differences I caught:
The standard hand prop
This darker paint job (see the white eye area is blue). I'm leaving this one as a maybe because it could just be one of the others repainted
The wide shot flying umbrella (no graduation in the pipe, different/offset canopy
This one in the rain with a border around the canopy
And the puppet version (which you can se here full length with the cables out the bottom!)
I came across an expired auction for what claims to be one of the originals. I’m not so sure that it is. The paint looks unlike anything seen in the film (both in style and color), the eye is painted (rather than an inserted doll’s eye), and the treatment of the handle with wrapped cord doesn’t match anything on screen that I could find. But that’s not to say it isn’t an original that’s been restored, or at the very least a casting of the original bird. What it did give me was a scale to work off of.
Disney has offered three versions of the movie umbrella. Two of the released Disney versions are derived from the original mold, and there are better pictures of these than of the prop in the movie. And while it looks like some detail was softened in the manufacturing process, these still provide a nice blueprint for where things line up on the sculpture. A defunct company called Icons produced a replica of the prop, as well, and someone on the RPF who has this one was kind enough to send me some photos.
Now the other component is, of course, the umbrella itself. I spent some time searching the web for a simple black umbrella to use as a base. It turned out to be rather difficult to find manual open umbrellas of the right size. Eventually, Target came through with one that nearly fit the bill, except the tip is all wood instead of wood and metal. I cut off the hook at the handle, and that looked about the right length for the wider part of the pole.
I started sculpting the bird over a pipe that’s close to the size of the handle, so I could slip it off and try it on the umbrella. This is a couple of short sessions in. I'll do a silicone mold of this and make the final piece in resin.
The next bit of problem solving is how to accommodate the eyes in the casting, and whether to make the lower beak separate for a possible animated version. I set the project aside for a little while to mull things over.
When I next picked it up, I was working out the detail below the bird with my 3D printer, since I don't have a lathe. It's trickier than I expected to get the right proportions here. This is the third attempt, and it seemed pretty good.
After a few months abroad on a project I hope to be able to discuss sometime in the future, I finished up the sculpture the other day and threw it in some silicone!
The first cast came out pretty good. There were few problem areas I had to troubleshoot bubble-wise. The eyelids are molded separately so the eye can be inserted, then the lid glued on top.
I've got plans for a mechanical version that are starting to seem doable in my head, but it made sense to get it finished off as the static prop first so that
1) there's a starting point to work from for the animated version
2) I've got something complete to show for my time so far before embarking on that adventure.
I'll be able to cast up a hollow version to modify for movement down the road.
Because of the variations in paint on the real parrots, I had some decisions to make when it came to painting mine. I played around on the piece a bit, and ended up following the basic color scheme of the talking version, as it gets the best close ups in the film. I tried to approach it with a washy, watercolor-like thought process, as I thought that best matched the feel of the film's design principles, looking in particular at the matte paintings of a dreamy London cityscape, and the actual prop snowglobe. Not too clean and polished, but not overly heavy handed, either. A lovingly handmade piece.
Here's where I ended up!
Here's where I ended up!
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