Racing to the finish post

Today I'm thinking of Kristina as she has her new baby. And I'm wooshing about tying up loose ends and repolishing and adding and snipping. Two more days to wrap this baby up. Then we present it to the world! Hoorah!

Filling in the gaps

Today I had to mock up another wee book for the film. As the actual book doesn't exist yet, I used the front cover and then just winged it for the back as I imagine it could be. I thought the cover was perhaps lacking some male essence. So here we are - nice, don't you think?

In the end, I decided to tone it down and found a lovely torso that echoes the front. Here's the finished pic. Tadaa! 

View from the control tower

Order in chaos. Well, it must be in there somewhere.

Today I'm working on the last scene before I put together a rough cut. Next week I'll be reshooting a few scenes and polishing. Hopefully.

How to walk

I've been having a hell of a time trying to animate Violetta running. And I just found a wonderful page on the movements of walking and running - here.

Meanwhile, I'm feeling a bit furtive about showing any clips. So here are some clouds instead, in honour of Escape the Clouds' new album.

Mmmmm

"But Violetta, what shall we do once the filming's over?!"
"Hmmmm. Let me think."

Nearing our destination

I hardly dare say it, but the end is - if not in sight, then at least within screaming distance.

This week and next, while our wondrous editrix is expectantly waiting for something marvellous, I am furiously trying to finish off the last few scenes and tie up the loose ends in pretty bows.

I hope to have something that resembles a rough cut next week. And then - not long til release!

Stay tuned, cosmonauts.

Curious woodcuts

I've just been scrolling through my files for the animation. Wow. Among thousands of images of Victorian buildings, dirigibles, corsets and parachutes, compound bows, steam powered things and ********* all sorts of secret things I have found some odd woodcuts that I can't quite work out the purpose of.

Maybe it'll come to me.

Side on

I'm trying to work out who Violetta looks like.

For one of the last sequences, I'm going to need to do dolls in profile, which is quite hard to make up from a 2D frontal face picture. So, I'm looking for an actor that looks like this face, and then I'll find a picture in profile to use as reference.

At the moment I'm thinking maybe Lillian Gish, but I'm not totally sure that's who I have in my mind's eye. Any ideas, anyone?

New Musical Express(ion)

Wow, has it been so long since I was here? I've been travailing overseas (small seas) and working deep underground (metaphorically speaking).

While I was away, Escape the Clouds, our fabulous musical inspirators, have released a wonderful new album. Go here to listen to tracks from Until The End.