model making
Bug Table & Stool
Film: Symbiotic
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This was a table and chair I designed and built for my senior film Symbiotic. When designing these two elements of our kitchen set, we knew they had to fit the angular motif and feel slightly bizarre. The table is slightly inspired by a coffin shape and the stool was designed to fit a four-legged mantis man.
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I first mocked-up the design in cardboard after a few sketches. Once it was to scale and fit the puppet, I measured each piece and drew up a plan.
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I find that I always have an easier time with any sort of fabrication when I have a plan in front of me. One of the most challenging parts of this table was the fact that the legs connect to the table at an angle. The angle was so slight, (7 degrees!) I just made a wedge at that degree, then molded and casted 4 to sit between the leg and base of the table.
I made the table out of polycarbonate so it would be sturdy enough for us to rig into as needed. Once I cut out all of the pieces, I drilled and tapped the pieces so they could be screwed together. This was ideal in case we needed to disassemble it for any reason.
Here I am, drilling the holes in the base of the table where the legs would connect. I use a level to ensure the drill is going in perpendicular to the polycarb piece.
The stool was an interesting challenge. It couldn't be a typical round stool, as it had to account for the puppet's four legs. We also wanted it to maintain the angular design we had established in the rest of the kitchen.
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Here were my original sketches for the chair. I carved the top out of pink foam then molded and cast it in plastic. The legs were made of brass tubes that I drilled into the base. Finally, I sculpted details to the support bars out of propoxy and painted the whole piece
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Table and chair in action
Responsible for table and stool fabrication
Tiny Rock
Film: Elliot
This rock was part of a set that was completely covered in fabric and felt. It was sculpted to fit the soft round aesthetic of this film and then rigged to serve its purpose in this scene.
Responsible for rock fabrication and aid in set dressing
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I first sculpted the rock out of chavant clay. I then molded and then cast it in urethane plastic. It was necessary for the rock to be a slush cast so the wire could easily hold it in an upright position. I left a little plastic in the bottom of the rock so it could be tapped. Before I dressed it in fabric, I needed to carve a small hole and pack propoxy inside. I only used a small amount of propoxy to keep the rock light, but allow me to drill into to tension wire for it to be able to hinge.
Boulders
Film: Elliot
I made fabricated these boulders for the fstudent film Elliot. I followed the director's style for these rocks so they would match the creative direction of the film.
Once I carved the boulders out of foam, I dressed them in gray fabric. I then painted the fabric with shades of purples and blues. Lastly I mounted them to sheets of MDF wood I had cut and dressed with fabric to resemble the grass floor of the set.