ALIEN EGG CHRYSALIS SCULPTURE
Sunday, July 26, 2015 at 11:15PM
Check back for a link to the video when it's completed.
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The ALIEN CHRYSALIS was a requirement for a music video project. The producers wanted a physical model to shoot that they could puppeteer on stage to give it a life-like motion. It was to be made as a scale model (about 1/4) scale and shot on stage against bluescreen and forced perspective shots as an option.
Here's the production drawing for the chrysalis.
Early on, I decided to create this puppet as a silicone prosthetic. It would take $500+ in materials to make it happen but the result would retain a skin-like movement and maintain a skin-like transparency. The puppet would be operated by hand or, (we later discovered) by smacking it and filming the organic undulations in HIGH SPEED filmrate. (Check the videos below)
Here's how we did it:
The first thing we did was create a foam armature and hang it from a platform to allow us to sculpt on all sides simultaneously. Sheets of clay were cut and applied to the surface to create a sculpting base.
Foam balls were sculpted and applied using metal and wooden hooks. This allowed the forms to rapidly develop while utlizing less sculpting clay and keeping the model weight manageable.
Veins and texture were added to finish the sculpt. Here you see the metal parting wall before the stone mold was applied.
The mold was flipped and the secon half was molded. (an all day process!!)
Another view of the texturing.
Here's the finished 2 part plaster mold.
Here's the silicone casting before I seamed it and added the stem: (you can REALLY see how translucent the result is.
And after the stem was added:
CLOSEUP ON THE STEM:
PROSTHETIC PAINTING
Beginning stages of the shading:
We have 7 colors in 5 different layers applied this point for a motion test:
More shadowing and color layers:
CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES AUGUST 2015
Special thanks to master sculptor Chuck Westfield, and reality tv show super star Kevin Ward for his assistance!