Stop motion animator

Sculpture/Fabrication

Bridgepark

I worked as a fabricator for Spatial Affairs Bureau, building a model of Richmond for the BridgePark project. My role included cutting foam core, placing buildings, coating the model with water putty, patching with Bondo, sanding, painting, shellacking, and tiny tree planting.

Needle Felting

Needle felted puppet with wire armature

Facing the Toad

Here are some set pieces, designed by Alina Smirnova and built by the two of us for Savannah Winchester's mixed media film "Facing the Toad". They are miniature sets designed and built for atmospheric animation. The actors were shot in greenscreen and will be composited into the set in post.

Toad. I built the armature for this toad and a special effects artist molded the foam latex puppet around it. I painted the puppet, made the belly larger with foam and latex, and animated him. — Toad.
I built the armature for this toad and a special effects artist molded the foam latex puppet around it. I painted the puppet, made the belly larger with foam and latex, and animated him.

Toad hands. Materials: Mickey Mouse gloves, duct tape, napkins, liquid latex, hot glue, styrofoam balls, acrylic paint. — Toad hands.
Materials: Mickey Mouse gloves, duct tape, napkins, liquid latex, hot glue, styrofoam balls, acrylic paint.

The forest set. Built to separate in two for different camera shots, and to have forced perspective. The water is hair gel, and was animated on set.Materials: Foam core, moss, wire, plaster, glitter, hair gel, spray foam, acrylic paint. — The forest set. Built to separate in two for different camera shots, and to have forced perspective. The water is hair gel, and was animated on set.
Materials: Foam core, moss, wire, plaster, glitter, hair gel, spray foam, acrylic paint.

The treetop set. Materials: spray foam, leaves, branches, feathers, acrylic paint, spray paint, flowers...there is a whole mess of stuff in there. — The treetop set.
Materials: spray foam, leaves, branches, feathers, acrylic paint, spray paint, flowers...there is a whole mess of stuff in there.

Sonoran

Desert set for Sonoran (named after the Sonoran Desert) Materials: A lot of crackle paste, red iron oxide acrylic paint, spray foam, fake flowers, fake fur, and melted crayon wax. The mountains are made from cardboard, chickenwire, and plaster stri… — Desert set for Sonoran (named after the Sonoran Desert)

Materials: A lot of crackle paste, red iron oxide acrylic paint, spray foam, fake flowers, fake fur, and melted crayon wax. The mountains are made from cardboard, chickenwire, and plaster strips, painted with acrylic paint.

Cactus, one of the characters in my thesis. Materials: wire, foam, corduroy, synthetic hair, Sculpey Moldmaker — Cactus, one of the characters in my thesis.

Materials: wire, foam, corduroy, synthetic hair, Sculpey Moldmaker

Ragamuffin

Fabrication for an upcoming web series.

Couch materials: cardboard, foam, clothPuppet: Wire armature, cloth body — Couch materials: cardboard, foam, cloth
Puppet: Wire armature, cloth body

Sculpture

Jolene, the alien character from my thesis film, Sonoran. Materials: wire, cotton buildup with latex, balsa wood, Sculpey, Chore Boy scrubbing pad — Jolene, the alien character from my thesis film, Sonoran.

Materials: wire, cotton buildup with latex, balsa wood, Sculpey, Chore Boy scrubbing pad

The alien's spaceship. Built to peel open like a flower Materials: paper mache, chicken wire, armature wire, cotton buildup, latex, christmas lights. — The alien's spaceship. Built to peel open like a flower

Materials: paper mache, chicken wire, armature wire, cotton buildup, latex, christmas lights.