Making the Embryo

Making the embryo took two tries, but what we got looks so good! Simon made me a mood board and we discussed the design quite a lot. He also drew me an image on top of the man womb (that has already been filmed) of how he wanted it to look. It was going to be a round tumour like sack that will be filmed on a green screen and composited into the man womb. A lot of stress on 'gross' and 'hairy'... 

I was quite on my own for this as Simon had to go straight into the edit with Paco. I was unsure how to make a balloon like gross hairy lump, but started with a balloon and some polystyrene balls cut in half as a test. I then covered this in a layer of silicone, hoping to build it up with more layers and eventually popping the balloon underneath to give me an empty fleshy sack to work onto. I stupidly forgot that latex stops silicone from going off, and applying silicone directly onto a latex balloon was setting myself up for total failure. Luckily I didn't use up too much silicone as I was conscious this was a test. Round two, i covered the balloon and lumps in clingfilm before applying the silicone. I was using platsil gel 00. I did two layers but wasn't sure that it was working well. I was definitely sure that I was totally winging it and didn't know what I was doing. 

After realising I definitely needed help, I got a tutorial with Andy and was recommended a Stan Winston School dvd on monster making with plastic.

... despite the insufferable presenter, the dvd was extremely helpful. Over the weekend Simon and I started work on this using a plastic bag, soldering iron and a sheet of paper. The technique was basically heating plastic together into a new shape and using water and slime to create the round gross movement. 

It did work how it's supposed to once we had finished it, but unfortunately it just wasn't right. It's definitely a technique I'd use in the future though, its very cost effective and fast to do. In desperation we looked back at my weird balloon test. I popped the balloon inside and surprisingly it actually seemed ok. It definitely needed a lot of modification but the basic idea was there. On Sunday we got a bigger balloon and used clay instead of polystyrene balls to make the lumps.   

This was then covered in clingfilm. We mixed up a pot of platsil gel 00 and spread this on quite thick. After three layers we turned it upside-down and did three layers on the underside and around the cup to make a sleeve so that it could be puppeteered with hands on the inside or a tube could be put inside to blow air through and make it look like its pulsating. I put a small amount of green and flesh pigment into the silicone. A final layer of silicone was put on without any pigment, and I applied red string before it set to look like veins. 

Once it had completely set I used baby powder to matte down the surface and make it less sticky. I then popped the balloon! 

I did some tests with hair punching, seeing if doing big clumps was better or spreading it out thinly. 

When held up to a light it looked really good, but the veins were not very obvious. I tried turning it inside out and using silicone sealant to make thicker veins that might show better with a light behind.

The sealant didn't work so well. It didn't bond to the silicone very strongly and it wasn't very visible with a light behind it. I peeled all of that off and mixed some platsil gel 00 in a cup with thinner and blue and black pigment added. I used a small paintbrush to apply it onto the embryo. While that was setting I made a fleshy membrane to stretch over the top of the embryo. I used platsil gel 00 again and added red, flesh and black pigment. I poured it over a mirror and spread it out thinly with my hands (wearing vinyl gloves) and patting it as it set to create a texture. Once it had set I peeled it off the mirror and poked small holes in it with a needle and ripped them to make larger holes and 'stringy bits'.

Simon decided that he preferred the 'pulsating' look so I attached a plastic mixing bowl to a short length of scaffolding borrowed from the main stage and glued it on. This fits inside the embryo so that it keeps its roundish shape and there is an opening to blow air into it. 

Veins worked well and it looked wonderfully gross with the membrane! 

I dry brushed some acrylic dark red paint onto the embryo to give it a more fleshy colour. I then punched a lot of hair into it. 

We filmed on the 30th November on the main stage. It was just myself, Simon and Steve. we had the embryo on a long scaffolding pole with a thinner pvc tube inside to blow air through. A green screen was put behind it, which was a pain to put up because we had to get it smooth but we needed to get the pole through it. As it was Rob's personal screen, cutting a hole in it was not an option. Once we had it as smooth as we could manage we called Rob to come and check that he'd be able to work with it as it is. He gave the ok and left. 

I covered the embryo with a lot of vaseline and then a little more vaseline and hair. I was up a ladder behind the green screen blowing down the tube to make the embryo pulsate. It was pretty tiring but we did short takes with time for me to catch my breath between. 

Week 3rd - 7th November

Monday we finished the shots for the perspective scene. I rigged the smaller leaflets onto fishing wire and Katie puppeteered those. I was doing the magnet  people with Will and Hedley. We also did a separate shot with cars driving on the road. We couldnt get the magnets to work with the cars because they kept spinning. Instead, I attached them to rods and Will and I puppeteered them along the road from the top of the set. Once we'd caught up from last week I helped strike the set and put up the new set with Katie, Will, Sara and Simon. The new set was on the ground, outside the hotel. In this shot we see Glenn fall to the ground, and the other puppets looking around to see. Over lunch I made a small hankerchief that Alpha would be holding and use to wipe his head when Manny spits on him from the roof. I just used a small square of fabric and stitched around the edges. 

Tuesday continued to help with the set up and also rigged Glenn into a falling position with wire. I removed his main rod and made a wire frame to fit under his costume to hold his arms and legs in a falling pose. I also adjusted Alpha's costume and tensioned all of the rods. I puppeteered Alpha's hands and Hedley was on the neck and body. Steve, Katie, Simon and I stayed late to finish the shots. I was still doing Alpha, Simon was less puppeteering and more throwing Glenn off of the building... and Katie was catching Glenn! The shots look great though and I'm really glad we got it all in one day. 

On Wednesday we worked quickly to strike the set while Steve put up the green screen on the main stage. The scene we're shooting now is of the choir of puppets singing at the end of the film, and them being showered with Manny's urine... before I helped Simon rig them all into place I cleaned all of the puppets up using baby wipes and a clean paint brush, as each would be getting a close up of them walking into shot and starting to sing before being urinated on. Once we had rigged all puppets into place I was puppeteering each puppet with Simon. We had to work quite late to get everything we needed and Katie had to take over from me because I had to catch the last train. 

Thursday I had to remember to bring my rain coat with me, as we were filming the shower of urine. I was puppeteering each puppet with Simon again, while Will was up on a ladder pouring water over the puppet with a watering can. We shot each puppet separately and then Rob Rankin, our visual effects guy will composite them all into the same shot. After each puppet was filmed I took them out of the magic arm and back into the Old Library where I rested them on a towel and dried with a hair dryer. While we were shooting Katie was putting up the final set in the Old Library. 

We put a wagon covered with plastic sheeting under the set to catch the water and protect any electrical equipment.

Came in early on Friday to rig the puppets in place. This was the last official shoot day and there was high pressure to get it all in the same day because the Old Library is not available from Monday. I did costume checks and ironed Alpha's coat. I placed Glenn on the floor where he fell to his death and applied fake blood around his head. I made the fake blood last weekend at home using soy sauce, golden syrup and red and green food colouring. Once we had the shot of the crowd standing around Glenn's body, Simon and I rigged all of the choir puppets into place in front of Glenn. This would be a sliding shot from above, looking at all of the choir members singing. There was a bit of a disaster with the rigging, as it turns out MDF isnt strong enough to hold 7 puppets. It fell on the floor along with all of the puppets. Only one rod completely broke, and the rest I was able to clean and fix while Katie and Simon reinforced the set so that it definitely could hold 6 puppets...

Only Mandy's feet would be visible in this shot so I didn't put a head on her. 

The moment after all the puppets fell! 

After the puppets were all rigged back onto the set again, and definitely not going to fall.. we puppeteered three puppets each, changing to the next puppet just before the camera gets to them. The only action we had to do was moving the heads and swaying in time with the manOman chorus song that Terry composed for the film. After that was done, we did exactly the same thing again but with the urine shower. Will was up a ladder with a watering can again and the rest of us puppeteered. It was a strange feeling because it was the very last shot that we'd be doing together as a team on manOman. 

After we finished, there was prosecco and cake! It was really sad to say goodbye to the team, but we're all going to stay in touch and all want to work together in the future. I've still got to stick around to make the embryo. Simon and Steve also just got funding from Kodak to do a charity commercial on film, and they've asked me to be involved with it.

Action Plan - Week Beginning 3rd November

The shots that we plan to get this week will actually be shot in a different order than planned, as some sets are more ready than others. We expect to be finished on Friday evening, apart from a few pickup shots and the embryo puppet which still needs to be made. 

Monday 

• Rig leaflet and smaller leaflet on fishing line and rods to make it look like its floating to the ground
• Puppeteer the perspective looking down shot using magnets to move the miniature people
• Attach cars to rods and puppeteer with Will  
• Be on standby for puppet repairs
• Help strike the set and set up new set 

Tuesday

• Rig Glen up with wire into a falling position 
• Adjust Douchebags costume and retention wire 
• Sort through new costumes from costume designer and decide with Simon which puppets will be in todays shots
• Put rods in puppets that will be needed 
• Puppeteer Douchebag arms with Hedley
• Be on standby for puppet repairs and alterations 

Wednesday

• Help strike the set 
• Take puppets and clean them up ready for the next shot. 
• Rod up any puppets left that don't have rods 
• Help Simon rig the puppets in front of the green screen 
• Puppeteer the choir with Simon 

Thursday

• Bring in my rain coat to do shots for the day as water will be involved! 
• Puppeteer with Simon the choir singing while Will pours water over puppets with a watering can 
• Dry off each puppet between takes 
• Strike the set and help set up next set 
• Prep Glenn for last shot - take out rods and put on a new shirt without a hole in the back. Clean up his shoes and attach to feet. 

Friday

• Rig puppets into place and do costume checks to make sure everything looks as it should. Will probably need to iron Alpha's coat. 
• Apply fake blood around Glenn's head 
• Be on standby for puppet repairs and alterations 
• Put plastic sheeting down on the floor and over any electrical equipment to protect from the water that will be used in the shot 
• Puppeteer three different puppets as the camera rolls past each. Will need to move quickly and be looking at the monitor at all times to know when I need to switch puppet control.
• Eat cake and be merry. This is the last official shoot day of the manOman! All of the puppeteers will be finished.

Week 27th - 31st October

Monday morning I rigged Manny in place and we got the shot before lunch. After that I helped strike the set and discussed the shots for the week with simon and made a list of the casting and puppet maintenance that i needed to do. There wasn't too much but while the next set was being prepared I did some more wigs and casted some more legs. 

On Tuesday I made some more central rods for the puppets in preparation for Wednesday's shoot, we already had quite a few but more needed to be made so that every puppet could have its own. Next weeks shoot will have all of the puppets in the same shot, and they will all need rods! The puppets with their new costumes arrived just before lunch from Lex, they all looked so fantastic. Over lunch I discussed with Simon the design and making of a two headed puppet and the embryo. These are two extra shots that we're not sure we'll be able to get. The two headed puppet would add a lot to the film but the film wouldn't lose anything without it. We definitely need to make the embryo so thats a priority. We've decided that we wont make a start on that until we've finished shooting, which is only a week away now! I started to put the rods in the puppets after lunch and also making miniature people that would be walking on the street in the perspective shot on Friday. 

Some initial sketches for the two headed puppet. 

Wednesday morning I finished rodding up the puppets and then rigged the required puppets into place once Steve had finished lighting the set. This shot was a perspective shot, looking up a tall building. Ginger guy, Alpha and Builder were at the bottom and looking up at Manny (who Simon made a miniature version of). I puppeteered with Hedley and Simon. Hedley had to leave early on Wednesday so Paco, our editor stepped in and helped puppeteer. 

I spent Thursday morning casting more heads and wig making in preparation for next week. I also finished making the miniature puppets that would go onto magnets that would keep them on the next set. The set is another perspective shot, but looking down the building and onto the street below. The magnet people will be on the street below and moved about with another magnet on the other side of the set. There was a big delay in setting up for Friday's shot because there was a power cut and the fire alarms went off so they had to evacuate all the studios. In the end it was nothing to worry about but we did lose a few hours. Glenn will be holding a leaflet for the Primal Scream class when sat at the top of the building, and will drop it. Simon designed the leaflet on photoshop and printed three different sizes so that we could bring it out and back into shot as its falling and it will keep with the perspective. To make the leaflets I only needed to cut them out and fold them neatly and then crumple it a bit to look like it'd been in Glenn's pocket for the night. 

Friday morning I helped to get the set finished and also rigged Glenn into place, with the leaflet carefully placed into his hands. The leaflet was attached onto a long piece of fishing wire and a rod, so that it could be pulled out of his hands and made to look like it was falling. 

The shot took a long time to get and we were having a lot of trouble with the magnet puppets looking natural. We were shooting until about 9pm, at which point everyone gave up and went to the halloween party looking like zombies without needing makeup! We didn't get everything we needed so will continue on Monday.