As part of my college course we were invited to go to acclaimed puppet makers Mckinnon and Saunders. This was a great opportunity for me personally as I would like to be a model maker for stop motion animations.
Whilst there, we saw how puppets are made to a professional standard.There were various rooms to show each process of making the models. The first room we was taken to was the Plasticine concept room. This is where the original idea starts to take a 3D form using Plasticine and fibre glass. These are models that are only for the visual representation of the characters, so are unable to be animated. These models are shown to the directors who then give feedback on what they like and what they would like to change. So many different models are created in order to get the look wanted. This room was most important to me as it most resembles the position I would like to take up when I join the industry. I feel that using other people concept and then bringing it to a 3D form is highly important to the process of stop motion animation and sometimes they aren't made for stop motions animation. Sometimes they can be for 2D animations that are created to help the animator draw the character in a 3D way. It feels like you are bringing a drawing to life.
The next room was the fabric room. This is where the correct fabrics are chosen for the models, with the help from the creators. After choosing the fabrics they are then attached to the finished models, this comes at a later stage.
Moulds are then created for the final puppets, most of the time the puppets are created out of silicone. However you can get times in which they are made out of different materials. The mould tend to be made out of silicone them selves. This is because they are much easier to remove afterwards. Once the model have been cast they then get taken to the painting room in which various people are there to add tiny details on as well as the over skin colour and tone. The main tool that they use are are spray painters as they add an airbrush effect that makes them look as though they are real.
We then got taken to the mechanic room where mechanical armatures were being made. Some of the armature were very technical and complicated, they even had mechanical heads which were able to create facial expressions. Corpse Bride was an example of this. Most of Mckinnon and Saunders armatures are created from America, however on occasion they do create their own.
There are so many things that I grateful for, they gave me so much insight into the professionalism of model making. It was amazing that I got to see projects in the making for instance Post Man Pat original model were being touch up for exhibitions.
Mckinnon and Saunders are looking into 3D printing due to the movement in technology. They looked at colour 3D printing, but found that it was best that they painted the models individually themselves as they came out very dull and not as good as the silicone made models.
This is useful to me as it shows me the level I need to get to in order to become industry standard. It also gives me an idea of the puppet making pipeline. Different positions and responsibilities included. Overall the journey was very enjoyable and I learned a lot about he process of model making.
http://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/news-events/news/2015/04/06/students-visit-mackinnon-and-saunders-studio/
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