Using posable figures in a music video

[GregB]

Unable to find a cost/time/quality effective solution to generating and posing 3D characters in software, I changed tack and thought of filming posable 'toy' figures instead. 

 

But Aardmanesque stop-motion video required appropriate gear,  a huge learning curve, and immense patience ... hardly worth it for a one-off 5min short!

 

The best compromise (cost, effort, visual quality) was the "Kruseling" Dolls, which I found online, approx. 22cm and AUD $34 each.  But these dolls on receipt turned out to be not as 'posable' as the advertising would have me believe ... neither in anatomical accuracy, jointing, or stability (in any position or pose!).  

 

As a result, I quickly gave up on the idea of even the most basic stop-motion.  Instead I posed these figures several ways in ultra-stable positions on a little turntable with a uniform cloth background (for easy background removal), and shot multiple stills from a fixed DSLR on a tripod.  The great thing about these particular dolls was the detailed eyes, hair and clothes .... I didn't have to 'make' anything else!

 

They really look great on-screen.

 

It worked well enough for my own purposes and satisfaction and was surprisingly quick to do ... and a great diversion from my standard process of just using stock images/clips.  It was also helped along by a friend willing to video his son and daughter playing and have me use the footage (asking anyone if you can film their children or have film of them these days is fraught with problems and suspicion).

 

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by GregB
Re-word

[john]

Hey Greg, did you try Poser?

 

Were you not tempted to try stop-motion? Well, I guess you are using stop motion with a 0.5 fps! Lol

[GregB]

4 hours ago, Stewart Schmidt said:

I think that, instead of placing the dolls before a green screen ... you would've created the settings for them ... "outsider art" ... makes me wonder as to what, in God's name, it is that I am watching ... don't think that you need to transition between the live children and dolls ...  you could find someone who is a miniature hobbyist ...

 

Hi Stewart.  All valid comments and I appreciate the ideas.

 

I hope you will agree that any creative venture is a constantly expanding tree of "what if" branches.  The bottom line for me was to do something which:

• meets my minimum standards for "visually appealing" - nice images that are relevant to the 'story'.
• is cheap (this was my most expensive video by far -- requiring purchase of the two dolls -- which I've since given away to young family in lieu of presents!)
• is quick ... I needed to finish 30 videos for the album in a few months. I then commenced another 12 for the next album.  Actually just deciding on the approach and finding suitable dolls took a few weeks of searching. Whereas the photography, clip selection and video editing was probably 4-6 hrs max. 
• avoided finding external skills.  I know from experience that working with others is a huge drain on time and efficiency and rarely leads to success.  I really get huge satisfaction from doing everything myself.

The videos are really just an additional fun way of reflecting my music.  But, just as with the writing, arranging, performing, recording and mixing, it still requires hard-nosed project management and decision-making at every step ... else I'd still be doing it while waiting for some imagined 'perfect' solution!  In my opinion that's why a LOT of people don't start (let alone finish) their creative projects ... it's from sheer paralysis of indecision.

 

Cheers,

Greg

[GregB]

4 hours ago, john said:

Hey Greg, did you try Poser?

 

Posing software was my go-to, but all 3D stuff has one or more issues: price, posing, rigging/costumes, camera movement, file export, etc..  The serious ones have a huge learning curve (for one 5-min video?). The cheap ones don't even restrict movement to natural skeletal limitations.  All too frustrating!

[GregB]

2 hours ago, Stewart Schmidt said:

I think that I was too critical before

 

Not at all. I understood your perspective.

[GregB]

16 hours ago, Stewart Schmidt said:

It's interesting, at least. 

 

"I yam what I yam".   
Always considered a tad 'odd', it took me 40-50 years to become comfortable in my own skin and accept I'm not everyone's cup of tea (as my wife keeps reminding me!!). 

When it comes down to it, while we may feel hugely invested at a personal level, our creative outpourings make no impact in the great scheme of things ... a scheme which unfortunately seems to be rapidly going down the toilet

 

Looking forward to further 'chats' in these spaces.

Greg

[GregB]

23 minutes ago, Stewart Schmidt said:

Really, on another watch, I thought that it was rather endearing. 

Haha. 'Long-term wearing down like water on rocks' is the only strategy that's ever worked for me!  😆