Meet The Stranger

Filming is about to happen for the Into This World Short Film and I am finalizing the other character in my cinematic tour de force to end all tour de forces. After my ITW short film comes out, it will pretty much make all other tour de forces before and after feel worse than watching Birdemic with a disapproving parent that doesn't "get it". Sorry Alan.

The other character in the short is known as The Stranger. In the game, he will be your local arms dealer and also upgrade your gear. He is very handy to have around but he is also not be trusted. While doing his usual scavenging, I think he might have found Ol' Uncle Willy's secret stash of meth and other recreational drugs.

Wow, this post apocalyptic wasteland sure does look like a well kept apartment building in the background. Hmmm... I'm calling shenanigans.

Pre Production Photos

I just wanted to share some photos I whipped up for the Into This World short film I'm directing. It's coming soon for the Kickstarter campaign. This is the concept behind the film: Drea versus pixelated enemies. This will be easy to make. Right? RIGHT?!

And a quick look at Drea's gun. No prop building behind the scenes on this piece. I really didn't want to take the time to explain it all. I think iI was busy watching Cinema Snob reviews at the time. Let's see... Foam, parts of a Nerf gun, flexible thin foam, misc screws, plastic bottle top, other stuff, etc.

Drea's Costume!

And there you have it. The final costume. The actress couldn't fit her arm through the wrist portion of the prop anymore so her robot arm looks a lot longer. It will be a quick fix (I'll tell her to lose some weight in her fat wrists, duh).

And I call her "the actress" but she actually is my lovely girlfriend. That's how she got the part for the film. Me being the director, I put her through the sexual gauntlet of the casting couch. Wink wink! Either that or she's an amazing actor and I wouldn't want anyone else playing her. 

Well... maybe Fran Drescher. That voice of her's is so soothing and angelic. 

ITW Kickstarter PreProduction: Making the Vest part ONE!

I decided to get started on the pre production side of the live action short based on Into This World. It will be used as my Kickstarter campaign (start saving your pennies now). First thing I wanted to get out of the way was the wardrobe. If the actress doesn't look like her video game counterpart, then she might as well be naked. Well...
I am no stranger to making props. I've done it for my own stuff and for art direction on shorts and webseries. What do I make props out of you ask or did not ask but I will tell you anyway because that is what this whole f'ing post is about. I make most of my props out of foam. It's light weight, semi-cheap and easy to cut (just like my ex wife).

"Bannon, you sonofabitch. You still owe me child support. I know we never had kids but I found a couple last week rummaging in my recyclin' bins. They keep trying to tell me that they are an old Chinese married couple. But I know kids and their sneaky tricks. I'm on to em'. God, I miss you."

Well, that was unpleasant. She's a fantastic woman, hell of a cook too. But, eh, not in the kitchen. Breaking Bad anyone? I just started watching. If you live in Los Angeles and you don't watch it, they come after you with pitchforks and torches.
What about the foam?
This is the foam I speak of. You can find it on craigslist every now and then for cheap. It might have to be cleaned because some parents put it in their children's playroom as a fun floor for the kids to fall/piss all over.
I buy mine at Target because I like to support small businesses. A pack of four run about $24 each.

FOAM! For the love of foam, it's FOOOOOOAAAM!!!

The first prop I started building was the battle vest that Drea wears. It's a mix between a modern military flak jacket and sci fi armor. It's meant to protect a driller from shrapnel and other debris flying at them.

The base of the vest was a cheap ass life jacket I found at a thriftstore. It's perfect for a thick vest like a flak jacket and it already comes with adjustable straps.

I did not add a photo of the life vest before I put shit all over it. Because we all know what a life vest looks like. Enjoy Chris Farley.

Here is the first stage of the vest. This is unpainted of course. I dont think the day glow look is bad ass enough. Like I said, the foam is easy to cut and adheres well when you use hot glue. It pretty much melts the foam into the other foam piece you glue it to. I got the basic shapes done, cut them out  with a razor blade and started gluing and used some masking tape to hold pieces together. I taped it together so the foam wouldn't bend back to it's original flat shape. You can bend this stuff with a heat gun. I do not have one. A blow dryer will not work. Trust me.

 I added some rivet holes by simply taking a magic marker top and twisting it hard into the foam. It leaves an imprint. Kinda like bevel and emboss. Any Photoshop hustlers out there? Holler!

I also took my dremel tool and etched some battle marks into it. This will be painted later to make it look like the paint got stripped and scuffed the metal.

This is the back of the vest. You can tell because it's the opposite of the front. Once again, I did the whole magic marker rivet trick. Those will get finished up with the paint job. That will be for next time. 

And no, that is not my jewelry hanging on the wall. It belonged to my ex wife...

"You bastard! I have been looking for that necklace for the past five years. I'll sue your ass so hard that your ass will countersue me. And then you'll have to front a bunch of money to your ass's lawyer. But you won't because your'e a cheap sonofabitch. Then your ass will be all butt hurt and you two will have a falling out. Kiss your ass's friendship goodbye, sucka!"