Table of Contents for Secrets of Clay Animation Revealed 3 Major new updates and new interviews are in bold text Foreword by Webster Colcord...........................4 Introduction........................................................7 Anthony Scott Interview.....................................8 Tools, Sculpting Tools, Hand Habits.................................................10 Hand Tricks, Hand Problems, Brush and Oil Tool.............................11 Using the Brush Tool, Texture Pads, Making Texture Pads..............13 Common Sculpting Tools, Modifying Your Tools...............................15 Pasta Machine Tool, Pin Eye Tool, Hardening Clay Trick.................16 Custom Clay Heater, Armature Tools, Wire Cutters, Hack Saw........18 Table Clamp, Drills, Coping Saw, Glue Gun......................................19 Set Building Tools, Jig Saw, Power Drill, Exacto Knife......................21 Glue Gun, Hand File..........................................................23 Dremel Tool, Clays, Water Based Clay..............................24 Hardening Clay, Oil Based Clay.........................................25 Creating New Oil Based Clay Colors..................................27 Double Boilers and Melting Clay.........................................28 Clay Stirring Tool, Thinning Oil Based Clay, Sculpey Flex, Armatures, Wooden Armatures..29 Brass and Lead Wire Armatures......................................................32 Lead Joints, Lead Benefits, Detachable Body Parts........................37 Brass Feet........................................................................................39 Expert Brass and Lead Wire Armatures...........................................41 Brass and Lead Wire Armature Reference Pictures.........................43 Brass and Aluminum Joints, Epoxy Time Considerations................45 Aluminum Wire and Epoxy Armatures, Armature Preparations.........47 Epoxy Putty, Aluminum Loop Feet...........................................................................49 Aluminum Wire and Dowel Armatures, Rigid Parts, Connecting Wire Sections......51 Ball and Socket Armatures, Common Joints, Modern Ball & Socket Process Lionel Orozco...............52 Modern Joints, Plastic Parts, Final Preparations.................55 Ball and Socket Parts - Making Your Own...........................58 Open Hole Ball Joint, Tools Needed....................................59 Materials...................................................60 Commonly Used Ball Sizes......................60 Brazing.....................................................61 Solutions to Typical Problems..................62 The Pickling Process........................................63 Double Ball Joint Picture Tutorial.....................64 Drilling Ball Bearings Picture Tutorial...............70 Jeremy Spake Interview....................................76 Mold Injection Process, Ultra Cal 30 Molds, Final Product............84 Kathi Zung Interview......................................................................88 Old Traditional Build up Techniques..............................................95 Ball and Socket Feet, Making the Foot, Tie Downs.......................98 Experimental Armatures, Sculpting Your Character......................101 Preparing your Armature for Clay...............................103 Justin Rasch Interview................................................108 Accessories, Vinton Style Eyes, Animating the Eyes, More Accessories...118 Sculpting the Face, Animating the Mouth...................120 Replacement Parts, Sculpting the Hands...................123 Recycling Clay...........................................................125 3D Printing Technology For Puppets and Props........126 Set Building................................................................130 The Set Floor..............................................................133 Set Walls....................................................................134 Painting the Walls, Plaster Texturing, Pastel Insulation Foam...136 Texturing Styrofoam...................................................................138 The Set Sky...............................................................................................139 A Glowing Moon, Other Backgrounds, Rear Screen Projection................141 Set Building Tips....................................................142 Effects, Water.........................................................143 Fire, Smoke............................................................144 Clay Painting Effects, 2-D Characters on Glass....145 Lights, The Lights...................................................148 Barn Doors, Colored Light Gels.............................150 Lighting the Character, Lighting the Set.................151 Hot Spots................................................................153 Light Meters............................................................154 Animation Film Cameras........................................154 Projection, Digital Photography..............................157 Motion Control, The track.......................................158 Camera Base.........................................................161 The Supporting Legs, Testing the Rig....................163 Your Story, Storyboards...................................................164 Animation, Life, Timing, …...............................................167 Brad Schiff Interview.........................................................169 Exposure Sheets Voice Actors, Sound Effects......173 Surface Gages.....................................176 Video Reference................................................179 Flying Rigs.........................................................180 Your Demo Reel................................................182 How-To Web Sites, Frame Grabbers and Frame Grabbing software...184 Clay and Armature Supplies.................................................................186 Foam Latex Rubber Supplies, Foam Latex Ovens...............................190 Lighting and Camera Supplies................................................193 Digital Clay Animation, Editing Programs................................195 Digital Cameras.......................................................................196 Analog Setup...........................................................................197 Video Lunchbox Verses Computer Frame Grabbing...............198 Capture Cards..........................................................................199 Getting Capture Cards to work with Camcorders.....................201 Digital Animation Capture Programs, Anasazi.........................202 Animator DV.............................................................................204 Frame Thief..............................................................................207 Dragon Stop Motion.................................................................208 Adding Effects, Blue/Green Screen, In-Between Software, Motion Blur........209 Setting up a Studio, Equipment and Space....................................................212 Finding Employees...............................................................214 Finding workers by Promoting Your Studio..........................214 Promotional Materials, How to Succeed in Animation, Pitching to TV stations...215 Finding Sponsors to Fund Your Film...................................................................216 Hiring an Ad Representative, Finding Work using Film Festivals........................217 Glossary................................................219