Moco Rig 7 – March 2017

I wish I could say I have made a lot of progress recently, but sometimes thinking about what to do is the most important thing. I knew I had to come up with a better rotation bearing – a lazy susan – but couldn’t seem to get it right. Now I have a solution, so some visible progress should soon … Read More

Moco Rig 6 – Feb 2017

Having successfully upgraded the crane function to a ballscrew, my attention has turned to the rotation. I was always a bit unhappy about this, as the gears are quite small and the arm is long, with lots of inertia. It worked for my tests, but seems a little jerky in action – stiction taking control! I have decided to upgrade. … Read More

Moco Rig 5 – end Jan 2017

I finished the modification to the crane axis over the weekend, and it is looking good. The motor is now mounted on a swivelling carriage that also has the bottom bearing for the ballscrew. On the arm is another swivelling carriage with the ballnut attached – that’s the bit that travels up and down.             … Read More

First shot and making thatch

At last a shot completed! The silhouetted hounds of hell rising up from behind the reeds with their eyes flashing. Achieved using small torches mounted on the rig, and each hound attached to a vertically-mounted winder. The moco rig tracked in nicely to give the shot a bit more movement and a sense of foreboding. The first still has just … Read More

Early days – 2017

This is the first of my occasional posts on progress with the project. It has been nearly 4 years since I first thought about making the film, and much of the time has been spent learning the craft, building a studio/workshop and constructing a moco rig (see posts on the Studio page). During this time I have refined the screenplay, … Read More

Moco Rig 4 – Jan 2017

I have been very slow in adding posts to this, as it has taken so long for me to get round to creating something that actually functions at all. But the resolution for 2017 is to do a post at least once a month! The rig as built has been functioning, but there are definitely improvements to be made. Firstly, … Read More