Ladies Night
Ladies Night was made as a send-able e-greeting for Hallmark eCards. This project combines live-action, stop-motion, and 2D animation. Check out the behind-the-scenes pictures below.
![Frame from a picture perfect animatic, made by the most talented Lexi Vay.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/d4e9b9bc-7d66-4ce4-9bd6-5d1bcf8f148f_rw_3840.jpg?h=d05d5f38ad520fb99b1dca2da1d93107)
Frame from a picture perfect animatic, made by the most talented Lexi Vay.
![Chicken wire, paper, glue, and a whole lot of love.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/2791eafd-5181-4626-a203-b380640042f2_rw_3840.jpg?h=ce423ba77abb36a42dfb9d750dcffc03)
Chicken wire, paper, glue, and a whole lot of love.
![Most of the art assets in this piece were hand made but for some 3D printing was a much more efficient option.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/0b2fcc25-052c-424f-a353-2a99deb71641_rw_3840.jpg?h=95427ec490ae4950242cd038d5f72372)
Most of the art assets in this piece were hand made but for some 3D printing was a much more efficient option.
![These two gate posts are cut pink foam and 3D printed raven tops.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/d4eaa7c6-3e91-433d-a205-7ac9d8b2a0d5_rw_3840.jpg?h=10b113a6af0f4eaed1f428363de85c3d)
These two gate posts are cut pink foam and 3D printed raven tops.
![Russ Stepan can't believe how good his work is looking. It always looks good.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/d7db2169-bc62-4c71-8675-daa7eb80e7bb_rw_3840.jpg?h=3ae44f2bbc7b0c6c081fcf03ea3bb38b)
Russ Stepan can't believe how good his work is looking. It always looks good.
![Having the camera and lenses as active players in design/fabrication helps keep things like scale and color cohesive. If it's not in frame, it doesn't need to exist.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/4ba6774d-b75d-4b55-8725-1958ae307bf9_rw_3840.jpg?h=ac8e58094e86f77599529b62a2267182)
Having the camera and lenses as active players in design/fabrication helps keep things like scale and color cohesive. If it's not in frame, it doesn't need to exist.
![Coming together. The sky and moon are place holders for composited elements made later.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/710f6124-04ca-4066-be6b-1bb7991d004c_rw_3840.jpg?h=b6cb7b1c779fd9cb660da9c2e6173fe7)
Coming together. The sky and moon are place holders for composited elements made later.
![We even roped Claire Anne Brand into helping with the lawn.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/143c2ebc-93aa-49bc-a569-614869aa6949_rw_3840.jpg?h=cbf3c957361eeba6d9250a2424d92255)
We even roped Claire Anne Brand into helping with the lawn.
![This set is used in the beginning to establish setting, and as the last shot when the ladies are ready to go out on the town.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/480996fb-d079-4eb0-9114-e59b756889c0_rw_3840.jpg?h=315f5f46a5132a956c52be487cf44b1a)
This set is used in the beginning to establish setting, and as the last shot when the ladies are ready to go out on the town.
![The gate opening in the beginning is a practical effect. The camera didn't quite fit through so the gate was made to move as it needed to.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/74ada88e-120b-404f-815f-2889c62276c3_rw_3840.jpg?h=2422a5176faff4cb51d6d119f1e26bc1)
The gate opening in the beginning is a practical effect. The camera didn't quite fit through so the gate was made to move as it needed to.
![This camera move was very tricky to get right. We combined two lengths of the motion control track and had to match the frames close enough to be seamless.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/b4e91a46-d826-46ec-9168-554e86ac989b_rw_3840.jpg?h=3b46dc04d822b8deaa84f21674f1cc54)
This camera move was very tricky to get right. We combined two lengths of the motion control track and had to match the frames close enough to be seamless.
![Now that the exteriors were done, we moved into the bedroom to establish all of our characters.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/712a87b5-80bc-4d32-b744-43620daf3df6_rw_3840.jpg?h=322cebc0113990b620d03ba220d2b216)
Now that the exteriors were done, we moved into the bedroom to establish all of our characters.
![We used our story boards for frame references and made sure the timing was right, down to the frame.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/48dedeb0-c7e0-4572-adc3-dc04bca4413c_rw_3840.jpg?h=adc8c9fc5c053caeedce9d8f2aca532b)
We used our story boards for frame references and made sure the timing was right, down to the frame.
![The characters are 2D animated and composited into material sets. We used action figure stand-ins to estimate scale and give lighting references to our animators.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/a7015d81-bd7b-4d80-b648-fe71e28fc817_rw_3840.jpg?h=dd7676675275aaf352aaa16b46217bd1)
The characters are 2D animated and composited into material sets. We used action figure stand-ins to estimate scale and give lighting references to our animators.
![Some elements, like fog, are impossible to shoot in stop-motion. For these we shot live elements and composited them in later.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/d495fe66-a845-4dfa-b5c2-85d7a26f2a1c_rw_3840.jpg?h=eee4e4bef1570692f7b6b4ee72599952)
Some elements, like fog, are impossible to shoot in stop-motion. For these we shot live elements and composited them in later.
![The glow and bubbling fog are added to the miniature cauldron in post.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/4554a488-3bbc-450c-9ae4-27a84c47321d_rw_3840.jpg?h=818b5f9ad5afab79495ecbedbc760ad7)
The glow and bubbling fog are added to the miniature cauldron in post.
![Scaaaary. But really just dry ice, gels, and LEDs.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/57a25f0e-c6a1-4352-90d8-dc29ec495346_rw_3840.jpg?h=28460933c71b76b9273afc3f813aae88)
Scaaaary. But really just dry ice, gels, and LEDs.
![The closet and vanity table scenes happened in this room which is just two walls with a tiny door.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/3d133a05-754a-4264-bd67-294cd0dbee2d_rw_3840.jpg?h=06232b4956879ea4a5bed33f0c65edf2)
The closet and vanity table scenes happened in this room which is just two walls with a tiny door.
![Finn stood in for scale and lighting reference. The wall molding is hand crafted, the wall sconce is 3D printed.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/f88ff6e2-ad9f-49f2-b872-8eb7c7f906b8_rw_3840.jpg?h=000e4c8e14ae9801092d2bcc1a8ff856)
Finn stood in for scale and lighting reference. The wall molding is hand crafted, the wall sconce is 3D printed.
![Teeny make-shift shims. Because the only moving elements in this scene are animated, the backgrounds were shot live.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/244561ac-c6a5-4e31-b797-e8da8d16e946_rw_3840.jpg?h=fded730d159968e59be30a5a4151e914)
Teeny make-shift shims. Because the only moving elements in this scene are animated, the backgrounds were shot live.
![Testing the practical wall light. Motivating lighting is key. See what I did there?](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/66f66a8d-803c-409e-8058-36ecfd0e9b5d_rw_3840.jpg?h=1242c3b4593549c0b77e6bd37aa91203)
Testing the practical wall light. Motivating lighting is key. See what I did there?
![This mirror isn't actually a mirror at all. To shoot directly into a "mirror" we used plastic and an out of focus print.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/4d6f7b0e-d61e-4ae5-8bce-125dd32d22b2_rw_3840.jpg?h=a8292d52ae0498ce6187ab771dcbf3a0)
This mirror isn't actually a mirror at all. To shoot directly into a "mirror" we used plastic and an out of focus print.
![What we see in the "reflection".](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/44946eef-fe5c-48a0-95c7-a5a1d2a1a2ed/1b7cba1a-dcc2-4b2f-935a-7f866a26b02f_rw_3840.jpg?h=8e64dbe150d1e2d06365bc9a798086ed)