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Impressive stuff, did you have any luck with info on the Lady Godiva puppet for Coventry?
- Thread starter Drains
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Drains
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No Stuart, not much, other than the fact that what they want to do is bloody big, and possibly, bloody stupid. I'll see about getting in touch with them tomorrow though as I've a free day. I noticed that they only had £8,000 for development, which on a project like that is peanuts.
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Might be an idea to put all the video from news, Blue Peter etc. onto a DVD, would make a nice addition to your CV?
Ratty
Putting the She in Sheds
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Very disappointed that BP didn't show any of your fine workings Si, (or you) I really don't think much of the 'sculpting' of the giant, very poor, bland and a stupid face. Shame there wasn't even a hint of the structure beneath which would have given it so much more vitality. The movement was good tho. Nice legs..shame about the face 
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Ratty
Putting the She in Sheds
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Harsh Ratts?
Really? I don't think so, I'm sure they wanted to keep him friendly so's not to scare the kiddies but still think they ruined a fine armature, I've seen far superior sculpting on puppets, reckon they paid Si too much and had to get a budget finish job
Drains
Yeah, nah.
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Really? I don't think so, I'm sure they wanted to keep him friendly so's not to scare the kiddies but still think they ruined a fine armature, I've seen far superior sculpting on puppets, reckon they paid Si too much and had to get a budget finish job
I shall keep my thoughts to myself re the sculpting. Other than to say, if it had been down to me, I would have got a professional set building company to do it. It would have been done far better, correctly, in a fraction of the time. Volunteers and badly paid people with no experience are a sure-fire way to cock a job up.
Oops, said too much already!
Have to say re structure - it wasn't designed to be seen, but to be a working frame which the outer shell could be hung off. It had elements of skeletonism, but because of the need to simplify movements, there are many aspects which are utterly unlike the human form underneath - no ball and socket joints, no spine, no skull! Also no muscles, as all the power is based in the chest and had to be transferred by various means out to the limbs. It would be great to refine the design though, and it would be even greater to have the exterior designed and made properly, by someone who really understood the necessaries. Almost every suggestion or hint I made to the exterior designer on this job went wee over her head, and plop against the wall. I even had to show her how to make hot-wire cutting tools. A bit of experience and ability here might have helped just a little...
Drains
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Oh sod off Rats 
. Royal de Luxe are in a different league. Our build budget was probably under £30k, that Little Girl giant is hundreds of thousands, with tens of people (engineers, proper ones) working on it.
You're right though. Much better sculpting.
. Royal de Luxe are in a different league. Our build budget was probably under £30k, that Little Girl giant is hundreds of thousands, with tens of people (engineers, proper ones) working on it. You're right though. Much better sculpting.
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I like the big fella, its simple sculpting, and has a certain er, er, simplicity? about it. Almost looks big and daft. I dunno, i like it anyway. It appeals to me and i'm no artist, as you know
. Accurate contours on the body too. Just like my 6 pack
I'd like to see some pictures of the big fella without his polystyrene clothes on showing the internal workings assembled if you have them?
I like his bed an all. I like the bit in BP where he's laying down in his scratcher.
Speaking of which. Laters.
. Accurate contours on the body too. Just like my 6 pack I'd like to see some pictures of the big fella without his polystyrene clothes on showing the internal workings assembled if you have them?
I like his bed an all. I like the bit in BP where he's laying down in his scratcher.
Speaking of which. Laters.
Drains
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She's pretty cool tho' what with articulated tongue an alland I can well believe the budget was just a tad higher
Their designer, Francois Delaroziere, is a god-like genius. And a very nice man too.
Ratty
Putting the She in Sheds
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Ratty
Putting the She in Sheds
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Good stuff Si, watched BP via Iplayer. You certainly got feet movement spot on, not even a hint of dragging effect. One point that they (reporters) keep getting wrong is, they keep saying the big fella is made from steel, I'm sure I viewed al/al at puppet workshop..........NO???
Regarding French crowd, your correct Si, different league...........bloody French......ouch, I just got a slap
Laters bud.........
Regarding French crowd, your correct Si, different league...........bloody French......ouch, I just got a slap
Laters bud.........
Drains
Yeah, nah.
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Drains
Yeah, nah.
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Ok. For Paul, here is a vague attempt at showing the internal workings of the Big Blue laddie. If I get the chance, and the covering comes off, I will take some more informative pics. Here's some clues though, for starters.
View of arm control mech.Notice the upper arm is held on a swivel which can be pulled to make the arm raise sideways. The whole assembly is on a 1 3/4" aluminium tube through some pillow block bearings. Through the tube runs a 1" steel bar running on oilite brgs, which is the control for the forearm.
Another view of same
Look very carefully. This is looking from behind the head (which isn't there), forwards and down. You can see the swivel that houses the "neck" - 1" bar in oilite again. Below that you can clearly see the tubes carrying the arms, the levers on the inside of the 1" bar, and the ally levers welded to the tubes. There are no ropes on at this point. If there were, you'd see them passing down to the wheels.
Here you can see big wheels and small, and ropes attached. Look in the centre at two ropes heading up at 11 o'clock. They are RHS arm, upper and lower control. LHS ropes are hidden. The lower ropes are heading to the legs. Notice also a load of ropes attached to a tube welded to the frame, below the wheels. These are actually bungees (shock cord), used to stop over-run of the wheels, or to create tension to ensure the ropes pulled by the puppeteers (which are led to the big wheels), stay taught on the wheels, as if those ropes go slack, they can come off! This took lots of experiment to get right.
There are also ropes attached to that tube which go down into the legs and act as ligaments to control toe movement when he walks.
This is how we get him up and down off his "bed", ready to be hooked onto the handler. Lots of pulleys (down behind his feet), four puppeteers to haul up on rope. A Petzl Grigri to let him down though, nice and gentle. His legs are sitting on custom PU foam supports. Lots of fun pouring rapidly expanding, and very hot foam, into gaffa taped up tyvek bags. (there was a roll lying about saying "use me")
The carrier plate, also showing control ropes.
Carrier plate swivel. This is currently fixed in position as I never found the time to fit an actuator.
View of arm control mech.Notice the upper arm is held on a swivel which can be pulled to make the arm raise sideways. The whole assembly is on a 1 3/4" aluminium tube through some pillow block bearings. Through the tube runs a 1" steel bar running on oilite brgs, which is the control for the forearm.
Another view of same
Look very carefully. This is looking from behind the head (which isn't there), forwards and down. You can see the swivel that houses the "neck" - 1" bar in oilite again. Below that you can clearly see the tubes carrying the arms, the levers on the inside of the 1" bar, and the ally levers welded to the tubes. There are no ropes on at this point. If there were, you'd see them passing down to the wheels.
Here you can see big wheels and small, and ropes attached. Look in the centre at two ropes heading up at 11 o'clock. They are RHS arm, upper and lower control. LHS ropes are hidden. The lower ropes are heading to the legs. Notice also a load of ropes attached to a tube welded to the frame, below the wheels. These are actually bungees (shock cord), used to stop over-run of the wheels, or to create tension to ensure the ropes pulled by the puppeteers (which are led to the big wheels), stay taught on the wheels, as if those ropes go slack, they can come off! This took lots of experiment to get right.
There are also ropes attached to that tube which go down into the legs and act as ligaments to control toe movement when he walks.
This is how we get him up and down off his "bed", ready to be hooked onto the handler. Lots of pulleys (down behind his feet), four puppeteers to haul up on rope. A Petzl Grigri to let him down though, nice and gentle. His legs are sitting on custom PU foam supports. Lots of fun pouring rapidly expanding, and very hot foam, into gaffa taped up tyvek bags. (there was a roll lying about saying "use me")
The carrier plate, also showing control ropes.
Carrier plate swivel. This is currently fixed in position as I never found the time to fit an actuator.
