So I set myself the task of making the set sturdier (as discussed in the last post) but also transportable incase I needed to move it about. The easiest way I could think to do this was to keep each main segment separate and make it free-standing but self-supporting. So now it has four main pieces (not including props like the truck etc); the floor, the building, the wall and the background. I've built a bunch of struts and supports in such a way that each piece can simply be slotted onto its place on the base, and each supports the adjacent pieces, no gluing or fixing required. All it all, a success so far, and it all seems pretty sturdy.

Few progress shots from bracing the set with some old canvas frames, to try and get rid of the warping from the layers of glue, and it seems to be working so far so fingers crossed! It's been a slow process of PVA glue,  clamping to hold things in place while they dry and then hot melt glue-guns to finish off a few edges and struts to hold the whole thing together and make it nice and firm. I've gone a bit overkill as I'd rather make it too strong than have it collapse/deform halfway through the project. It's a bit of a bodge job, but I figure that gives it a bit more character.

This is the brief I'm choosing to complete for this module:

However it is a little too broad, so here is some preliminary predefined structure to what I'm doing:

-To produce a short film for use in my portfolio

-Improve my knowledge of photography, filming, lighting and editing.

-To improve my knowledge and creation of a stylised stop motion environment

-Make use of a set and stop-motion characters I’d built in my spare time.

-Approximately 5 minute film

-Completion to deadline (30th Apr)

-Create a strong, complete, narrative and story, with the set and characters already established

-Define who the audience would be and find out how to make it appeal to them ( i.e. styles and filming techniques)