Brawl for the Relic
This is my university film project, produced over more than a year, crafted with love, determination and helping hands.
The Film
Making of
A chalice sits upon an altar, three knights wish to bring it to their faction. Only one can take the relic home. A fight to the death ensues, may the best combatant win.
The puppets
Three puppets were made for the Brawl for the Relic. The puppets have a wire and brass bar structure. The filling is made from solid foam and soft foam for joints. Plastic that could be moulded with heat was used for the armour and equipment, some were 3D printed.
The arms or wrists were made with replacements in mind. They had slotting bars to allow an easy swap when required.
Thornton
The first character is a knight wielding a flail paired with a shield. He wears green colours with golden touches. His movement is steady and sure. His weapons encourage defensive and counter-offensive actions.
Eadwulf
The second character is a halberdier. He has a full suit of plated armour and has a fighting style that favours big decisive strikes and keeping a safe distance from his opponent.
Algar
The third and final combatant is a two-handed swordsman. He is well armoured but still agile. He carries flamboyant red colours matching his gymnastic moves. Speed and footwork is the key to this fighter’s stance.
The set
The set is a courtyard within a castle in ruins. There are pillars and arches made of stone that have crumbled to the ground. Plants grow out from the cracks in the stone, trees creep over the walls, a tower overlooks the courtyard.
It is a modular three piece and has easily removable walls. It is populated with a tree and dead shrubbery in addition to an altar on which sits the chalice. The set is detailed with a mix of cork and dirt to give a more living floor. For some fancy numbers, there are about 1800 pebbles on the set floor and a little more than 500 bricks placed on the walls made from either foam and jesmonite moulds.
The tree, pillar and altar are fixed to the base of the set with a wooden shaft. The tree is made with a wooden shaft, wire and clay., The altar is built from foam and has a painted top to resemble marble.
The way in which the blood was going to be performed was figured out and tested throughout animating.
I used white tack, wire and a red pen. It allowed to have a solid enough substance to hold itself and kept a shiny liquid look that I was looking for. The red pen was also used to add colour (blood) to puppets and the set itself where need be.
Effects
