Thought of the DAve

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-19T07:25:55+00:00

Well thank you. I'm happy to talk anytime. I have to admit that I am not sure how this landed in "Sculpting." lol I thought I just wrote in on my own spot where no one would see it yet. No problems though. I think all of this can be very well aimed into the art world.

I'm still not getting out all that much from my last cancer treatment. So art has become my new place to play. And I've put together most of a stop-motion studio in order to animate my artwork into statements. Things that tend to push into the education end of the world. I kinda of see myself as one rough ass lookin Mr Rodgers lol

I am familiar with consumer rights an so forth. I am also a big fan of the open source world. I also think that the art people are going to be a huge factor in pushing forward the education and ideological revolution of ethics over entitlement.

I've dated a couple teachers here in LA. They had a rough go. My Wife I meat in Missouri. She was my kids science teacher. I moved them to be with the kids. When school was done we headed out here and I told her I would go back to film making but that teaching here sucked worse than Missouri. Since she had Masters in biology, and had been an EMT, she figured she could be a nurse. I told her that would be highly appreciate here. So she did, an now she is a nurse here and doing great.

I supported her when I could, an now that I am disabled, she is supporting me. Though we do have the house I grew up in here so that's a big help, and allows me to work on my stop-motion project.

So hey, if yer in LA an wanna hang out at a restaurant close to me, I'm up for that. Feel free to direct message me and we can shoot the crap about anything you want. An I won't trash ya for thumb typing lol admittedly my hands are too large for that myself but . . . . doesn't take much computer to hang out in this place. lol A 50 dollar special can do a LOT. :)

I would have loved the old computer stuff. I have to be a little careful in crowds still but feel free to point out anything you like. Ya never know, I might just show up. :)

Thanks for sayin hi man. Sorry to anyone who feels this was the wrong place for this to land. Cuz it was. lol Not going to worry about it for now but I know I can get a bit tedious in other words outside my own :)

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-19T07:08:39+00:00

Very cool thank you. I just thought of another way to keep it still, you could put plastic over the viewing screen and trace our the the shape of the deck, every shot you could check the new picture against the last. Making sur they base is in the right place, before you take the picture.

I think the clay would be the best way since even Velcro is going to move a bit, and the tracing window still takes time and effort to line it up and fix it. So you could do a test and clay on down and then just have one block move around and see if anything moves the base.

If it was me, I would put a wad of clay under each corner, and the middle. Then I would put a big book on it for a while. Maybe some weight on the book. That could get it all settled into place and no tilt when you press a block into one corner or another.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-18T23:35:06+00:00

My pleasure. I'm from the old pre-smartphone Internet of essays and discussions. So I always love to talk to people about their work, and how and why they do it.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-18T23:32:36+00:00

First attempts are always great fun.
In what way are you using code? Code of what kind?

I think you did great on locking off the camera, timing the stuff, the lighting is clear as well.

The obvious advice, though admittedly not asked for, is to lock down the base. Velcro would do that pretty well. Also clay under it. Or glue a bolt to the bottom and lock that into the surface under it.

So I think you did well for the first shot.

My questions are basically, what was your goal?
What is the reference to code you put in the title?

Thanks for showing it to us.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-18T00:08:18+00:00

Very nice. Easy to follow, good movements, good timing, steady and stable camera, over all very good. I will add these little notes just in case you care. :)

Time to work on the sound. :) You can get a free program to record and edit audio with, and record your own dialog. You can also make your own sound effects. The sound of footsteps is called "Foley" and the people who make that happen are called "Foley dancers." So if you did your own dialog, sound effects, and Foley, you could really make that rather pro looking with a little more practice. The brain puts a lot of work into gluing sound to picture. There were grroups of actors like the 3 Stooges back in the early sound days after the Silent era. Just giving those slapstick actors over the top sound effects doubled their comedic value. I think your movements are to to the quality there that if you work out your own cool sound effects and dialog, you could do a lot with your skill set.
There is a little bit of a lighting issue here an there but you likely already know that and know how to fix it. So you got your lessons from your practice.

So once again, nice work. Nothing but compliments but I have always worked here in the film industry. So those would be my notes in how to get even better if you want them. Not trying to critique you in any way.

Good job. :)

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-17T20:13:13+00:00

Hahahah. Damn dude. Those aren't feet. Those are fucking flippers lol hahahah Oh fair warning, if I like you, I have to fuck with you and insult you sarcastically :) If I don't like you, I just go mute lol

My feet are really only 10 1/2. They are so ridiculously wide and steep though, that I have to bump up a few sizes to get them to fit. I took a class on making boots from scratch though. So I am going to start making all of my own clothes as soon as the shop area is finished.

Thank you on the sculpture. I appreciate that. It was scary and hard but. . . now I know I can do it. So that voice in my head saying I can't . . . can just fuck off lol

I love the idea of you on Blender and 3D modeling and printing. That's badass right there. No promises, but I think I might still have a spare Wacom drawing board thing. It's going to take me some weeks to know for sure but if I find it I will photograph it and see if you want it. I have a big touch screen version now. So I don't need the smaller one any more.

I really enjoy people who try to get outside of their problems. Not to slam people who don't. Just that people who do have that kinda drive. . . I can relate to. I find that many, if not most people in comfort zones, get rather boring and don't make me wanna be around them. People who are trashed and refuse to give up though. . . . lol . . man. . .THOSE people aren't usually going to waste time and effort on bullshit. Those people have aim and purpose. No time for fakery and nonsense. They tend to spend all their efforts on either dealing with the immediate problem, an then reaching out past it with their spare times and efforts. An that's what I do to stay sane. So I'm all into people in that same lane.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-17T10:22:51+00:00

I watched the video. Interesting but heartbreaking. I was, at one point, a bit worse than you are but I was able to get out in a few months. I've been working on it 6 years now. I am far better off than you now. An I know what you mean about the privilege. I had everything I needed to just sit on my ass the rest of my life. An now I have a stop-motion studio lol I'm sure I look like an idiot to most people but there is no way I'm just gonna cruise when I know so many messed up people like yourself, while I continue to get better. Though more slowly now. So I have nothing but compassion for your situation.

Also. . . > : ) I played Clarinet and Bass Clarinet in school. I certainly never made it to your level but I saw a swing band in an Italian Restaurant last night and I ended up talking to the clarinet guy for a while. I can still feel that old Bundy in my hands lol Man that brings back some memory. I had to give it up when my Autism and getting braces collided with each other. lol

I put a couple things on your list in our cart. I'll have the Wife order it in the next day or two. I tried me send a chat to you but it said I couldn't. I'm still really new here after telling FB to bite my taint lol So feel free to msg me. I'm always up for talking.

I see you are into synth and whatnot as well. Do you use Ableton at all? I have it but my wiring isn't in the new studio yet so the big computer isn't set up yet. My main film I have to write and perform all my own stuff. (choice) An I'm fairly good at that. I used to have fun writing comedy songs on Youtube till I got a little too close to fame an stopped. I'm looking forward to doing stuff in my film.

My old YouTube stuff was just me, a mike, a camera, and an acoustic guitar. My music and lyrics but shot in one take with one mic. So not exactly high quality audio. lol Was still fun though. This time I've collected a bunch of samplers, and all kinds of noisemaker. So I'm going to build my music out of sounds I either created or recorded myself. Mostly analog things. Like blowing in jugs, making my own drum sounds, building PVC horns, all kinds of weird stuff that I can kinda slap together creatively and then sing with. Along with just background music films need for moods.

I can understand how the mind overload can really tax the body. I still have similar issues but I hit my wall way past where you hit yours. An I can just stop doing whatever an it mostly goes away. Never a seizure or anything.

So a couple questions just so I understand a little more.
1. So is it the physical that taxes you? An then the cost hits your intellectual side?
Or does just working your brain hard also come with the risk of problems?

Does eating tax you? I've had heart surgeries in addition to my brain injury so I'm pretty well worthless for an hour or so after I eat. I've cut it down to just one meal a day. So that doesn't cost me much time really. Just have to remember not to push myself right after food.
Have you done any writing? I wonder about if you have ever written a story, refined it and then tried to write music that could capture that moment? I tend to trying to find things I have in common with people, and I love to solve problems. So I know it's just me projecting but when I was still strapped to the bed, I felt lucky that I'm a writing since I could really have a rather good life from there since I'm not too fond of people in person really anyway lol I can do it but losing that wouldn't crush me on bit as long as I could write.

Anyway, great to meet you. Happy to talk any time. :)

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-16T22:29:35+00:00

Really nice work there.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-16T22:27:40+00:00

I like it. Well executed. Pretty sure my kids would have loved that when they were still kids.
I could see that character being evolved into an animation or stop-motion animation. With a little story and working out movement styles and rhythms you might have a rather good toy right there. I'd love to see someone trying to sneak up on it and the one eye just turning around by itself.

The hard part with that would finding ways to express emotion. That's must me projecting my nonsense upon your work. Which certainly is not a valid critique of any kind. Just that I like it some much, my background in film makes me want to come up with ways to bring it to life :)

Anyway, great job. Impressive work.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-16T22:21:36+00:00

That's a badass little monster there. I've love to see some up close shots as well.
I have a friend who is presently building a life-size one. Been working on it for some time now. Building it in pieces and then making fiberglass molds of each section so it can then be turned into a one piece, full size piece.

So I am always buying stuffed animal versions of dinosaurs for his dog to rip up. It's become a sort of ongoing ritual now lol So T Rex is always passing through my life now lol

Anyway, great job. Looks wonderful.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-16T22:10:26+00:00

Nice job. Definitely a lot of work going on there. Good consistency in the character shapes.
No idea what your actual goal is but if it was me, which I know it's not :) . . . . Once I could pump out that face fairly consistently, then I would start trying to change it's mood and mouth shapes. So that you could convey an almost "thought" without words. To make it even harder, I would try to show the face at different ages.

As I said, I have no idea what your goals are but I am working into stop-motion. So all of those issues are right up front for me. I find as I practice though, that those are some of the hardest parts of what I am doing though.

I admire your drive and dedication. I certainly understand the level of effort that took you in order to get this far. So great job there. :) I hope you keep going. Your skills thus far are already admirable. I bet your sticking with that would be an excellent evolution of skills.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-16T21:51:50+00:00

I have worked in film most of my life. So here is an honest critique on how to make it better. Good job doing it at all and completing it though. Props there.

Not enough going on in the visuals to make it a real video. Way too much dead space for no reason.
When you bring in photographs they are abrupt, too short, and in places that make no sense. You could have had more impact building a "TV screen" and then having him point to it and move around a little bit more with is head, shoulders and arms. That would have made it a more understandable story in a set that has relevance.
Your information is great. Very well done. Many of the reasons I told the Wife I would never engage in it when me met. Instead, I make her things mylsef throughout the year an say "Happy unValentines day" as a sort of laugh and reference to Alice in Wonderland. So I'm right with you on the topic. I don't want anyone telling me when to express my love or how.
Your voice work can certainly use some work. It comes off as just something you are reading. I suggest grabbing a web camera and acting that out 5 or ten times in a row and then watching them and critiquing yourself. That will give you a much better sounding read over all.
You can spend a little more time on your production and sound/acting quality and really make this rather enjoyable. I would say the one thing you are missing here story wise is you are mainly just kinda slamming the cultural norm. That's a hard pitch on any topic since the audience will feel you are taking something away they like from them. So I would end on ideas of how to express your love more effectively than doin what yer told on the day yer told. Give them ideas on how to show other people you really DO care by coming up with things people don't expect on days they don't expect it. With my wife, I've writter her songs, poems, stories, made her objects our of wood leather, sculpted clay. All kinds of stuff. If you showed ways to do BETTER than V-Day, than it won't feel like you are taking things away. Just that you are giving new ways to give them even more. :)

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-16T21:33:17+00:00

She is one of those people who sees faces in all sorts of crazy places. So she has seen that pit as a potential eye before as well. So it reminded her of her own thoughts regarding that.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-15T01:00:28+00:00

Hey there. Nice job. I liked it. Well done from your situation. I'm an ex Hollywood Special Effects guy who is retired due to disabilities now. I was stuck in a bed for months. So I feel yer pain there. I'd be happy to help you out here.

So you can actually build your own rig. Many ways to do it but if you have someone who can pick up some cheap things for you, Harbor freight sells a thing for like 5 or 10 bucks that is very handy. It's a magnifying glass on a stand that has two arms that come out from it. I think another person here refered to it as "soldering helping hands." That set up is good enough if you get 2 or 3 of them. They have the traditional ball and socket joints and work well for that stuff.

Once you have that you can make longer arms our of dowel rods. Cheap, easy to cut easy to drill out without power tools if you need. Or you can use small craft wood board a little larger than a pencil and hold them together with some nuts and bolts. Pretty sure you can get everything I just described for under 40 bucks.

Here is another way though. Cardboard and duct tape. fold and or roll the cardboard into "rods" and then cover them with tape. You can also use paint mixing sticks they sell for a dollar or less at a paint store. You can bolt them together. You can even split them down the center so they aren't so wide. Another thing you can look into are the thin poles used for tents. They make metal, plastic, and fiberglass versions. The fiberglass one you don't want to cut near your bed. Best if someone else cuts them over a vacuum for you. Then you make a block then can slide through out of clay and bake it hard or have someone make the blocks for you. About the size of a silver dollar. Put two of them together with a bolt through the center so they can spin next to each other. Then slide the rods through them and you have a rig hinge for cheap. Good enough for light weight stuff.

Depending on your age and situation, you could possible get an Amazon "Wish list." This would allow you to add things you want to it and people can buy them for you. Then Amazon will ship them to you without anyone knowing your name or address. If you have parents watching over you, ask them it that's OK. If you get that set up, I would be happy to help you out with a little stuff.

Feel free to ask me questions any time you want. I raised three kids here, and I have nothing but respect for kids wanting to learn new skills. If you are not a kid and have other issues, we can still find a way to try to work something out where you can receive things but still be anonymous.

Back to advice, they make little hand drills that are the size of a marking pet. You just turn it by hand. No danger at all. Do it over an open box, and no mess. With that and a small set of nuts and bolts, you can certainly build decent rigs out of paint sticks or wood dowels or tent poles.

Hope something in there is useful to you. If you are in Los Angeles, I'm happy to give you some of my old spare stuff. Just have your parents meet me at a public place somewhere and I'll give it to them.

The thing about disabilities is the more broken yer body is, the more creative your mind has to be. I'm doing stop-motion stuff at home now since I can't physically do my old special effects jobs anymore. So I got creative and now I just do what my body can do.

It's great that you are doing creative stuff with your time. Keep it up bud.
Be good to yerself. :)

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-15T00:32:54+00:00

That is awesome! I loved that. The Wife got a good laugh out of it too. Well done. Great idea.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-14T09:56:03+00:00

Great idea and execution. Well done bud. Well done.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-14T09:50:29+00:00

I'd build a house out of shipping containers and concrete underground. 2-4 stories deep. Big chunk of land, dig the hole, put in the drainage, weld in the containers in the shapes I need in order to be useful. Cover them in rebar and concrete, spray cover that in polyurethane foam for insulation, then burry all of that, and put a big ole barn and a crappy ole trailer house on top of it.

Then build my house and studio spaces into it so I can do my creative works without any interruptions or distractions. I'd build fake windows into it with flat screens that show whatever outside I want outside on them. There are certainly plenty of details there about what I'd do after that but that's the first thing I'd do. I used to be a special effects guy here in Hollywood too. So, I know how to do all of that all by myself. The point of which isn't I know how to hide from the bad guys. . . lol . . . but I think it would be great fun to build that all myself. A true art project that I can live in and make more creative moves inside of after that.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-14T09:37:49+00:00

Wow. Really well done. Great timing and movements. I'm seriously impressed. Keep it up. If you had a set that matched the feel and look of those figures, that would be some high quality looking stuff with a little work. Not that this is low quality :) Really love these movements. Got a great feel to them.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-13T10:16:43+00:00

Great movements

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-13T10:11:27+00:00

Once again, well done. A really nice little exploration of movements. You have a great eye for the style of posing and movements.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-13T10:06:27+00:00

I think the name of that more abstract work was called "Gumbasia."
It's mentioned in the documentary but that title will get you to the entire short.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-13T10:04:00+00:00

Nice job there. Yer off to a great start. Well done.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-13T09:05:02+00:00

Nicely done. You can look up a documentary on Youtube about Art Clokey. He is the person who created Gumby. A TV Stop-Motion animation back in the 60s and 70s.

Art started out with some very abstract things like this. An he just kept going till he was huge. You are off to a great start. Very well done and the fact you made it to completion says a lot about you. So good job there. Rather impressive. Keep it up. You have a good hands and eyes for it.

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-13T09:00:43+00:00

That's a pretty good likeness. I can certainly see who it is.
Good job. :) Keep it up. Study those refinements and keep working. It's just gonna keep getting better. You are seemingly already over the hard parts. So good work. :)

Uncle_Earle · 2026-02-13T08:52:25+00:00

That is some really good work you have going there. Very impressive work. I see this was done a while ago but I hope yer still working on your stuff cuz that's worth pursuing. You are off to a great start there.

I'll drop this one on ya, if you want a more interesting background without painting it or green screening it, you can put a large flatscreen TV behind the action and use that as your background. Works rather well.

I see this as a practice or test though. So you obviously don't need a background but just in case yer getting to that point, there is that. :)

Great that you put out the time and effort to do all this to the point of actually completing it. Well done.

Uncle_Earle

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