Mr. Harryhausen was on board as Executive Producer, with Fred Fuchs. Both Ray and Fred helped to guide the production thru a quagmire of financing, logistiacal and creative decisions. Had these two very generous, highly experienced gentlemen participated in the production of the film, The Pit and the Pendulum animated film adaptation would not have seen the light of day.
The Nikon D70 Digital Single Lens Reflex camera was the primary capture camera used daily on set for stop motion animation production. The stop frame/ stop motion animation was accomplished with several software programs and Mac Mini computers. The visual effects elements in the film (particularly candle flames and smoke) were filmed with Canon GL2 video cameras and composited into the stop motion animation sequences in post production.
The basic sets were tabletop sets, constructed of 4 x 4 ' square tables. The walls of the dungeon and Inquisition Chambers were approximately 3' tall, topped with black clothe as needed, depending on the camera angles, lighting needs, etc. The 'flaming iron walls' were actually created in 3D CGI, using a digital process. These virtual models were then scaled to work within the shot. Much of the details explaining the creation and animation of these set pieces are on the DVD; http://www.thepitandthependulumshortfilm.com
The main Prisoner puppet stand approximately 14" tall, as does the General LaSalle puppet (seen in the end of the film). The Inquisitor puppets stand approximately 10" tall. The scale difference between the Prisoner puppet and the Inquisitor puppets/ Judges was hidden with the careful use of perspective and camera angles.
The Prisoner and General LaSalle puppets were created with silicone skin, mechanical heads (for facial movement), and ball and socket armatures (or skeletons), to keep their positions while shooting the stop motion animation. The Inquisitors / Judges were built using aluminum wire and epoxy putty for the armatures, and Super Sculpey brand modeling material (bake to a hard finish). Mouth movement was accomplished with unbaked Super Sculpey, sculpted incrementally one frame at a time. All the costumes were produced with specific cloth and textiles, chosen for various specifications, including scale and freedom of manipulation.
The Prisoner and General LaSalle puppets were created with silicone skin, mechanical heads (for facial movement), and ball and socket armatures (or skeletons), to keep their positions while shooting the stop motion animation. The Inquisitors / Judges were built using aluminum wire and epoxy putty for the armatures, and Super Sculpey brand modeling material (bake to a hard finish). Mouth movement was accomplished with unbaked Super Sculpey, sculpted incrementally one frame at a time. All the costumes were produced with specific cloth and textiles, chosen for various specifications, including scale and freedom of manipulation.
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