B-Movie Entry: Ralph Eggers

#1

Ralph Eggers is entered in the “B-Movie” update: View Challenge Page

Latest Update: Final Image: Memories of a robot actor

#2

The setting is an old church. Church windows give a weak but colourful light. Blueish night light shines in from the open door (unseen) and there`s weird light from the crypt.
The main character entering (seen from behind) is going to be the robot. Part of an alien robot invasion force he has surprised a number of undead coming out of their crypt. What will happen next?
I love “versus” themes! Maybe I’ll even put in a “damsel in distress”, maybe in between and not knowing what to fear more…

#3

I accidentally deleted this concept yesterday while editing its description. Here it is again.

#4

I started modelling the robot. I try to make it cheesy enough for an old b-movie. Also I’m modelling around a max biped to make sure an actor would fit inside my robot.

#5

Body proportions of the robot.

#6

I´m trying to figure out the body proportions of my robot. I want it to look like there’s an actor in there. So it will turn out a little like a knight’s armour, I guess.
Of course the modell has to be refined and details have to be added, like more colourful lights, tubes and rivets. The places between the parts of the robot suit (the joints) will be covered with some shiny fabric, I think.
But any suggestion, comment or criticism is welcome!

#7

Crazy Eyes!

#8

Looking at these classic references I’ve realized that the whole b-movie robot subject deserves a more traditional approach. You have to see the robot’s front to fully enjoy its silly face. It also seems that it is required by law that they carry a woman in a dress (preferably red).

#9

Hey Ralph,

Cool concept, totally B-Movie! great!.

Like your idea that the robot looks like an actor in there, that puts a B-Movie touch on the design for sure. The model is looking nice. Nice work , and waiting for more updates. Cheers! :beer:

#10

Thanks Ferx! I’ll try to post a new pre-viz with a frontal view of the robot later today, and maybe I’ll get to work on its body some more. Got to fit more crazy gadgets, lights and antennae on this thing. Also a ray gun, I think!

Cheers
archaeotect

#11

I changed the composition so you get a better view of the robot. The green things are supposed to be arms of zombies rising from their graves in the church floor. One gets blasted by the robots ray gun. The purple lights are going to be replaced by colourful church windows with light shining through.

#12

By the way, the movie’s title is:
Robots from Space vs. Things from the Crypt
Tag line:
Can the undead save our planet?

I don’t know if I will go for a movie poster and add the words, though. How do you like the idea and the composition? Any comments and suggestions are welcome!

#13

Some actual work and a nasty cold have kept me from updating. But here it is, the Robot from Outer Space. It got its ray gun, rocket booster shoes, crazy blinking lights and silly antennae. For the final image I’ll probably change the materials a little bit, deform the fabric between the joints and add some more details (like to the box on the breast). But I’ll wait for pose, lighting and composition to become final.
Any comments and suggestions welcome!

#14

I was going to create realistic medieval tombstones when I realized that my approach was plain wrong. How would a b-movie get into a real cathedral? So I set up a new scene: a cheap studio stage made from wooden boards (that are going to be painted), fake tombstones, and undead emerging from beneath the stage. I´m not really sure about the church yet. For now I’ve put the scene in front of it, because I guess they could have filmed outside some closed church somewhere. Or maybe I’ll make it look like a cheap background fake. Or give up on it completely. What do you think?

#15

Worked on the robot, tweaked materials and lighting, added some reflections. Still not sure about the background and the composition, though. Comments welcome!

#16

I like your retro robot style!
On my suggestion for the building of the BG; I think on something deco…like the main building of metropolis.
Thank you so much for posting in my entry!

#17

I decided the image should look like a picture taken on the set of a b-movie being filmed in a studio. I worked on the lighting and added a background plane with a matte painting, which actually is 3D (created and rendered in Vue) but I wanted it to look flat, so the perspective is off on purpose. But it’s just a low res version for now. In front of this fake sky I added two flying saucers on strings (the strings look strange now, but I think this will improve with higher image resolution). I’m not sure, but I think this “graveyard in a creepy landscape” works better than the original “graves in a church” idea. It’s more “Plan 9 from outer space”. Now I have to work on the ground, the graves and the attack of the undead. I have to be very economical about that last one.
Comments welcome!

#18

Hello

I like your B movie looking robot, go ahead.

See you.

My B enrty: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=304&t=857743

#19

Just a quick update: This undead thing is going to lurk somewhere in the background, behind a tombstone maybe (and yes, it’s just an actor in a robe).

#20

I worked on the composition. I still feel it’s not dramatic enough. It’s difficult because the main character can’t strike a dynamic pose (its robo suit being too restrictive). Any suggestions are welcome.
I tried a black and white version and decided to post it as well. This could make the whole thing look like “Plan 9 From Outer Space”, at least once the graveyard is getting finished.