Underwater Zombie
For test footage for a pitch, I created this underwater zombie puppet. It’s neutrally buoyant and has mechanical jaw and eye movements. The arms, head and feet are rod-operated.
The zombie attacks a scuba diver.
We learned this is the widest shot that would work without huge digital cleanup of the puppeteers.
The puppet chills underwater at night. Scary!
Directing underwater puppeteers.
We attached the zombie fingers to the victim's gear so she was puppeteering him by reacting.
The zombie puppet ready to get arms.
Backing up, here is the original sculpture.
The sculpture is walled up for molding.
One of the arms walled up for molding.
Finished arm molds
Using the molds to guide armature construction. These will ultimately be cast into the silicone arms.
Hand armature. Posable fingers, clevis joint for wrist.
Painting the silicone arms.
Attaching vacuform fingernails to the arms.
The front half of the head mold
The core lays in the mold. After laying the stretch fabric over the core the silicone is injected through the core.
Building a jaw mechanism. It hangs on an axle from the skull.
The mechanical underskull is molded from the core so it fits inside the skin. I used a section of bone above the teeth where I know it will be seen.
Silicone caulking tinted green for alge, stippled on.
Another zombie for the same pitch. The original sculpture...
Walled up for molding. (The red is some more clay. I ran out of green)
The epoxy surface coat for the mold.
The finished head. He will appear healthy from one side and turn towards camera.
The rotted side was sculpted, however more texture is always fabricated by hand after.
This will be filmed through fog, and somewhat washed out and grainy image, so the colors are punched up slightly.
Another sculpture. Experimenting with various character ideas.