Galactus

Directed by Mikael Trench

The official music video created for Atlanta lo-fi R&B artist, hmptnBAE, this ambitious stop motion project was fueled by a diverse set of cinematic inspirations from “Interstellar” to “Alice in Wonderland”, all crafted with care to tell a chilling story of a trapped soul who must find the inner strength to conquer insurmountable odds.

The project was created within the span of a month and a half. Scroll below to see the making of the project from concept to completed music video.

 
 
MOODBOARD The story presented dealt with breaking out of toxic relationships, using films such as Interstellar, Alice in Wonderland, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as metaphors for that idea. We worked with the client to hone in these ideas
STYLE FRAME 1 The first style frame reflects upon the look and feel of the interior of the ship, defined by strong red lighting and dark, mysterious backgrounds, and warped details, influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey and Mary Blair's art direction o
STYLE FRAME 2 Showcasing the eventual escape of our protagonist, this style frame showcases the idea of the main character regaining his strength and youth once he's found the strength within to escape, while the she-beast withers away. This section
SHE-BEAST The She-Beast is the film's antagonist. Exiled from her planet for her sinful behavior, she intends to hold onto her youth, wanting to remain immortal in a sense. She scours the cosmos searching for individuals she can lure into her clutche
THE HERO (OLD VERSION) The elderly version of the story's hero that would be seen in the ship. In the story, he is a space cadet that was captured and kept hostage by the slithery she-beast, using his youth to power herself and her ship, but breaks o
SPACE CADET (YOUNG VERSION) The youthful version of the Space Cadet that appears outside the ship. Following an expedition into the depths of space, the space cadet is lured into the clutches of an alluring she-beast and is held hostage in her ship,
Storyboard Animatic Shot 1
Storyboard Animatic Shot 2
Storyboard Animatic Shot 3
Storyboard Animatic Shot 4
Storyboard Animatic Shot 5
Storyboard Animatic Shot 6
Storyboard Animatic Shot 7
SPACE CADET PUPPET (OLD MAN) For the film, we used clay to create the characters with wire armatures. The old version of our main character was made to seem small and frail as we could with a sunken expression.
SPACE CADET PUPPET (YOUNG VERSION) The young version of the space cadet was fun to bring to life with his vibrant colors and unique costuming. He provided some balancing issues, meaning he'd have to be supported with a rig for the entire shoot, which
SHE BEAST PUPPET The She Beast may have looked massive, but was a surprisingly easy puppet to maneuver given the lightweight aluminum foil that made up much of her mass. Given her green and blue coloration, however, every scene with her had to done i
ALL PUPPETS
SET CONSTRUCTION The initial set being constructed for the hallway the space cadet runs down after being awoken. Using cardboard and foam board pieces such as these allowed for an easy way to figure out scaling and rough camera placement early on.
LIGHTNG TEST PT. 1 Following the completion of the set, we shot a few test setups of certain scenes with different lighting set ups to show the client and fully understand what would work. We settled on a setup that allowed for more contrast and dar
LIGHTING TEST PT. 2 Following the completion of the set, we shot a few test setups of certain scenes with different lighting set ups to show the client and fully understand what would work. We settled on a setup that allowed for more contrast and dar
LIGHTING TEST PT. 3 Following the completion of the set, we shot a few test setups of certain scenes with different lighting set ups to show the client and fully understand what would work. We settled on a setup that allowed for more contrast and dar
ANIMATION BEHIND THE SCENES Once the puppets and sets were built and a final look was settled on for the lighting, we moved into animation. The full animation process took about two weeks to complete, with one week being dedicated to all the interior
ANIMATION BEHIND THE SCENES PT. 2 Once the puppets and sets were built and a final look was settled on for the lighting, we moved into animation. The full animation process took about two weeks to complete, with one week being dedicated to all the in
Final Shot 1
Final Shot 2
Final Shot 3
Final Shot 4
Final Shot 5
Final Shot 6
Final Shot 7