(This post references iSundae II: Attack of the Cones, part 6. You may want to view the movie before reading this post.)
Given my disapproval of the all-too-common practice of putting enchantresses in childrens’ movies, I wanted a more or less logical and non-magical way for Gwenanda to do the things she does. A key element of this was the Rain Maker 2007. (Yes, the movie wasn’t released until 2008. What can I say? Even Gwenanda could use a software update.)
To create the Rain Maker I started with a series of sketches. We wanted something that looked complicated, but also allowed for travel to and from the filming sites.
(The most hair-raising of which was stuffing the Rain Maker in the trunk of a van, driving to the park, and then hauling it out into the middle of a field.) The base is just two wrapping paper tubes and some large cardboard boxes. Once that was in place I stuck on whatever odds and ends we had laying around. Pieces of old pens, telephone wire, beads, a keypad from a really early movie, Dixie-cup dials, paper towel tubes, and an old circuit board. I think there was even part of an old bell and one of those plastic rods you use to turn the window blinds.
Then, of course, we had to put the gag items on it. One of which is a keypad with Roman Numerals instead of numbers. Another is a dial that ranges from “Light Mist” to “Typhoon”.
Our special effects department then added a little (logically explained and non-magical) movie magic to bring the machine to life. Hey Presto! Fonsugar’s Bane.
Impressive. What did you do with it after filming?
Believe it or not, it sat in our craftroom for almost a year, then we decided to “recycle” it. It is now in pieces waiting to be featured in another movie. (Every prop’s dream.)
[Smiles] I used to film using LEGO bricks and stop-motion animation. Using that medium, every prop is recyclable because it is a mixture of bricks.
It’s amazing the amount of awesomeness you can squeeze out of some cardboard when you mix it with a pinch of creativity. 🙂