• Joined: January 19, 2013

Topic: Support rigs for "flying"

Hello all, I've been wondering what the best way to make a character fly -- and I'm talking about doing flips midair, spirals, picking things up and slicing through the air, etc...I'd like it to be very action packed and energetic, and I'm having a hard time coming up with a rig that can be that flexible to allow that kind of movement. Green screen as masking is an obvious answer, but does anyone have any ideas as far as the support/flying rigs go? I tried stacking normal LEGO bricks but it doesnt allow for the flexible movement of characters in midair. I'd like to build something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTpkfZuOFLM but I dont have those special types of pieces, and don't want to go out of my way to get them. I'm thinking of using special wires, and tried paper clips, but they are too stiff to allow smooth movement. Any ideas for other types of wiring/armatures/rigs?

epikfilmz11's Website

  • Joined: October 29, 2012

Re: Support rigs for "flying"

Have you thought about using one of these:
Helping hands
This one's less than $6...

  • Location: Australia
  • Joined: May 14, 2014

Re: Support rigs for "flying"

I use tack on the end of a chop stick held by yours truely.  I know that's not what you're looking for - but - it works.  mini/bigsmile

Aka Fox
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  • Joined: February 4, 2013

Re: Support rigs for "flying"

Do you have any bionicle joints? Im thinking those should work.

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osomstudios's Website

  • Location: Gravity Falls, OR
  • Joined: February 4, 2009

Re: Support rigs for "flying"

You can just use regulare hinges, I realize this is not quite a fancy but you could make the animation a lot more complex even with a simple rig like this. Keep in mind you can change the rig out mid shot, it does not have to be the same rig for all parts of the shot.

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SlothPaladin's Website

  • Location: United States
  • Joined: June 21, 2011

Re: Support rigs for "flying"

Those 'helping hands' look pretty sweet, so that's an option.
Rigs are nice, and very helpful, but it's sometimes better to just free-hand it.
Remember, Fancypants did all his crazy moves with a ton of 2x4 bricks.

I've tried several methods over the years, and the most recent is the old, bigger, Lego ball joints, with one of these on the end, and a jousting stick through that. I then clip the minifigure's hand on that, or put clay on the end on the stick and stick the minifigure to that.

Well, that, or the super-simple clay on the end of one of these method.

Sticky enough clay/blu-tac really helps, so no matter what, you'll want to invest in some of that.

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Pritchard Studios's Website