Tess Smigel

Stop Motion Fabricator: Specializing in Scaled Set and Prop Design


God Dam!

God Dam!, a senior film project, that is a mockumentary set in a post office manned by two beavers, Clint and Humphrey.  Written and directed by Abigail Hill. I worked as extra help in fabrication.

Wall Construction and Door Frame


I fabricated and attached a plastic door frame for a primary wall and assembled the wall from a plan made by Equinox Beard. 

The door frame was first sculpted in chavant clay to resemble various logs, then was made into a silicone mold, cast in plastic, and glued to the masonite wall.

Humphery  Teeth and Nose Keys


I fabricated keys for the facial features of the puppet to key into the head. Using polyurethane foam, I carved trapezoidal prisms small enough to hide behind facial features, then attached them to a plastic cast of the nose and a proproxy sculpt of the teeth and created two-part molds for each. From there, I cast plastic features and used them to make the key in the plastic head, then remolded the head with the new keys. 

Humphery Head Rig


I fabricated a rig for the head of the puppet to move up and down for better movement and expression. It is polycarbonate cut to fit in a key in the plastic head with a brass tube to tension to the neck wire with a set screw to hold it in place.