A place for those who "Trust the Fungus"

Actually, while I am suprised, I meant the post to be as a joke, where if you were joking, I would be the highly excited guy, who burst out in excitiment.

bump for some new super mario goodness...











piranha plant

just one of many new smb props for my smb fan film...

more to come...

FEED meh, Sey-maow-uh!

I started another flower today...





On mother's day no less...

Finished the new flower...

Those look very nice.

Have you seen this piranha plant? It's a great interpretation - wish we had these in the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMp4JKcz5kE

Pretty cool, Howl, but I wish the head was bigger.

marioblaster, (can't believe I didn't say this before, but) that's really great work you've done on the Piranha Plant and Fire Flower. I'd love to see some mobility in those: functional or basic animatronics by having an opening-and-closing of the mouth and rotating of the head functions for the Piranha Plant and rotation (and blinking) for the Fire Flower. I think something very basic like that could work out, though it'd require cannibalizing the right toys and some time building a structure around it. Puppeteering would also be a good route to go, if you can figure a way to manipulate both through strings/sticks.

The fire flower actually started out as a standalone flower. Sans flower box. But I couldn't find anything that was strong enough to hold the flower up by itself, a stand which wouldn't tip over. In the end I went ahead and made the flower permanently attached to the ? box where as before it could be moved around.

I am actually working on one last SMB item. The fungus.

I'm trying to come up with a nice cheap substitute to get the SMB movie fungus look.

As for my SMB fan movie project.

I have all the props, all the costumes, I have the set, I have the truck, I have the script...

All I need is some sheets of fungus and then I can start casting for my SMB movie short. Hopefully by mid september I can start posting some real updates...

marioblaster wrote:I am actually working on one last SMB item. The fungus.
I'm trying to come up with a nice cheap substitute to get the SMB movie fungus look.

Call me when you get ahold of something. I'm looking for some Red Weed for a War of the Worlds diorama I've got planned.

I've talked to Mark about my Fungus questions but it will more then likely be this weekend before I can post the results of my tests. I'm trying to get the brownish, bubblegum, sheet like stickiness, of the movie fungus. I'm sure if you cut the SMB movie fungus into strips and rolled them, you would get a real nice War of the Worlds look. Which, to me aleast, looks to be a thinner version of movie fungus.

I hope you can get all this work together. You've really done some outstanding work here, and with the right people I'm sure you can put-together an enjoyable short. That short could be a test-run for all your props and how they can work in an actual film, and from there who knows how you could apply your work?

Small update. Fungus test didn't work. The plasic I used was too thin and burned/melted away before I could shape it into anything. I don't think I'm going to get anything to look like I want it too. I have one more opition to get the SMB movie fungus look, and that is with "miniatures".

Since I am having trouble making full-size sheet fungus for my set, I'm thinking if I just made "miniatures" of the SMB fungus it would be awhole lot more managable if I was working with 1-2ft tall fungus then 7-10ft tall/wide fungus. So I'm going to try molding some fungus half scale and using movie magic to blow it up full size. Hopefully this new approach will work. If it doesn't work then I'm going to have to look into CGI stuff and I don't want to do that. I want to do everything with "real" props and "practical" effects. The less CGI I have to use the better.

And here is a quick update...

If you are wondering what my SMB short film will cover...check out this new prop...



...gives you a small taste of what I have planned for the actual film...hehehee...



Enjoy!

marioblaster wrote:Small update. Fungus test didn't work. The plasic I used was too thin and burned/melted away before I could shape it into anything. I don't think I'm going to get anything to look like I want it too. I have one more opition to get the SMB movie fungus look, and that is with "miniatures".

Since I am having trouble making full-size sheet fungus for my set, I'm thinking if I just made "miniatures" of the SMB fungus it would be awhole lot more managable if I was working with 1-2ft tall fungus then 7-10ft tall/wide fungus. So I'm going to try molding some fungus half scale and using movie magic to blow it up full size. Hopefully this new approach will work. If it doesn't work then I'm going to have to look into CGI stuff and I don't want to do that. I want to do everything with "real" props and "practical" effects. The less CGI I have to use the better.

Hopefully that works, but you can at least make some mushrooms. The fungus is certainly iconic of the movie, but the little mushrooms are perhaps more enjoyed by those that appreciate the movie.

I'm glad you want to use real props and practical effects. It's good work from a more hands-on time in filmmaking. Not only that, but I don't feel CGI is at a point where it can compete with practical effects. They just look more real.

marioblaster wrote:If you are wondering what my SMB short film will cover...check out this new prop...

I've no idea what that is! But it is slightly reminiscent of the mechanical Koopas in Sunshine.

Redstar wrote:I've no idea what that is! But it is slightly reminiscent of the mechanical Koopas in Sunshine.

Ah, the Moto Bug! (I think it's called "Kubota" or something in the Japanese version; all I know is the English manual's names for the Badniks. Yeah, yeah, they're not supposed to be referred to as Badniks, but I like the name.)

Trust the Fungus...

That actually turned out pretty well. You just need to paint/digitial colorize it very carefully and very specifically to pull it off completely. That's the deciding factor.

The base and gaps will be painted black in photoshop/after effects. The fungus will then be masked and overlayed over the footage. Just match up the lighting and shadows in the original pictures and you're good to go.

Just about ready to start filming.

Let me guess...The fungus is made of aerosol insulation stuff. It looks like it's got chicken-wire underneath to give it support.

Great job on that. I've always thought that stuff looked like the SMB fungus...

Does it hold paint well? I may have to use that stuff if and when I go to make a batch of Red Weed. Tutorials, please!

Casting has begun...

I've got spots running in two papers and a possible radio spot on the way.

Here are the guys you all know...





I wanted an older Luigi, as this film takes places many years after the 1993 movie.

Hopefully in the next few days I can start filming...can't start filming without actors.

Luigi = Salvador Dali?

I guess it works.

Really great casting. Looking forward to seeing who you can slot into those roles... Any chance on getting a peek of the story or is that going to be a surprise?

Is this a sequel of the movie or does it take place in the same continuity? At this point I think it'd be better to create a new thread for it where appropriate, either still under Fanstuff or under General if it's unrelated to the movie.

In regards to the movie itself, it's not all SMB, "all the time". Out of the 70+ minutes, maybe 10+ of those are SMB related. I'm telling an original story, but the SMB parts play a big role too. The plot is going to be kept secret for now...but it DOES take place in the same timeline, only advanced a few years. So all of the events in the movie did happen.

I'll start a new topic on it if I get the casting down. As there really wouldn't be anything new to add if I cannot get ahold of the actors. I'm at a point where I cannot do any more to prepare for this movie. I have everything. The truck, the fungus, the props, costumes, location, story, etc. etc.

I want to start a new thread complete with actor updates and stills from filming, but only time will tell if that is to happen.

I gotta trust the fungus...gotta believe...

You should add suspenders to the required wardrobe to 'complete the look.'

That gives me an awesome idea...have the game suspenders/overalls for the civilian "look" and whenever they go to a job they dress down and get the SMB movie "look".

Haha.

Totally going to have to work that in now...it would be sorta ironic...in a way.

Just checked out the costumes, and wow... those look awesome.

I'd love to have a Mario one for conventions, but I lack the kind of resources/workspace to make it.

...I don't suppose you do commissions...?

This is all looking amazing. Keep up the good work, and remember, make something original every now and then! Not everything you do has to be based on Mario, don't get me wrong I think your Mario stuff is phenomenal, but always try to do original stuff, too! You could post your original stuff under "General Talk," if you like!

Marioblaster, I'm curious, what materials did you use to make the Plant, Moto-Bug and the [:?:] Block? As a fellow prop maker myself perhaps you can share your tips for the trade.

Oh I have a bunch of original props to show, if I can rummage up some photos. Most of my original props have been used in indie films. One prop I made for a movie called, SPADES, it's premiering in Chicago...tomorrow, haha. It stars an actor from the seinfeld tv show.

As for my plant and ? Box and motobug. They were made from duck tape, glue, metal wire, styrofoam, paint, and paper mâché.

I don't have any other remaining props from my Mario movie. The only ones I have left are the plant and box.

I know you are working on a film, if you want to use these in your movie, shoot me a pm and we can work something out.

marioblaster wrote:I know you are working on a film, if you want to use these in your movie, shoot me a pm and we can work something out.

That would be an honor but like you I'm going to do everything from scratch, I'm a bit of an amateur prop master/filmmaker myself. I love doing my own thing and spending a little bit of money here and there. I hope my fan-film will be as good as yours. Thank you though.

It all looks so authentic like it actually came from a parallel dimension! Haha! Great job, and your hard work with your busy schedule is very commendable! Awesome work everybody who went into creating this film. I can't wait for the final product!