# Animated Cloaked Ghost WIP



## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I am finally working on a new prop, an animated version of the cloaked ghost, originally created by Pumpkinrot, with a nice version built by Grim a few years back.

My version will have 3 movements, and will try to capture the void like Grim's version while also being UV reactive. I finished the mechanics tonight and taped the armature in action.






Hopefully by making this a WIP I will get done sooner rather then later, and you will get some ideas of your own.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Johnny...you are simply amazing!!! I can't believe how you took an already great prop and gave it a new movement...it is super fantastic!!! Thank so much for sharing and you are beyond terrific...you are really one of a kind....


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## Xpendable (Sep 19, 2006)

Dude, you have some MAD mechanical skills. That is just simply awesome. I use the same vent motors and the best I've pulled off was moving a stupid rat back and forth and opening and closing a jaw on a skellie. The fact that you have 3 actions running off just 1 motor is just a large piece of awesome pie. Congrats! Can't wait to see this finished!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Thanks! I worked for years as a Brunswick bowling machine mechanic while in school.






If you can keep from getting eaten by the machine you can learn a lot


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## Sytnathotep (Oct 10, 2011)

heresjohnny said:


> Thanks! I fworked for years as a Brunswick bowling machine mechanic while in school.


Well then, that explains a lot. Better than my theory, that you are a descendant of da Vinci  That is really sick work man. But really, how much trial and error did that take? :googly:


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I started with sketches, then I laid everything out using cardboard strips and tacks. I probably got about half of it right the first time. The right arm was a challenge because it was not a 90 angle. I like wood when possible because it is easy to drill additional holes, or carve chunks off.

The key is to think about it, and build it one link at a time, and try to keep things so the movements are completely independent.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I was so happy when I saw the title of this thread after logging in. It just isn't Halloween without a Johnny ghost

I'm interested in seeing how well the vent motor holds up. It's running a lot more linkages and weight than I thought it could (having experience so far only with head poppers and a tombstone flapper).


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Good to see you Johnny!

Same as Roxy said, I am interested in seeing how long that motor lasts. I wouldn't think it could handle that much linkage. I love your craft!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

So impressive and well thought out. Those little vent motors are great and really hold up well. Can't wait to see this come to life.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

There is not much stress on the motor because most of the movement is horizontal. True, I will not for sure until I deck everything out, but I designed this to be more reliable then the leer and wallbreaker, and that includes less stress on the motor, and no lines going through eye hooks. Fingers crossed!


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

Ok, now I want a part time job at the bowling alley. Just so I can take a peak at that pinsetter machine and study it! You remind me of a Mechanical Engineering student that lived in my dorm at college. That guy was always coming up with the coolest contraptions.


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## Brad Green (Jul 29, 2004)

Yet another fantastic work coming to life! Hail to the King of animated ghosts!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I have the initial paper mache on the hands, and the support for the cloak in place. I attached the hands for a test run in the following video.






I have also recieved several questions about how I figure the linkages. After a fair amount of sketching and looking at linkages online, I mocked up the linkages using cardboard and tacks. As I built the ghost and things like the motor location needed to change, it was simple to adjust the mock up and keep it in synch with the actual ghost. The video below shows the mock-up. Note the arm holding the lantern needed a lot of modifications when I actually built it, but I at least got the initial linkage right.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Another amazing work of mechanical genius, Johnny.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Holy crap! Only you can get all those motions from one motor. Geeez-us that's cool!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Two hands added and it already looks ghostly - damn!


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Thanks for showing your conceptual process, Johnny! 
It makes sense to cut out cardboard to initially mold and test your creations. You make it look easy but there's a lot to think about. It's interesting how you figure that sh*t out. Inspiring at the very least!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Hey everyone, I have an updated video. Everything but the cheesecloth is done. The video shows the cardboard forms for supporting the cloth, and a the working ghost with the black cloth added.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Very impressive!!!


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

heresjohnny said:


> Hey everyone, I have an updated video. Everything but the cheesecloth is done. The video shows the cardboard forms for supporting the cloth, and a the working ghost with the black cloth added.


:jol:Johnny?? Not sure how your 'best friend' situation is working out...but if you are ever in the market....I would like to make the list.....ha ha... How do you just sit there and come up with this stuff???
Totally unbelievable!!!!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:Johnny?? Not sure how your 'best friend' situation is working out...but if you are ever in the market....I would like to make the list.....ha ha... How do you just sit there and come up with this stuff???
> Totally unbelievable!!!!


Thanks!

My wife would say it's because I am an absent minded goofball. :googly:


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Stellar job, HJ!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Well, I wanted to wait until I was done and make one more post, but it will probably be the weekend before I can finish it right, so I caved and threw some cheese cloth on it to see how it would look. I still need to cheese cloth the hands, fix the hood so the only black is where the head would be, add more cheese cloth, and shape everything so the ghost is more defined. But what the heck, I couldn't wait until the weekend to see it in the black light.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

He's looking amazing. This is one prop guaranteed to creep people out.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Beautifully smooth movement, gorgeous glowing ghost - I love this guy!

Now I need to take notes on your first videos on how this all goes together for future reference.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Thanks you two, I seem to recall you have a thing for glowing ghosts....


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

We're happy the way it turned out, too. Simply awesome dude! You're the king of "PRM", perceived random movement.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Lunatic said:


> We're happy the way it turned out, too. Simply awesome dude! Your the king of "PRM", perceived random movement.


Thanks! PRM, I like that.


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## Palmdale Haunter (Mar 3, 2012)

Wow! Way cool....


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## spinwitch (Jun 14, 2009)

I would never believe that you could have gotten more impressive than your wallbreaker--but you've topped yourself with this one.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Thank you. The wallbreaker is fun to build, but it needs a lot of TLC to keep it going. This design should be much more reliable.


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## SuperCreep31 (Nov 22, 2009)

wow! fantastic! great job! I love your ghosts! Are you planning a tutorial or a quick diagram or so for this Halloween...?


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## Sawtooth Jack (Apr 9, 2011)

Beautiful creation and sheer genius, don't know what else to say! :jol:


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Okay......((wham!!))........sorry......I am picking my jaw up off of the floor........he is just ridiculously bad ass!!!


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## Dr. Maniaco (Sep 7, 2012)

Love it! If you set the bar any higher, I'm gonna need a ladder!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Thank you everyone, your comments mean a lot to me. I am so glad you like my ghost!



SuperCreep31 said:


> wow! fantastic! great job! I love your ghosts! Are you planning a tutorial or a quick diagram or so for this Halloween...?


I barely have time to crank out a few props for Halloween, so I doubt there will be any instructions or tutorials before Halloween. I will post a many details as I can on my blog. After Halloween......


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

heresjohnny said:


> Thank you everyone, your comments mean a lot to me. I am so glad you like my ghost!
> 
> I barely have time to crank out a few props for Halloween, so I doubt there will be any instructions or tutorials before Halloween. I will post a many details as I can on my blog. After Halloween......


While tutorials are nice, and very appreciated, don't burn yourself out trying to crank them out. Make sure you keep enough enthusiasm going to keep cranking out those kickass animations! I get a lot of inspiration from your props, so it's more important to me that you keep building!


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## mrdonl (Sep 5, 2012)

Dr. Maniaco said:


> Love it! If you set the bar any higher, I'm gonna need a ladder!


Killer prop!!!! The only way to top this would be to use it in a Peppers Ghost with a "floating" candlabra. Love it, keep up the good work.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

WOW - fantastic result.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Thanks everyone!



Jaybo said:


> While tutorials are nice, and very appreciated, don't burn yourself out trying to crank them out. Make sure you keep enough enthusiasm going to keep cranking out those kickass animations! I get a lot of inspiration from your props, so it's more important to me that you keep building!


Wow, that means a lot, thanks. I will keep that in mind


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Hey everyone, here is an update showing the hands..




































I also found a way to have the void where the head is without the edges of the hood obscuring the body. This was done by trimming the hood..










The result can be seen in a quick video...






More details on my blog. Thanks for looking!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

The cheesecloth on the hands gives a really good ghostly look, especially under blacklight.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

One last post to show how I added the cheese cloth. Happy Haunting!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Ah, layering - very fashion savvy


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## [email protected] (Aug 25, 2012)

I love the look of this.


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## kauldron (Oct 17, 2011)

I love it. Thanks for putting this out there. I would love to incorporate one into my haunt for next year. Keep it up and thanks again for sharing.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

Thanks everyone, and your very welcome! 

I have a couple of new FCG rigs in the garage, and some ideas for some new tricks with an FCG I hope to be showing soon.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:So unbelievably awesome that my cat Jinx just accidentally stepped on the keyboard and still typed that.......so incredible....just.....ahhhhhhhhh....


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Loving it!


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## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

I am stunned. I said 2 years ago that to add anything else to my display, it had to be off the charts on stellar. This is way past that! 

I have doubts there is enough cardboard in the world for me to figure out lengths and all for all the pieces but I HAVE to make one of these. Johnny this literally blows me away. I think FCGs are cool but this just makes my jaw drop. I would have never come up with something like this. That movement is just incredible.

Still trying to figure out how I missed this. Wow, love love love this thing!

Wish I had those kind of mechanical skills!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

no worries, I will be pulling it out of storage and can provide all the dimensions. The hands actually take longer than anything else, if you use my technique the secret is to keep the knuckles small. about the size of marbles for the biggest knuckles. I will post more details as I get stuff out of storage.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I will try next weekend....


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## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

Thank you! If you get an opportunity that would be great.

After watching the bowling pin machine video, repeatedly, I was blown away by how mechanically gifted people can be. Wow! I am not one of those people ha ha!

Since it seems like I'd have better luck finding a unicorn than the motors everyone has used in the past, would this work? http://www.monsterguts.com/store/product.php?productid=17761

I'm also curious what you ended up doing about a lantern? You had indicated you were going to substitute out a lighter model.

Thanks as always!


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## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

Hi Heresjohnny, hope you see this, it is a really old but still fantastic thread. I'm pulling stuff together to start on this ghost, finally! I remember there being concerns about the motor and everything going on. Did you have any issues with it? I have a couple of the vent motors but if one is sufficient, I'll stay with your design exactly. My mechanical design skills are well... bad ha ha! Can't wait to get this thing built. I started building props the day after Halloween to clear the calendar for this prop and a candelabra for it to hold this year! Hope I have enough time to finish!


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