Claws aka The Crab Dance (excerpt)

Animation and rigs in After Effects. The models were sculpted out of polymer by Meredith Dittmar.

I broke the models apart and photographed each piece in various poses and lighting conditions, then set up rigs in After Effects which allowed me to set keyframes to switch between the various pieces (e.g. mouth shapes) by changing values in a slider.

The final piece was featured in the Oregon Coast Aquarium above a dance floor, with a shiny red button on the wall to activate the video. I personally witnessed hypnotized throngs of 5-year olds fighting for control of the button – my proudest moment.

c 2010 Fake