Torna

Torna was a small special effects shot created for my Art of Robotic Special Effects class. It was one of a series of rapid-fire shots we had to make, taking only a week to design, build, and shoot. This project taught me the basics of mechanism design for special effects, Dragonframe stop-motion software, and cinematic storytelling.

Torna depicts a tornado bearing down upon a small home. There are several fast cuts, with lightning illuminating the tornado and the home. These quick cuts are meant to create tension in the viewer. As the tornado grows closer, you see its shadow envelop the home. The house is eventually destroyed by the immense power of the tornado.

The tornado was a wireframe sculpture mounted on a turntable, that was in turn mounted to a belt-driven rail. The house in the shot was attached to a small winch that made the home lean over as if being pulled by the tornado. The ending of the shot is entirely hand-animated, with one person lifting the home and the other tearing pieces off of it.