Screen Accurate Hocus Pocus Book Sculpt (V1 Completed)

[ReplicaZero]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here but I have been visiting these forums for a long time.
I have been working on this book for the last year or so and have meticulously gathered photos, references, what feels like hundreds of freeze frames, interviews from behind the scenes and photos from anyone who has interacted with one of the three actual books used in the production. This started as a passion project for me and I knew I would always want to share the journey and some of the knowledge I have discovered along the way (did you know one of the books on screen has a mistake on it that they left in the film?) I had gathered some great reference photos from the RPF but have added so much more in case anyone would like to reference them, I would gladly provide all my references. But if you look, stitch for stitch, scratch for scratch, it is all in there!

I am now in the next stages of bringing the digital sculpt to life and intend to have various sizes and copies (a few which have begun to be documented down below). The copies below are a moleskin journal size and a “field notes” book size printed in PLA on an Ender 5. I am working with another printer to help me produce a larger resin print than I currently can, as my resin printer bed is much smaller. At this stage I have decided to trim the front/back/spine of the book into flat planes for printing. This will allow me to make molds for casting and replicating these quickly. I intend to make poured resin copies as well as flexible latex or rubber copies as well. To have a prop that opens, I will likely have to custom craft the book/pages binding as it has been a challenge finding books that accommodate a screen accurate spine width proportionally to the front/back.. But I will be working first on a screen accurate (non opening) version first, the functioning opening prop will come shortly after.

Lastly, after lots of math, I have been able to get the book's actual dimensions down to what is likely within a few mm of accuracy. This has enabled me to begin printing (in quadrants) a life size version of Book. Which I will use to make an even larger life size accurate mold, because- how am I going to come this far without adding an actual life size screen accurate replica to my collection. Journals are fun, but this is the coup de gras. I will continue to update this thread with my progress, but wanted to at least get it on everyone's radar and begin a dialogue and document my journey.

 

[Rusty85]

This looks incredible! Are you going to be recreating the interior pages with the spells as well?

 

[ReplicaZero]

This looks incredible! Are you going to be recreating the interior pages with the spells as well?

I would like to! I plan to keep doing many versions of this to see which iteration works the best. After I finish up a life-size replica molds, I will see what it would take to get the pages we do know about into a flexible version of Book. I think I could see a version that includes those pages in the smaller copies as well. It would depend on what version of Book is the most popular I suppose.

 

[N2darkness]

Your 3D model looks amazing. I hope your able to get a high quality resin print of the full size book as cleaning up a FDM print with this much texture would be incredibly tedious and potential for losing some of the incredible detail you put in.

 

[ReplicaZero]

Your 3D model looks amazing. I hope your able to get a high quality resin print of the full size book as cleaning up a FDM print with this much texture would be incredibly tedious and potential for losing some of the incredible detail you put in.

Thanks so much! My feeling is mutual, I have seen a couple (failed) test prints of this in resin. Albeit not "life size" but the detail comes through incredibly! I should have some photos soon. Additionally, I just got the first life size half printed in FDM and I don't know if its because of the scale or what, but I captured some wonderful detail there too. This life-size print is going to be used to create molds for rubber/latex pulls (so I can sew the stitches)

 

[AJLoCascio]

WOWOWOW - I was thinking of tackling this recently! I have held/inspected a production-made, but not screen-used version and was looking at one of the copies on display at the Disney archive last week. I'm 90% sure it was cast in parts as a very basic 1-part mold in silicone + some of the details like the clasp and snakes cast separately - you can see them coming off in the Archives one.

AMAZING work!!!!!!!!! I love this!!!

Not to hijack, but here are the pics I took if it's of any use!

 

[ReplicaZero]

WOWOWOW - I was thinking of tackling this recently! I have held/inspected a production-made, but not screen-used version and was looking at one of the copies on display at the Disney archive last week. I'm 90% sure it was cast in parts as a very basic 1-part mold in silicone + some of the details like the clasp and snakes cast separately - you can see them coming off in the Archives one.

AMAZING work!!!!!!!!! I love this!!!

Not to hijack, but here are the pics I took if it's of any use!


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Thank you so much! These are fantastic reference I will for sure be adding these to my collection!

The extra pieces I plan to cast as separate parts. For the life size copy I am even working on possibly doing a lost wax casting to get them in some sort of metal or pewter. I have everything "attached" for the smaller quick prints that would be great for journal attachments etc. But luckly every piece comes apart.
I appreciate your kind words, I know once I can get these molded and pulled a lot of the details will sing through-I feel like a lot of the pictures I have posted are not doing it justice. They look stellar in person.

 

[AJLoCascio]

Thank you so much! These are fantastic reference I will for sure be adding these to my collection!

The extra pieces I plan to cast as separate parts. For the life size copy I am even working on possibly doing a lost wax casting to get them in some sort of metal or pewter. I have everything "attached" for the smaller quick prints that would be great for journal attachments etc. But luckly every piece comes apart.
I appreciate your kind words, I know once I can get these molded and pulled a lot of the details will sing through-I feel like a lot of the pictures I have posted are not doing it justice. They look stellar in person.

Well it looks brilliant! And happy to help!

Excited to see your progress and totally get doing it as one piece for certain prints. It's just practical.

Side bar - but one thing that always gets me is how "hand made" the book actually looks. Especially the clasp. It's an incredibly rough sculpt up close. That makes it interesting to replicate!

 

[ReplicaZero]

Updating this thread with some recent work and WIP:

I have gotten a journal size copy of Book molded, its great to move forward with as a V1, though I think in future makes, I will push to remove additional stepping from a PLA print. In truth I let it go a bit intentionally as I wanted to see how it looked after any kind of cast/paint process. To be honest, you don't notice much of the printer stepping beyond 12 inches away from the model, just when you're nearly nose to nose with it.
The end game goal will also be to get (as large) a resin 3D print as I can get (for all that juicy detail), but every attempt has failed so far. Apparently fluid dynamics does not like to print large flat surfaces, as nearly all of them have come back warped.

I also have completed a large, life size print as well, which I will clean up as a master for a life size casting. I intend to actually sew in the thread so I removed all the bits and bobs from the print. The goal there is to have a thin silicone cover, as I think it will last longer than latex for the life of the prop.

I have included some photos of the molding, the first cast and my WIP paint job for the first pull.

 

[ReplicaZero]

So while my paint is drying, I figured I would info dump a few more things I learned along the way for any future makers who find this thread.
I have discovered the film has made at the very least three different versions of "Book" during filming. When sculpting I was able to eventually tell them apart. I have no doubt there were likely more made, but on film, I can spot at least three.

Version one, a non stunt, non opening copy, that was used in one scene-where Book levitates to Winifred at the start of the film.

This one is the most prominent to me because it actually is the only book with a mistake on it! As I was pulling reference, I noticed the snake on the back is incorrectly placed upside down and we get the infamous claw that has a Phillips screw through the claw. This is the only time we see book this way. Oddly, this also seems to be the book they (unfortunately) scanned to use use as the Blue-ray cover, where we can see the only book with mistakes forever immortalized. However, its one of the clearest explainers of the stitching on the back. I also believe this claw is a bit flattened out compared to the rest. I believe, it was never meant to ever been seen this close up.

A moment later in the scene, when book is opened we can see the vertical snakes are back in their correct position. I believe they are now holding Version three, more on that below.

Which leads me to:


Version two: an animatronic book, that was also non opening(*I think?, since it was full of servos) Or at least limited opening. This one is tricky, but often the most extreme close up/hero shots:

I could often tell this book from the rest by the two little holes near the top right snake. I kind of always imagine them as his teeny fang marks.

Side note, this close up, I think, is the single most useful image we have, period. It gives so much texture information about what Book was made from, we have a great, nearly straight on to camera of the eye detail and all the color iterations of the Book surface. I also used this image to help do the math on how large book is, since Bette can fit four fingers between the clasp and the bottom snake. Consider that for a moment, its huge!

Lastly, I think we have Version three: a functioning book, anytime in the film we see book opened-this is the copy being used. I believe this coincides with the versions we often see in an image from Disney archive:

I think the animatronic is left (little holes) and functioning book/possible stunt book (?) on the right. The book without holes, from what I can tell, doesn't animate. We see it a few times:

I am going to say there is likely a fourth, gutted book, to keep it lightweight. I think this is the version that Omri is running around with most of the time. I am unsure if it opens or not and we often don't see it close up.

I will likely reference dump all my screen caps I have collected to some media here for the RPF. Lastly, I also found a great site that breaks the film up into 4K images every few seconds here, it has been a huge great resource to start with.

Okay, back to it! BooooOOooooOOk!

 

[AJLoCascio]

Wow wow wow! This is fantastic!!! Great reference and research!!!

I did get to hold one of the Crew gift books and the thing is INDEED HUGE!

Also I've had MUCH better results with fine FDM 3D prints when I print them completely vertically. The Detail is FAR better!

 

[ReplicaZero]

Hey everyone,

Here is an update on Book! I have snapped some final photos of what I am calling version one. I have gotten my pieces attached and painted and this is the final result! This version is a display only and future versions will likely fully function.

I intend to keep evolving book and my next steps are a display only life size resin print, as well as a full functioning life size premium version. But this is at least where I am currently in the process. I will start a separate thread to gauge interest doing some runs as well, but I will keep updating this thread as I move on to each edition. Let me know what you all think, thoughts, feedback comments

 

[mrwax]

Superb! This is your journal size version?

 

[ReplicaZero]

Superb! This is your journal size version?

Yes! So this is an 8x6x3 roughly, the front and back fit standard moleskin journals

 

[filfoster]

I would love to have a life size premium version, or even one with a non functioning eye. Have you started a thread for a run yet? Please let me know. I'm a serious 'investor'.

 

[ReplicaZero]

I would love to have a life size premium version, or even one with a non functioning eye. Have you started a thread for a run yet? Please let me know. I'm a serious 'investor'.

Excited to hear there is interest! I have held off on creating a run thread yet because I am in the process of upgrading my molds to an even higher quality cast. This will provide even more detail, but I have put these runs up on my Etsy for now, but even those will eventually be replaced by these newer molds. I will ping here when I get a thread up and running. As it stands, I believe I can confirm I will create a 5.5x3.5 (field notes/pocket Moleksin) sized prop/covers, a 8.25x5 Moleskin large journal prop/covers and then a life sized 14 inch prop as well. All of them will be non opening/non functioning (for now). Once I have these molds tied down, I am moving on to the hand sewn, functioning 'Premium' version. There are still some logistics to work out for it to make sure it keeps its quality after repeated high use, but I intend to make sure its a high quality texture on the surface, hand stitched, quality eye and open to include pages from the film.

 

[filfoster]

Excited to hear there is interest! I have held off on creating a run thread yet because I am in the process of upgrading my molds to an even higher quality cast. This will provide even more detail, but I have put these runs up on my Etsy for now, but even those will eventually be replaced by these newer molds. I will ping here when I get a thread up and running. As it stands, I believe I can confirm I will create a 5.5x3.5 (field notes/pocket Moleksin) sized prop/covers, a 8.25x5 Moleskin large journal prop/covers and then a life sized 14 inch prop as well. All of them will be non opening/non functioning (for now). Once I have these molds tied down, I am moving on to the hand sewn, functioning 'Premium' version. There are still some logistics to work out for it to make sure it keeps its quality after repeated high use, but I intend to make sure its a high quality texture on the surface, hand stitched, quality eye and open to include pages from the film.

This is exciting. I have a decent replica, with movie pages but yours would be a serious upgrade, and worth it. Please let me know when there's a run page for the full size 14" version, with pages. I'd consider the animatronics too, depending on price.

 

[filfoster]

What is your Etsy seller store? Can you post a link? Is it "EtCeterabyAV"?

 

[ReplicaZero]

What is your Etsy seller store? Can you post a link? Is it "EtCeterabyAV"?

No that is not my store, I will send you a direct message so as to not appear to be advertising outside the junkyard or project runs.

 

[AJLoCascio]

So I went digging through my old photos and found pics of me holding one of the crew gift Hocus Pocus books!

This is a solid reference for scale. I wish I had taken more pics!