VN Ren'Py Cocky Me (handmade claymation-style) [Sighbug] [Development Thread]

[Sighbug]

Update:

"COCKY ME EP1 Part B" is now available freely

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Hope you all enjoy the fruits of my labor.

If you like my work, please consider subscribing to support me.


Changelog of EP1 Part B

• Around 30 minutes of content
• Newly design armature for Erica and Leah with new appearances
• Over 3XX photos
• 3 lewd scenes for Erica
• 1 lewd scene for Leah
• Total of 4 sets of stop-motion animations
• Completion of episode 1
• Revise some long sentences in Part A

 

[Sighbug]

Update:

Discord Link/Need to talk situation and Schedule Till year's end

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First of all.

Here is the Discord link for free member and everyone want to join.

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TLDR

-All updates spilt two parts.
-Need time to practice, production pace slow down.
-EP2 Part A would release end of 2024.
-Cocky Me finished end of 2025, next project?
-No subscribers, no fun.



Okay, let’s talk about the current situation.

Due to the slow growth of subscribers, even though I said I don’t mind, it’s still a bit frustrating.
But don’t worry, even if I only have one subscriber left, I will still complete this project.

However, I need to change my strategy.

I’ve decided to split all future updates like EP1 into at least two parts and won’t rush them anymore. I need time for experiments and practice. The main issue with gaining patrons is the visual weakness of the clay puppets, and I need to find a solution.

In summary, the production pace of "Cocky Me" will be slower than EP1. But don’t worry, I will still stay active. Even with this declaration, I still plan to release EP2 Part A by the end of this year

For those who don’t know, the "Cocky Me" has five episodes in total . I originally planned to complete it before next autumn, but I was too optimistic and underestimated the complexity of the production process. Plus, I need to set aside time for experimentation and some IRL stuff, so "Cocky Me" will likely not be finished until the end of next year at the earliest.

As for whether I will continue making visual novel after completing "Cocky Me," to be honest, I’m not sure. I have some story ideas much better than Cocky me. By then, I'll share some concepts for new projects, and whether I produce them will depend on the situation.

Finally, regarding the upcoming work schedule.

Now that EP1 Part B has been released, it’s time to continue production, even though I said I would slow down the pace. I'll focus on finishing the screenplay ofEP2 Part A , aiming to complete it within a month, including translation (since English isn't my first language). After that, I’ll start making the puppets. With two new characters, Martin and Sharon, plus possible new versions of Erica and Leah, I’ll need to create a total of six puppets.


That's it.

 

[Sighbug]

Update:

(Free subscribers only) EP2 Script progress, proofreader joined , and the hands.

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Although this post should be considered a behind-the-scenes one, since I don’t have that level of subs (obviously...), I might as well let everyone see it.

First, an update on production progress: the script work of EP2 part A is going smoothly, and I should finish it by next week. I also want to thank the current supporters and community for their help. Cocky Me now has kind people assisting with proofreading and text adjustments (I can’t emphasize enough that English isn’t my first language). Hopefully, this means the text will come across more naturally in the future and avoid those moments where it feels a bit "off."

Now, let’s talk about the hands....

Any Claymation creator would agree that the hands and fingers of puppets are among the most challenging parts to make. Since I’ve slowed down the production pace, I can finally tackle this issue and look for solutions for making the hands, researching and experimenting during breaks from script writing.

In professional or semi-professional settings, puppet hands are primarily made with latex using a casting method, because the fingers themselves can’t be too thick, and the internal armature can’t be too rigid. If clay is used to make the hands and fingers, many operational issues arise; even with a small amount of clay for the fingers, the inner armature tends to pierce through the soft clay and become exposed during manipulation.

Most clay hand-and-finger techniques either simplify the finger design (as used currently in Cocky Me) or simplify the finger movements. Usually, these two approaches are combined.

As shown in the picture, these are the various attempts I made during production. Most of them ended up as failures, but you’ll notice some familiar designs (used in Cocky Me), which were ultimately simplified due to time constraints. This was the compromise I had to make.

They look like hands, but they’re not really hands...

Now, it finally looks like a hand.

Well, this is the result. It’s not perfect, but it summarizes all my conclusions so far. I’ll try to apply this in the next update.

(This reminds me of last year when AI art's hands didn't look like hands, but now AI has already perfectly overcome that issue, while I'm only just slowly finding solutions. Sigh...)

 

[Sighbug]

Update:




Apparently, I haven't updated this thread quite some time.

Because careful some consideration, I’ve reached a comprehensive conclusion about Cocky Me. To be precise, a claymation work containing adult and lewd content is essentially a dead end. But don’t worry; as I mentioned before, Cocky Me will still be completed in the end. It’s just that the updates may be slower, and I might switch to a seasonal update schedule, meaning once every four month at least.

And I am working on expanding the application of the claymation art style.

~Finally, my first attempt at a stop-motion horror short is now available on YouTube.~​

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There will be more to come. ​

This is the culmination of a year’s work since I began my claymation journey this year. I’m very proud of it and hope you’ll enjoy it. If you’re interested, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Next, I’ll immediately begin work on Cocky Me EP2-Part A, including puppet making, prop creation, and subsequent shooting and coding. I estimate a release between February and March.

During that time, I plan to produce one or two more shorts. The themes and concepts for both are already decided, and the script for one—a satirical comedy—is complete. The other will return to the horror genre.

This is likely the foreseeable direction for my future development. I can’t wait to roll out new content next year. After spending most of this year experimenting and learning, 2024 will mark the beginning of a phase where Sighbug focuses on continuous experimentation and consistent content creation in 2025.

 

[Sighbug]

Update:

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It feels like it's been a century since I last updated here...


Thanks so much for your patience, everyone. Time for a quick end-of-the-month update:

The four armatures are pretty much done — you can see them in the picture. It took a bit longer this time.Even though it might not look very different from the outside, the joints design in the arms, legs, and neck are way more stable compared to the previous versions.These improvements are based on everything I learned from making the three YouTube shorts.

I still need to finish the hand parts — and as some of you already know, there are significant improvements in the new version.I’m also working on the realistic eyeballs.Plus, there are a few small pieces of furniture that still need to be built.I'm hoping to wrap up all the prep work within the next 2–3 weeks so we can move on to shooting!

As for the release timeline:Considering the time needed for coding as well, I’m aiming to finish everything and release it to premium members by early June.The public release will follow by the end of the month.

Now, technically the polls should be a paid subs only event, but since my audience is still quite small, I’ve decided to open it up to all my subs.

Our new character, Sharon, is set to be a close friend of Erica —and of course, like all characters, she’s 18 or older.

While Erica has a slimmer, more delicate build, Sharon is designed to have a fuller, curvier figure. Right now, I have two visual concepts for Sharon, and I’d love for you all to vote and help me decide.

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Subscribe as a free member and join the poll!​

 

[Sighbug]

Update:

Puppet's lip issue is resolved... for now. Moving into the shooting phase soon.

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Actually, all the puppets were more or less ready by last week. But for the past few days, I’ve been trying to solve the mouth issue. Just like the finger problem, the mouth has been bothering me since the very beginning.
I’ve tried all sorts of materials in the past — different types of air-dry and oil-based clays. But no matter what I used, the mouth parts are just so tiny — only about 10mm wide — and clay is really hard to control at that size. I could never get it right. Of course, part of it is my own limitations in sculpting. That’s why I’ve always simplified the mouth movements just to get around this problem.

Recently, I tried tackling it again. I experimented with new materials, but still, the results weren’t great — either the outcome wasn’t ideal or the process was just way too time-consuming and complicated. In the end, I went with the simplest solution possible — but that also completely changed how the expressions look and brought some new concerns.

As you can see, I ended up using hand-drawn paper cutouts for the mouth parts. This method is pretty common in amateur stop motion. The reason I hadn’t used it before was because this style loses the depth and thickness of the lips. But this time, I boldly went with it — mainly because it’s stupidly simple to make. Plus, the cartoony, exaggerated expressiveness and the ease of swapping expressions are just stupidly convenient.

The only downside — or maybe I should say the real issue — is that this method adds yet another completely different style into the mix. See, Cocky Me has realistic sets and semi-realistic clay puppet characters. Now, throwing in super cartoony paper mouths... it honestly makes me a bit nervous. I don’t know what kind of impact mixing all these styles will have. But I think it’s worth a try.

As for progress — all four puppets are done. The only thing left is a bit of adjustment to Leah’s current body (the one in the photo), plus dealing with the older Leah and Erica puppets. And I need to tidy up the set a bit (it’s been sitting untouched for half a year, after all…). Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’ll start shooting next week. So get ready — it’s coming.

(The new character Sharon's puppet showcase will be released together with the puppet-making video within the next few days — exclusively for paying members.)

 

[osanaiko]

I like the new mouths.

In my opinion there's no need to be concerned about the style change - the creative content style is already so unusual I don't think anyone will really notice, except that the clearer expressions will improve the ease of conveying emotions, especially subtle ones.

 

[Sighbug]

I like the new mouths.

In my opinion there's no need to be concerned about the style change - the creative content style is already so unusual I don't think anyone will really notice, except that the clearer expressions will improve the ease of conveying emotions, especially subtle ones.

As always, thank you for the positive feedback, Osanaiko. Yeah, you really on point—maybe I’m just overthinking things. With a new update for Cocky Me coming soon, I’ll be posting here more frequently. Feel free to share any thoughts or suggestions, TKS~

 

[Sighbug]

Making of 'Leah' and 'Matin' on Youtube Now

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