Duncan X Documentary Short

In this intense and beautiful short film on Duncan X, of Into You Tattoo in London, director Alex Nicholson could have just let Duncan talk of his struggles, his drug use, his son, his beliefs and approach to tattooing, and his fascination with it all.
Duncan's words alone are moving; however, this film is made even more powerful by Nicholson's collaboration with MPC's Motion Design Studio, in which Duncan's own tattoos come to life on his body as he shares his personal stories. The animation is also used to punctuate dark moments -- black tears for a tragic memory, and dark smoke floating from his mouth as he speaks of heroin. Despite the heaviness, there's also something very heartening, as is often the case when one speaks of the love for tattoos.

The process of how those tattoos materialize in the film is interesting in itself.  As described by MPC, Duncan's body was covered in make-up and tracker markers to determine their placement.  "The tattoos were animated and then tracked onto his body using Mocha. RealFlow was also utilized to create the flowing effects, and the snakes were animated in Cinema 4D." For all the techie details, read VFX Supervisor John Sunter's explanation of his process on MPC's site.

For more on Duncan X's work, check his online portfolio, and also Into You's site. Also, my most favorite tattoo flash sheets in my possession have been created by Duncan. Check them here.