I'm so impressed by your creativity! And I love what you have done. It's so much better that the "stuffed ragdoll" approach. This creation is much better, much more like ET.
However, I'd like to point out a few things that I know something about. (Mike and Jerry never give me credit for the things that I have done or things that I know from years of experience - basically because they only have respect for "comedy" - which is what they do. Like most people, they look down upon "horror" - and so they don't don't really take me seriously.
But I have done SO many movies with puppets and special effects and I know the problems coming up. I do know a few things and my experience can be helpful.
My first observation: The head, as amazingly cool as it is, is VERY big - which means with a body, it's already too big for being in a drawer or even in an over-hanging cabinet. And I am concerned that it would be SO big, that it would not be the little "thing" that we talked about that keeps popping up - and is amusing or cute or beguiling. It will be like the awkward teenager who is just not comfortable in his too-big-body.
Also, it's definately on the "evil monster" side, rather than on the loveably, ET side. If this is want your little guy to be, then you have succeeded. Maybe the right word would be - irrascible - I think this would work in the context of the story. And I think your design - with the rest of the additions - in terms of clothes and body design - could come off as "irrascible." But, I don't think you want "evil monster."
The biggest problem I see is that you need to make this same head at least half-as-much smaller, if not more. Otherwise, the entire "puppet" is going to be WAY to big.
I learned this lesson the hard way on a movie I made called NETHERWORLD.
Thanks David, Great advice. You are so right about everything you mentioned. I was mostly trying to play around with the project. I wanted to go through the process of making a puppet. I think I could make one we could use, but as you pointed out, it does need to be smaller. This is more of a study on the process I wanted to create using levers controlled within the body. I'm having fun with it.
Hey, Alex, the Puppet Master!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed by your creativity! And I love what you have done. It's so much better that the "stuffed ragdoll" approach. This creation is much better, much more like ET.
However, I'd like to point out a few things that I know something about. (Mike and Jerry never give me credit for the things that I have done or things that I know from years of experience - basically because they only have respect for "comedy" - which is what they do. Like most people, they look down upon "horror" - and so they don't don't really take me seriously.
But I have done SO many movies with puppets and special effects and I know the problems coming up. I do know a few things and my experience can be helpful.
My first observation: The head, as amazingly cool as it is, is VERY big - which means with a body, it's already too big for being in a drawer or even in an over-hanging cabinet. And I am concerned that it would be SO big, that it would not be the little "thing" that we talked about that keeps popping up - and is amusing or cute or beguiling. It will be like the awkward teenager who is just not comfortable in his too-big-body.
Also, it's definately on the "evil monster" side, rather than on the loveably, ET side. If this is want your little guy to be, then you have succeeded. Maybe the right word would be - irrascible - I think this would work in the context of the story. And I think your design - with the rest of the additions - in terms of clothes and body design - could come off as "irrascible." But, I don't think you want "evil monster."
The biggest problem I see is that you need to make this same head at least half-as-much smaller, if not more. Otherwise, the entire "puppet" is going to be WAY to big.
I learned this lesson the hard way on a movie I made called NETHERWORLD.
Hope this is helpful.
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David Schmoeller
Thanks David,
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. You are so right about everything you mentioned. I was mostly trying to play around with the project. I wanted to go through the process of making a puppet. I think I could make one we could use, but as you pointed out, it does need to be smaller. This is more of a study on the process I wanted to create using levers controlled within the body. I'm having fun with it.