This week’s episode of The Media Show with Erna and Meena looks at fearmongering in online safety ads (via @zephoria). The show is made by After Ed who ‘create videos about the evolving education sector’. They have given more information on the statistics they worked from.
Making of Allen’s giant doll puppet
Remember Allen’s giant doll marionette that was walking the streets of Brisbane a few months ago? The Oscar-winning visual effects director John Cox, whose Creature Workshop created the puppet, has given a cool behind the scenes look at how it was made. Also, there are a few videos of her on YouTube now, including the Allen’s advertisement.
Campaign Brief has a little more background, and I was not surprised to see direct reference to Royal de Luxe‘s giantess:
‘Lam and Ross took Inspiration from a Mexican Festival puppet and a 7m French puppet. The French puppet is believed to have cost $2M to build, yet this project didn’t have that kind of budget. The Cox created walking doll is generations ahead of the overseas inspiration in terms of her very advanced mechanics and instant physical appeal.
The Mexican puppet must be Luca. (I have some more information on Luca, but for another post). I think the ‘generations ahead’ aspect in the case of Royal de Luxe is rather meaningless, and a bit of chest puffing. The fibreglass/plastic look versus the wood/steampunk look is an aesthetic choice, appropriate in each case; and the movement of RdL’s giantess does not appear mechanically inferior, especially when you see the Allen’s doll’s feet kind of clap on the ground at each step in one of the videos, and she seems to tilt backwards too much at times.
Teeny tiny puppets
There’s something very meta about dmmalva’s tiny puppet studio and the vogue for Blythe dolls to accesorise with teeny tiny puppets. I like this one.
Update: I found this needle felted finger puppet monster with puppet today :)
Previously: Matchstick puppets!
New puppet: Rita the goat
This is Rita, a goat puppet I made recently for Merici College’s 50th Jubilee drama production, Dinkum Assorted by Linda Aronson, which will play at Belconnen Theatre on the 27th, 28th, 29th August. I became quite fond of her.
There’s a photoset of the making process in my portfolio at Flickr. Rita is made from plywood and polystyrene, and covered with fur fabric and panne velvet. Her mechs are simple, since it will be beginner puppeteers operating her: paired leg movement, and a neck which allows movement up and down as well as turning to either side. For the eyes I decided to use faceted glass beads because I remembered Neville Tranter saying he used them in all his puppets to bring the eyes to life.
Travel well, Rita!
Fantastic Mr. Fox movie: first pictures of puppets
Roald Dahl’s great story Fantastic Mr. Fox is being adapted for the big screen using stop-motion animation. Some early glimpses of the puppets have been released, and the trailer will be out at the end of the month. (Update: here it is). More details about the production at USA Today. As usual I am anxious about how it will be interpreted!
Iphone art: The Hedgehogerus & other flights of fancy
At the moment I’m entranced with drawing on my iPhone, mostly playing with the Brushes and Paintbook apps. My full set of iPhone drawings is here.
With Brushes I’m presently evolving some strange creatures in a strange environment. Above you can see the Hedgehogerus surprised, the Hedgehogerus nest and fairy, the two-toed Chubbachubb, and the double-pouched Schweep.
With Paintbook I’ve been making some very simple two-tone faces of (mostly) imaginary people. Here are a few favourites:
It seems as if there is an exciting new field opening up as people experiment with what can be achieved on such a small screen using just your finger. David Hockney has already had an exhibition of his iPhone drawings, and The New Yorker recently drew attention to the phenomenon by featuring an iPhone drawing by Portuguese artist Jorge Columbo as it’s cover illustration. But you get a better feel for the range, quality and some sense of developing community among artists using iPhone apps, at Flickr, for instance in the Brushes gallery.
First glimpse of animation adaptation of Shaun Tan’s The Lost Thing
InFrame.tv has produced a great 5 minute documentary with Shaun Tan which offers an introductory glimpse at the work-in-progress on his short animated adaptation of The Lost Thing. It includes little (unfinished) animation clips, and aspects of designing and directing the work. On his website Shaun also writes about his involvement and includes some interesting new sketches and models. I noted the film in 2005, so it is exciting that it is expected to be finished this August!
The film, by Passion Pictures, will be 15 minutes long, and uses CGI with 2D handpainted elements. I’m interested in the comments about achieving rich textures, as they are so much part of the illustrations, and CGI is often so disappointingly smooth and shiny.
I’m happy to see a new book, too: Tales from Outer Suburbia.
I worked on the puppets for Jigsaw Theatre Company’s production of The Lost Thing a few years ago, so you will find numerous related previous posts here:
Also: The Lost Thing website
Saving traditional crafts and records of them
On FriendFeed today Amy today pointed to a British House of Commons debate about trying to save traditional crafts. I rather fear it is a lost cause. The upsurge in crafting and making in the last few years driven by the web is great in many respects, but I suspect probably can do little to help the traditional crafting skills of the sort referred to in the debate, as economies of scale are lined up against them.
But the article did remind me of some lovely images of traditional craftsmen by printmaker Stanley Anderson. Here are three:
Coppicing:
Chairmaking:
Basket weaving:
These are from Country Bazaar, a 1970’s book about country crafts. (I’m not sure about copyright here – please let me know if it is an issue). You can find a few more if you google, for instance The Violin Maker, but wouldn’t it be cool if it were possible to see the whole series?
Awesome: papercraft Ceiling Cat
Yes, I know now that this has been all over the web, but I only saw it today: Tubbypaws’s papercraft Ceiling Cat.
