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Showing posts with label found object puppetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label found object puppetry. Show all posts
Action figures are used as puppets in Star Wars in 3 Minutes.
I've written about the phenomenon of "Action Figure Videos" before (previously posted examples include I'm A Marvel / I'm A DC, The Eyes of Darth Tater and The Eye of the Tiger), which I find really interesting because they're a form of found object puppetry, even if the people making these videos don't realize it.
Michael Agrusso is the creator of the popular action figure online comedy series I’m A Marvel and I’m a DC.
Sprout Blog has an interview with Michael Agrusso, creator of the previously-blogged "geeky word-of-mouth phenomena" I’m A Marvel and I’m a D.C.. In the interview Michael discusses his latest videos and how he navigates the tricky issues that go along with creating original work using someone else's characters.
Hi, I'm a Marvel...and he's a DC uses super heroes and found object puppetry to send up Apple's popular I'm a Mac...and I'm PC commercials.
This has got to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen on YouTube; it's been around for over a year and half, but I only discovered it this week. Hi, I'm a Marvel...and he's a DC is a long running series of parodies produced by Michael Agrusso and Brinna Li. The videos spoof the popular Get a Mac commercials using superhero characters like Batman and Spiderman that are brought to life using simple found object puppetry techniques. Michael - who is a writer, performer and voice coach based in L.A. - was inspired to create the series in early 2007, after reading that features films based on DC Comics character The Flash and Wonder Woman had both lost their directors due to creative differences with Warner Bros. on the same day while Marvel comic book franchises like Spiderman, X-Men and Iron Man were either made millions at the box office or were currently in production. Michael saw parallels between Marvel/Macintosh and DC/PC and Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC was born.
The earliest videos were filmed simply against a white sheet, with Michael and Brinna performing action figures in real time in front of an iMovie camera. Later videos are a little more sophisticated, sometimes utilizing stop motion animation techniques and using more sophisticated sets and story lines. My personal favourites are the ones that feature Iron Man and Batman:
The series has become so popular that it has been featured on the official Marvel web site and Michael's YouTube channel currently has over 60,000 subscribers, including the likes of Iron Man director Jon Favreau.
Special thanks to quite-possibly-the-world's-greatest-sock-monkey-maker Robin, for introducing me to these!
Unconventional puppets like this guitar playing coat rack can be brought to life by puppeteers.
Often in film and television puppeteers are called upon to create effects that you might not immediately think of as puppetry. A great example of this is Meaghan Smith's If You Asked Me, which features a team of puppeteers led by Sam Hale (see previous post) bringing everyday objects like a coat rack, a mop and a pair of drumsticks to life on screen.
Big Bird confronts Mr. Hooper in a Do The Right Thing/Sesame Street mash-up made using Fisher-Price toys.
When I was really young there were two things that were really popular in my house - Sesame Street and Fisher Price toys. Brent Pike-Nurse and friends mashed them up together last year to create a parody of Do The Right Thing with Fisher-Price Sesame Street toys. The film contains some adult language (it is spoofing Do The Right Thing after all), but it's pretty funny with a lot of attention to detail.
My favourite moment in this comes when Ernie tosses Oscar in his trash can through the window of Hooper's Store to start the climactic riot scene. Brilliant!
For more fun with Star Wars toys check out the stop-motion short Incident at Toshi Station. You can see all of the Star Wars Fan Movie Challange Award winners and nominees on Atom Films.
Puppet videos can be made with almost anything, even a few cool-looking toys.
One of the great things about puppetry is that it's a very accessible art form. You don't need to spend a lot of money to start doing it, all that's really required is a puppet...and puppets can be anything. A neat example of simple found object puppetry is this video that sixteen year-old named Diego Espinosa made for YouTube using a few toys.
Playing With Dolls is a proposed new series made by literally playing with dolls.
Dan Clark (see previous post) sent in a teaser for Playing With Dolls, a proposed new series his company will be pitching in the new year. I really like the way the show uses puppets assembled from doll parts, but still has a nice, polished look to it. 4/2/08 Update: I removed the video from YouTube at the request of Dan Clark after some nasty, hateful comments were left on the site. It's sad that it only takes one or two idiots to spoil a good thing.
