Foam blocks?

[ravagefrackle]

Thank u; I will do that! However, I've watched video of Beaker and still can not figure his head out! He looks like a ventriloquist's dummy when he speaks; am I correct? Also, did Richard Hunt have his hand in Beaky's mouth, or was there a little thing you squeezed to make his mouth move? The book Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles said something else confusing; it said that Beaker's head was on a rod so in times of extreme fear, his head could concievably go into his shirt or go up like a couple inches. Is this true?

Thanx in advance!

BJ

who ever said there was only one beaker, different action require different puppets sometimes

 

[erniebert1234ss]

who ever said there was only one beaker, different action require different puppets sometimes

Huh? Not just one Beaker? Maybe someone else can set us straight!

BJ

 

[Buck-Beaver]

It's pretty common in film, TV and even theatre to have several versions of the same puppet, each built for specific effects or sometimes because of costuming requirements. Usually you have one or more "hero" puppets that are used most of the time and then others built so they can perform specific actions or be used to create a certain effect.

For example, for the web series I'm doing there are a bunch of cockroach puppets. Three of the cockroaches are "hero" roaches and have fully articulated mouths and heads that pivot (they're operated by rod controls). Other "background" roaches just have heads that pivot because they only appear in the background of shots. There are a few stuffed "stunt" roaches that have full bodies and legs and can be thrown around on the set. Still others are specifically built so they can be rigged to do things like drive a tank, kayak, rollerblade, etc. and eventually I need to build one that can be radio controlled.

Some shows that use a lot of flocked or animatronic puppets will have several versions of the character so that when one needs touch ups or repairs they can just switch puppets and keep shooting. On CBC/Nick Jr.'s Nanalan' they often have to rotate 3 versions of each character because the flocking requires frequent touch-ups - while one puppet is on set being shot, one is being touched up and another one is drying so it's ready when they need it on set.

I know with the Muppet productions it's not uncommon to have 5 or more versions of a puppet - I think they had 10+ Piggy heads for Muppets From Space and something like six or seven Pepes.

 

[ravagefrackle]

im glad you posted that, i hate typing so much, lol

any wy bucks right on the money on this one,

except there were only 2 pepes on muppets from space, (they built the second one just for that shoot, up until then they only had the one, mainly because nobody expected him to be such a break out character , i believe a third one was just built for this "OZ" thing, but im not really in the loop on that show(thank god, what a lame idea)

 

[Buck-Beaver]

That's right, after I read your post I checked a photo I have from the shoot of Pepes being touched up and there were only two. I should know better than rely on my defective memory.

 

[erniebert1234ss]

I have most days like that! Lovely things; I did not know all this. Maybe just 1 beeker would do fine.

BJ

 

[punkNpuppets]

usually i use both. foam blocks and sheets

well i worked on season two, and quite a few of them are pattered, but some are sculpted , and some area compination of the two

u ever meet denis leary or adam corolla & jimmy kimmel?

 

[ravagefrackle]

no , when i started they decided to start filming in L.A.But all the puppets at that point were built in New York, although i believ they are doing them in La now, but this was 2 years ago, i havnt worked on the show since then.

, besides they only lay down the voice tracks, they arnt on set normally since they dont puppeteer the characters,