Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
his head. With all the texturing and the positioning of the wart, the audience were unlikely ever
to see this hole. However, we would forgotten Toad's all-important sartorial tastes. In every
episode he had a new outi t, and this invariably included a hat. We had to animate the i rst
few scenes knowing that Toad could only smile if he took his hat of . This became like some
vaudevillian routine. The screw hole was subsequently moved to behind the head, out of the
way of most hats. This worked well except for occasions when he leant against something,
limiting access to the hole. It's unlikely that you'll ever be able to design such mechanics with
100% access, but it is vital that you think through such practicalities.
Shakespeare
A somewhat dif erent puppet was Shakespeare from Next . He was just as physical as Toad,
with a deliberately less expressive face, but exquisite eyes. This particular puppet, now nearly
eighteen years old, was like working with velvet. Sometimes you can feel a puppet's joints
grinding against each other, but these joints were smooth and very sensual. They stayed
exactly where you put them. He was so proportioned that I could hold him rigidly round the
chest, and with just one i nger reach and move an arm independently of the rest. He was a
reasonably light puppet, as there were few mechanics and not a huge head, so he was able to
balance on a single magnet under a toe. His skin might now be rotting away, but his skeleton
would still be able to give a good performance. Acting through him was a pleasure.
Shakespeare's eyes.
Puppets for Screen Play
The puppets for this i lm have less emotional resonance for me, as they were
essentially all about the costume, the make-up and the masks. I'm not sure I got
through these façades as I do the other puppets, but they are pretty impressive.
There are two versions of the main boy and girl; one with the elaborate Kabuki
make-up for the theatrical part of the i lm, and one for the more real i lmic section.
For this last section, they had new heads that were free of theatrical make-up,
 
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