You look really good in white, are you going to go straight rather than curly also?

Happy New Year to all! January first.. and our first recording of the year... behind the scenes.
A bit of a tense shoot in the middle of it, in the  middle of the city, but we didn't get robbed... and it all worked out ok.
   I thought you might like to see the wheely thing we knocked together from an office chir base that I found in the street, which helps heaps in getting puppets to walk in the street better. It doesn't go on grass or uneven terrain... So we'll have to come up with soemthing else for those sort of  situations.

Thanks for the behind the scenes look! I love the fact that you showed the dolly you built for performing on a flat surface.  We used this method when performing all the time.  Ours where higher because we sat on them behind the stage. Mine was lower because I am tall and my partners higher because she is shorter. This put us both at the about the same height so that are puppets matched levels and we could easily move about the play space while performing.  I would say it is a must have tool for a puppeteer who performs hand in mouth or rod puppets.

You know I really hate that there are so many reality shows on TV now but I have to admit that when you spoke of the issues you had with the street folks I was hoping you had the camera running and was going to show us.   I guess as humans we just love conflict.

Too dangerous to have a second camera running except if you have a preson dedicated to it. Up until now we have only had one camera and not enough people, so you are filming, or behind the scenes when not filming... hence not too much behind the scenes stuff. We just got given a cheapish photo camera that does video , so maybe more might be in the offering.

We've got all of the Wizard's parts done...
So the great shaving behind the scenes...

I know that must feel good. I wear a beard 99% of the time, and it akways feels great to shave it off.

Wow! What a change! I love that your fellow "actors" had comments on the removal of the beard.

Well guys, having completed my parts as Rudolf the Grey, and white... and removed the beard...I am on shedule for  being able to pause the process for a year. Due to lack of finance (and a wedding to attend) we are having to return to New Zealand. We intend to return to Colombia, but I daresay we won't be back into much production for the entire year. I will be taking what we have done so far, and if I can borrow a computer there, I will be working on post production stuff. We will see what  circumstances permit  along the way, and we will keep in touch.
In the meantime, with packing under way, I thought you might like to see what stuff we have here, to be able to do what we do.

Wow... so I take it you can't keep the stuff in the house you've been in but that you are moving it to storage... or are you taking it with you to NZ? You really have everything organized and stowed away.  I can just imagine how much time it takes when you do want to shoot something to pull out what you want and first clear the "studio".  Makes one appreciate your videos even more.   I would say a true labor of love.

Well Shawn, We need the studio to rent out as bedroom while we are away, so EVERYTHING has to go into storage in the attic. I am putting a floor in to take it all, I sure hope it all fits. We will be taking one suitcase each to New Zealand.
   One thing I learned on this movie is that for all the organizing, building, adapting, storing and processing of sets, I am preferring it over location shooting here. It is such a headache, and downright dangerous to film puppets on location. Apart from potential muggings, you have to get permission for absolutely anywhere, and the police and private guards are paranoid about you shooting (filming.. not actually 'shooting' he he.. that would be suicide) in front of any building, even from public spaces. The last shoot we did, we had guards on motorbikes turn up from 2 or three blocks away from a hotel that was in the background of our shots... mind you it was a military hotel. They spied us from way up there and sent guards to investigate. We have some stories to tell.
   Anyhow, I can't say we have done huge volumes of shooting and set construction, but if you use the generic walls windows and furniture, you can put something together in an evening, ready for a shoot the following day, and in the recording session it generally takes half an hour to stike a set and install the next, if you have pre-organized it. That's when you call a cofee break and do the changeover when coffe and script reading is going on. It also depends on how complicated it is and how important the shoot. You can do a quick reshuffel in 5 mins if you have a simple in front of door shot or generic hallway, or closeup....it all depends. Chromas also are very quick to shoot, but are more intensive in post. And then there are combination partial sets with extentions... and, and, and. yes its a labour  of  love. I love doing  every aspect of it. I only hope I can continue doing it