American Idol Puppets

[Vic Romano]

Anyone catch last nights American Idol? There was a commercial of the current Idols singing Diggable Planet's "Rebirth of Slick" and they were full size puppet versions of themselves, pretty cool I thought.

 

[ScrapsFlippy]

I saw it - pretty cool!

I auditioned for it ... but I was too tall.

It's great to see puppetry in wider application (at least in commercials.)

- Scraps

 

[gfarkwort]

Yea...A member of my guild (the San Francisco Bay Puppet Guild http://sfbapg.org/) puppeteered in it. His name is Sean Johnson heres his and his twins (patrick) site http://www.swazzle.com/

 

[Vic Romano]

Wow, awesome info guys! Now, were the puppeteers operating just the heads? Or were they the bodies as well?
And are there any pics of the puppets?

 

[ScrapsFlippy]

A friend of mine - Russ got cast. And I met Sean at a Swazzle audition last summer. Small world!

The puppets were not complete, but I got to wear a "head" and "hand" when I auditioned. I'm not sure if they changed the operation, but I operated the jaw with my right hand, keeping my arm in tight to my body. The Left hand was practical.

I might have been fooled by really effective editing, but it looked as if both hands were practical in the commercial. (I know they doubled the puppeteers with dancers, so maybe I was just fooled.)

Neat idea. Basically human-size arm puppets.

-- Scraps

 

[Vic Romano]

That sounds uncomfortable.

 

[gfarkwort]

How tall are you ScrapsFlippy? baecause I know I'm around the same size as Sean Johnson

 

[chestermcdragon]

that was so funny!

 

[ScrapsFlippy]

6' 1".

The first thing the casting dude asked me when he saw me was "How tall are you?" (It was more of a statement than a question.)

Eh. Tall enough for Bear.

He told me that they were looking for shorter puppeteers, since they were doubling the puppeteers with dancers. Dancers are short. I guess.

The only professional dancers I know are a former Rockette and a "You Got Served" co-star. They're both pretty tall. Eh.

I will say this ... We puppeteers have an extraordinary advantage over other performers: I found out about a national commercial audition on a public job board (at the LA Puppet Guild.) I sent off one e-mail, had one phone conversation, and got my audition. I know actors with agents and managers who can't bag a national commercial audition. Wow.

BTW - anyone observe the arms? Good editing or some sort of mouth control mechanism? I didn't notice a fishline hook-up on the "dead arm" like Big Bird and Bear have.

-- Scraps

 

[Vic Romano]

I've got it taped on VHS, I'm gonna' check it out again.