How We Created a Puppet Music Video: Behind the Scenes of WAX's ITS YOU
Bringing WAX's Vision to Life: Behind the Scenes of the ITS YOU Music Video
At Creventive Puppet Company, our favorite projects are the ones that challenge us to combine creativity, craftsmanship, and storytelling into something truly unique. One of those opportunities came when musician WAX approached us with the idea of creating a puppet music video for his song "ITS YOU" from the album Lifetime Achievement Award.
From the very beginning, our goal was simple: create a memorable music video that felt playful, expressive, and unmistakably WAX. What started as a conversation quickly grew into a full creative collaboration that involved designing and building original puppets, performing them on camera, and handling the production work needed to bring the entire concept to life.
Designing the Characters
Every puppet begins with a story.
Working closely with WAX, we explored the visual style, personality, and tone that would best complement the music. Once the creative direction was established, we began designing and fabricating the puppets by hand, carefully selecting materials, refining expressions, and building characters that could deliver both personality and performance on camera.
Creating puppets for film isn't just about how they look—it's about how they move. Every design decision considered how the characters would perform during filming, allowing for expressive movement while remaining durable enough for production.
Bringing the Performance to Life
With the puppets complete, it was time to step behind the camera.
Our role extended well beyond fabrication. We performed the puppets throughout production, bringing each character to life through movement, timing, and performance. Puppetry is a unique blend of acting and technical precision, where even the smallest movements help communicate emotion and support the story.
Filming a puppet production often requires patience, multiple takes, creative camera angles, and constant problem-solving. Every shot is a collaboration between performance, cinematography, and direction to create the illusion that these characters truly exist.
Creative Problem Solving
Every production presents unexpected challenges, and this project was no exception.
Throughout fabrication and filming, we adapted designs, refined performances, and solved technical challenges to ensure everything worked seamlessly on camera. Those behind-the-scenes adjustments are often invisible to the audience, but they're an essential part of producing professional puppetry for film and music videos.
It's one of the things we love most about this work—finding creative solutions that allow ambitious ideas to become reality.
Collaborating with WAX
One of the highlights of this project was collaborating with WAX throughout the creative process.
From the initial concept to the finished video, the project was built on open communication, experimentation, and a shared excitement for creating something different. Working together allowed us to develop a final product that captured the spirit of the song while embracing the charm and personality that only puppetry can provide.
Creative collaborations like this remind us why we love what we do.
The Finished Music Video
Seeing the completed music video released was an incredibly rewarding moment. Watching handcrafted characters come alive on screen—and knowing every puppet, performance, and production detail helped tell the story—is exactly why we do what we do.
Projects like this showcase what's possible when music, storytelling, and practical puppetry come together.
Whether you're creating a music video, commercial, television production, live show, or original concept, we'd love to help bring your next idea to life.
Have a project in mind? We'd love to hear from you. Let's create something unforgettable together.
We're Back ❤️🎭
After years of uncertainty, setbacks, and a dream I thought might never come back, I'm incredibly excited to share that Creventive Puppet Company has officially returned.
For those who are new here, welcome! My name is Connor Asher, and I founded Creventive Puppet Company with one simple mission: to bring stories and characters to life through the art of puppetry.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Creventive created custom puppets, presented live puppet shows, taught puppet-building workshops, and collaborated with schools, libraries, theaters, festivals, businesses, and creative organizations. It wasn't just a business—it was my life's passion.
When the pandemic brought live entertainment to a halt, I made the heartbreaking decision to close the company. Although the doors closed, I never stopped believing in what Creventive could become again.
Today, I'm proud to say that Creventive Puppet Company has officially reopened. Our website is live, we're accepting commissions and bookings, and we're once again ready to help bring stories and characters to life.
The workshop has made the journey from Chicago to North Carolina, and while there's still a tremendous amount of unpacking, organizing, and rebuilding ahead, we're officially back in business.
Whether you're looking for a custom puppet, a professional puppeteer, a live puppet show, puppet-building workshops, creative consulting, or production services, I'd love the opportunity to work with you.
As part of this new chapter, I've also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help complete the rebuild. While we've successfully relocated the workshop, there are still significant costs involved in setting up the space, restoring equipment, purchasing materials, and rebuilding the resources needed to serve our community and clients at the level I envision.
If you've enjoyed my work over the years or believe in preserving and growing the art of puppetry, I would be incredibly grateful if you'd consider supporting the campaign or sharing it with others. Every contribution helps us continue building a stronger future for Creventive Puppet Company.
Most of all, thank you.
To everyone who has encouraged me, hired me, collaborated with me, donated, shared the fundraiser, or simply believed in this dream—you've helped make this comeback possible.
I'm excited for what's ahead, and I can't wait to create with all of you again.
Welcome back to Creventive Puppet Company.
Support the GoFundMe Campaign:
Here's to the next chapter.
— Connor Asher
Founder, Creventive Puppet Company
Puppet Builders - Safety Blog
Hey puppet builders, crafters, DIY-ers, and students!
There are a lot of dangerous tools and toxic chemicals that go into creating a professional-quality puppet. We wanted to share some helpful tips and tricks that will help you for years to come whether you’re just getting started or an experienced builder. Since this is a LARGE topic, we’re going to cover the basics with common tools/materials/practices that most professional puppet shops and builders traditionally use.
As always, let us know if you have any thoughts, ideas, or start a discussion that can help strengthen our community in the comments section below. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
Before we begin…
REGARDLESS of what material OR tool you are using, PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES AND USAGES FOR EACH PRODUCT. If you are a minor, please ask your parent or guardian for assistance.
Now that that’s out of the way… let’s dive in!
In safety, it’s all about protecting yourself and those around you. There have been many professional puppet builders who have gotten hurt over the years because they’ve skipped a step or weren’t careful. It’s just NOT worth it. Please take your time and be safe so you can enjoy creating high-quality puppets.
3 Steps TO SAFETY:
1.) Proper safety equipment
2.) Proper ventilation
3.) Common sense
Remember those 3-steps moving forward. Now let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of recommended tools and solutions.
FIRST AID KIT
ALWAYS keep these on hand. You never know when you’ll need them and if/when you do, you’ll be glad you have one.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
You never know when a tool might burn out, a chemical might react a certain way OR a fire breaks out in any capacity. Having this tool around your shop is NECESSARY.
GLOVES
Protect your hands at all times. Chemicals WILL get into your skin. Long-term exposure to resins to the skin is not good as one can become sensitized to them, at which point you’re likely not even get near them without having an allergic reaction.
Some of the most common tools we will need gloves for is as follows: Contact Cement, Epoxy, Resins, Sprays, Butane Fuel, Etc.
GOGGLES/EYE SAFETY
When sanding/grinding, etc. You don’t want anything to get in your eyes.
SINK
If possible, have a slop sink around you. (Most professional shops will have these) Not only for washing your hands BUT also in case if you do get something in your eye - you have a place to go.
RESPIRATOR
We also highly recommend investing in a respirator (that’s fitted to your face and has the proper cartridges) - always use these while working. Protect your lungs and organs - they’re important!
(We’ve attached two below recommended for most puppet building applications including contact cement)
VENTILATION:
ALWAYS WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA when working with contact cement, spray paint, and any resins/chemicals regardless of type.
Solutions for ventilation:
1.) When possible, we always recommend working outdoors.
2.) If your shop or garage has good airflow, this works well. When using this option, we of course recommend a respirator and use of a fan. Setting up a fan will allow you to blow the chemicals away from you and work to push the fumes out of your space.
3.) Invest in a ventilation table - these are GREAT if you’re working in a small space and don’t have a lot of ventilation. You can work inside of it freely while the inside fan pushes out all of the toxic fumes out of a drier duct and outside.
Additional resources for ventilation: westsystem.com - EXPOY SAFETY
Keeping your work area clean:
It’s important to keep your work area clean whether you’re working from home, garage or in a shop - not only will it keep you more organized, but it will also prevent cross-contamination of products (Plus your employer would appreciate it)
That’s all for now. We hope you found this blog helpful.
Please let us know if you have any thoughts or ideas in the comments section below OR on social media. Be sure to subscribe & follow for more and please be sure to share this with other community members!
Thanks so much, we’ll see you in the next blog!
Supplies/Materials Resource Page
Hey puppet builders, crafters, DIY-ers, and students,
We just officially launched the Supplies/Materials Resource page on our website!
This page was created to help jumpstart your puppet-building journey, whether you’re an amateur or a pro looking for new supplies or tools for your shop or home - this page is a great starting point.
All the supplies listed on this page, we highly recommended and utilize in creating many of the custom puppets for our clients.
Have you taken one of our classes, order a pattern from us, or watch one of our online tutorials? Check out the materials list, there’s a good chance you can order almost all the supplies from this page.
So… what are you waiting for? Get your supplies today! https://creventive.com/supplies
DIY Paper Craft Puppet Theater
Download our new craft for free at https://creventive.com/#/crafts/
EINSTEIN CUSTOM PUPPET
EINSTEIN CUSTOM PUPPET
FOR INSURESMART AGENCY INC in Rockford, IL
Creventive Puppet Company recently just wrapped on another exciting project!
We were commissioned by InsureSmart Agency Inc to recreate their mascot in puppet form for a series of tv commercial spots to help advertise their company in Rockford, IL.
In addition to creating the custom puppet, Creventive Puppet Company also provided our puppeteering and puppet wrangling services for the tv commercial shoot.
Here are a few behind the scenes pictures and videos of the project including final pictures of our Einstein puppet as well as the finished ADS
BUILD CREDITS:
CONNOR ASHER - LEAD FABRICATION
SYDNEY ALEXANDER - FABRICATION
MAE RISK - WARDROBE
COMPLETED SPOTS
BEHIND THE SCENES
Medieval Character Custom Portrait Puppet
We recently built a medieval custom hand/rod puppet character for a private client in Saint Paul, MN.
The client provided us with reference to a medieval character based off of an old BBC show.
Reference photo(s)
Here are the results…
How was the puppet built?
Puppet was built using NylaFleece, ultra suede, custom-made eyes/nose/ears, foam-carved teeth, treated/styled wig with custom-made wardrobe to match client’s reference photos.
Puppet also includes removable arm rods, pose-able armature wire hands and removable costume plus hood.
Credits:
Puppet design & fabrication by Connor Asher, Sydney Alexander
Costumes created by Mae Risk
Ed Bassmaster - Custom Portrait Puppet Build
ED BASSMASTER CUSTOM PUPPETS
CREATED BY CREVENTIVE PUPPET COMPANY, LLC
We recently wrapped on a collaboration with Ed Bassmaster to create a portrait puppet of his characters.
The puppet was built as a blank what-not that could be dressed with different clothes and accessories to match his personas including Chip Diamond, Mumbles, and Always Teste.
Puppet was fabricated by Creventive Puppet Company’s own Connor Asher and Sydney Alexander. Connor created the understructure and covering for the entire puppet while Sydney worked on the detailing including the beard, mole and ensuring the puppet looked clean at all times.
Our costumer, Mae Risk knocked it out of the park recreating the costumes based on Ed’s actual costumes as reference.
BUILD CREDITS:
CONNOR ASHER - LEAD FABRICATION
SYDNEY ALEXANDER - FABRICATION
MAE RISK - WARDROBE
BEHIND THE SCENES
HOW TO DRESS/MAINAIN PUPPET VIDEO
VIDEOS FEATURING OUR PUPPETS
#PuppetChainLetter Collaboration Project
Hi everyone,
I’m so excited to talk about #PuppetChainLetter project collaboration started by Swazzle Puppet Studio in California. I was invited to be one of eight builders from across the country to participate.
First, lets talk about the project…
Eight puppet builders across the nation will contribute to the creation of a single puppet.
The final result will be auctioned with the proceeds benefiting the @puppeteers_of_america Direct Relief Fund for Puppet Artists!
Contributors include: @swazzlepuppetstudio @connorasher @projectpuppet @dluxpuppets @adrianroseleonard & @rachelmadestudio
#puppet #puppetry #puppetmaker #directrelief #puppets #puppeteersofamerica #puppetbuilding
My contribution to the chain letter was to design and fabricate the foam arms and hands.
Unboxing video:
LIVE reveal of the completed arms where I share my step-by-step thought and build process:
FOLLOW the hashtag #PUPPETCHAINLETTER on social media to follow this puppet’s journey from beginning to completion.
Special thank you again to Swazzle for bringing me on board this exciting project. Can’t wait to see how this puppet turns out!
As usual, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!
Until next time,
Connor Asher
Cute & Expressive Custom Puppet
We recently built this cute, expressive little character.
Sometimes the best puppets are the simplest. Especially the smallest ones that fit snug to your hand. These puppets, in my opinion, are some of the best to operate as a puppeteer.
There’s almost no barrier between your hand and the outside of the puppet, similar to a sock puppet, which allows a direct link between your hand and the puppet. Depending on what materials are used to construct the puppet, this can allow the most amount of expression and subtlety.
Let me talk more specifics about this particular build…
How was the puppet built?
The puppet was built out of faux fur that was boiled, felt, gasket rubber, custom-made plastic eyes, foam-carved tongue, with removable arm rods.
Credits
Puppet design & fabrication by Connor Asher, Sydney Alexander
Interested in your own custom handmade puppet by Creventive?
Contact us today to get a quote!
Jane Lynch - Directing Puppets
JANE LYNCH - SIMPLE CITY CAMPAIGN
Puppeteers: Connor Asher, Steven Widerman
We are honored to have worked with Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress Jane Lynch and STORY on a series of spots for Jane’s directing reel.
Creventive Puppet Company was hired to design, build and perform the puppets for STORY’s Simple City Campaign commercials for Simple Mobile directed by Jane Lynch.
The Creventive puppets worked on set alongside human actors, beautifully brought to life by SAG-AFTRA puppeteers: Connor Asher and Steven Widerman.
WATCH THE SPOTS NOW:
COMING SOON
Fozzie Bear Puppet Refurb Project
Before I begin,
NO! I do not accept replica requests/commissions. Don’t ask.
A close friend of mine reached out asked if it were possible to refurbish a puppet from their personal collection for private use.
Normally I would NEVER do this since it’s a copyrighted character however the idea of a refurbishment project intrigued me as both a puppet builder and Muppet fan especially since I wasn’t building it from scratch nor was charging for it.
I decided to take the project on as a favor for my friend and challenge to myself to tackle between projects. (Once again, I did not get paid for this project)
It was a major challenge but I learned a lot of great techniques and would like to share some of the lessons I learned during this build.
So let’s dive in!
The Process
I received the puppet in a pretty beat up condition. The first step was looking at the puppet from both an internal and external perspective to see the amount of work that needed to be accomplished.
My friend wanted me to try to keep as much of the original’s materials as possible since it was an unpaid project.
I then began dissecting the puppet into pieces to see what the internal structure was made out of.
All of the foam was disintegrating/toasting, mouth plate was built out of card board, nose was built with styrofoam. One of the major issues with some of those materials is that they’re inferior, don’t last long and don’t handle performing well.
After, I began recreating the patterns using some of the original’s along with creating new patterns to make the shapes more accurate to the actual puppet.
One of the most challenging parts of this build was reference images. The actual character changed so much over the years, I decided to try my best to be as true to the character as possible.
Capturing subtle details can be a very difficult and time consuming process on certain characters but I’m always up for a challenge.
After putting together all the new foam, mouth plate and neck sleeve, I began draping the head, neck and body to get new covering patterns.
I then traced those patterns onto remnants of the original faux fur that I got from dissecting the original puppet. (Which was a challenge within itself - so if I needed extra fur, I didn’t have it) and luckily had just enough to cover the head, body and neck. I decided to reuse the original’s ears, arms and necktie to save time and costs.
After everything was sewn together, I treated the fur with heat to give it more texture.
After this, it was time to problem solve the features. Figuring out the eyes, nose and ear placement took quite a bit of time.
In the end, I ended up designing and creating about 9 prototype noses to get the size and shape correct. Some of the noses were foam patterned and fleeced and some I designed in 3D, printed them and covered in Nylon Fleece. The end result was 3D printed and covered.
Similar situation with the eyes. The eyes took about 12 pairs to get just right to where I was satisfied with them.
The end result were made from soup spoons that were sanded, had a screw and bolt epoxied to the back of each eye then inset inside of the head.
Next, the tongue was foam carved with uvula/throat features airbrushed.
Finally, I placed his pupils using a straight pin to get the focus right.
After the puppet was finished, it was time to costume!
My friend, Mae Risk helped me problem solve the hat and necktie. After they were fabricated, I permanently sewed them to the head.
Then after a bit more cleanup work, he was finally completed on 11/16/2020.
Hope this was useful and insightful for some people.
He was a major challenge but I’m pretty satisfied with the end result given the parameters of this project. If I were to start again, I would do some things differently but glad it’s over and ready to start onto new projects.
ONCE AGAIN….NO! I do not accept replica requests/commissions. Don’t ask.
“PUPPET PODCAST” by Caroline Bernier-Dionne.
Hello everyone,
Please check out “PUPPET PODCAST” by Caroline Bernier-Dionne.
As an artist, I really enjoy listening to other creatives while I work on projects around my shop. Caroline’s Puppet Podcast is fun, informative and very professional.
One thing I deeply enjoy about her podcast is the diversity of puppeteers/artists that she interviews who come from all different backgrounds, ages, and points in their career.
Caroline is a very friendly host who makes puppeteers feel comfortable with sharing their stories, passions and ambitions.
I was recently interviewed by her in episode #28 which is now available on YouTube, FaceBook and other streaming platforms.
Please check it out and help support her great work.
That’s all for now. Thanks so much!
The Pandemic's Impact on the Business of Puppetry
The Pandemic's Impact on the Business of Puppetry - How to Adapt & What to Be Aware Of.
I hope my rambling is helpful to some. To my friends who are creating or simply just existing during these difficult times- we’ll make it through this ❤️
Moving Mouth Puppets - 101
Connor Asher leads you through a quick 101 lesson in how to manipulate moving mouth puppets for television and film VIA Facebook LIVE. Follow our Facebook page for more in-depth talks and classes coming soon.
How to Survive COVID-19 - Video
Find out what to do and what not to do during the COVID-19 pandemic in this hilarious, WWII propaganda-style puppet satire video now on YouTube!
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to help bring this video to life. 🎥🎬
https://youtu.be/KjihQvKvxUE
Kiedis the Troll - Custom Puppet Build
Today we’re featuring Kiedis the Troll, custom puppet built and designed by Connor Asher completed on February 24th 2018 for our live touring theatrical production “Three Billy Goats Gruff”.
Kiedis the Troll is now being used in collaboration with the Insurance King and preparing for his own upcoming web show.
More soon.
To request your own custom puppet, visit our custom puppets page and fill out a form: https://www.creventive.com/#/custom-puppets/
Thats all for now. See you soon.
SEE HIM IN ACTION NOW:
Dexter Blue Monster Sack Puppet - Rental for Commercial/film/tv/stage
Welcome back to the blog.
Today we’re featuring our latest rental puppet: Dexter. A sack puppet designed and built by Connor Asher.
What’s a rental puppet?
If you don't have the time or budget to have a custom puppet built, you can rent one from our stock for a reasonable daily rate.
Our rental puppets can be customized to fit the needs of your project. Whether its an individual character or a full cast, any and all existing customizations are possible to be built from our own minds directly to your own hands.
As always, contact us here to discuss a quote for your own custom projects!
See him in action now:
Shmoop Hand/Rod Puppet - Rental for Commercial/film/tv/stage
Welcome back to the blog.
Today we’re featuring our latest rental puppet: Shmoop. A hand/rod puppet designed and built by Connor Asher.
Built using: Faux fur, gasket rubber, ostrich feathers, felt, velvet, wooden spheres.
What’s a rental puppet?
If you don't have the time or budget to have a custom puppet built, you can rent one from our stock for a reasonable daily rate.
Our rental puppets can be customized to fit the needs of your project. Whether its an individual character or a full cast, any and all existing customizations are possible to be built from our own minds directly to your own hands.
As always, contact us here to discuss a quote for your own custom projects!
See him in action now:
HANDS & STRINGS: New Acts Added!
Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Creventive newsletter.
We recently just made updates to “HANDS & STRINGS: A Puppet Variety Show” that debuted this past week at the Village of Roundlake Beach Cultural & Civic Center’s Family Fun Friday event.
We premiered five new acts for the show. Acts include: Jeremy J. Giggles, Sock Puppet, Mrs. Microphone, The Rag Mop and the Can Can utilizing ventriloquism and complicated mechanical rod puppets.
After the show’s conclusion, the audience was shown how some of the puppets were operated followed by a Q&A and photo opportunity.
The audience had a great time, as well as us. A major thank you again to the staff of the Village of Roundlake Beach Cultural & Civic Center for hosting us!
That’s all for now. Want to book HANDS & STRINGS for your event? We would LOVE for the opportunity to entertain you! Fill out a form here: https://www.creventive.com/puppet-show-quote
