Download our new craft for free at https://creventive.com/#/crafts/
EINSTEIN CUSTOM PUPPET
FOR INSURESMART AGENCY INC in Rockford, IL
EINSTEIN CUSTOM PUPPET
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
#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
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 ❤️
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:
Kiedis the Troll - Insurance King Collaboration
Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Creventive Newsletter, we’re excited to share one of our latest partnerships!
Our pals at Insurance King wanted to bring in our character, Kiedis the Troll as their new social media manager to help combat trolling on their social media through a series of clever GIFs and short video comment replies.
Speaking of which, Kiedis actually has his own social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok!
Follow him @KiedisTroll
Be sure to also follow the Insurance King facebook page to see what he’s up to. Tweet him if you dare!
Kiedis the Troll - Insurance King Behind the Scenes Video shot by Frank Slowinski Jr and Alfredo Castil Produced by Dan Block
The Puppets of Chicago’s Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera Exhibit
Welcome back to the Creventive Newsletter.
I recently got to visit the Swedish American Museum for their "The Puppets of Chicago's Kungsholm Miniature Grand Opera" exhibit.
The exhibit runs from September 27th, 2019 - December 1st, 2019, featuring an extensive collection of puppets, set pieces, photographs, and memorabilia from the 1930s.
You may be asking, what is Kungsholm?
Kungsholm was a famous sit-down restaurant theater in the late 1930s that's main attraction featured a miniature grand opera puppet theater.
So, how did this all come about? Enter Ernest Wolfff. Wolfff fell in love with opera as a child when one of his parents took him to see a production of "Carmen."
Wolfff began building a complete miniature opera theater in the basement of his home. His mother and a family friend helped devise puppets that would move on the tiny stage in slots and be operated from below by wires.
Their efforts improved under the sponsorship of the Victor Recording Company for an opportunity to present at the Worlds Fair in 1938.
After the fair, they began a mid-western tour of the puppet opera in the United States.
During the conclusion of their trip, Wolfff was discovered by a man named Fredrick Chramer. Chramer had purchased one of the McCormick mansions, located at Rush and Ontario streets, and converted it into a very successful restaurant called the Kungsholm.
Chramer proposed to bring Wolfff's puppet productions as a permanent installation, and the rest was history.
In November of 1941, Chramer, along with Mrs. Wolfff, opened what was to become the world-famous "KUNGSHOLM MINIATURE GRAND OPERA." Kungsholm employed many talented puppeteers, costumers, artists, and technicians who worked at the theater over the years.
Tragically, in February of 1947, a fire destroyed the Kungsholm puppet opera. Shortly after, Chramer began to re-build the puppet opera on the street level in the space once occupied by the carriage house.
One of the puppeteers who worked there over the years was a young man named Bill Fosser. He began working at Kungsholm first when he was 14 years old in 1943, then returned for a few years in 1950 and then later as artistic director in 1963.
In addition to Kungsholm, Fosser had a very successful career as a motion picture art director and set decorator.
In his free time, Fosser would work on designs to improve the puppets, props, and scenery. His most significant advancements were to the mechanisms of the puppets to help give them more articulation, expression, and life.
In 1971, Kungsholm closed. Some of the puppets and scenery were put on display at the Museum of Science and Industry for many years until they found their final home at the Swedish American Museum in 2018.
On December 3rd, 1993, Fosser founded "Opera In Focus" alongside Paul Guerrain in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. A labor of love to his admiration and passion towards puppet opera theater. Fosser's innovations brought the puppet opera to new heights focusing on creating elaborate, beautiful works of craftsmanship to life until his death in 2006.
Opera In Focus continues this tradition to this day with year-round performances at the Rolling Meadows park district ran by the Snyder brothers: Justin and Shayne. Each show features different scenes from various operas/plays/musicals followed by a backstage tour/Q&A/Demo on how the puppets are operated.
If you are fascinated by puppetry, opera, or have any appreciation for craftsmanship, I highly recommend checking out Opera In Focus. You won't be disappointed. : https://www.operainfocus.com/.
