I’ve made things that punch people, and machines that kick people, but here’s a machine I made that kicks and punches people at the same time! Increases productivity by 100%!
The foot and fist are both set in motion by pneumatic cylinders, with a foam foot inside the boot and a foam fist, so that no bones would be busted.
This prop needed a revised mechanism to clobber Silent Library contestants in the head (I changed it to work with pneumatics instead of the original electric motors .)
I also cast the giant foam balls which did the clobbering. The balls have volleyballs in their centers, to save the cost of some expensive polyurethane foam.
I made a giant (12′ across!) cloud and lightning bolt for the Kikkerland booth at the ICFF this year.
The components were made out of several sheets of blue foam sandwiched together, with an MDF and solid wood backing for support. I put together a homemade hot-wire cutter to shape the foam, along with my regular arsenal of saws and surform tools.
For this video, I designed, constructed and puppeted the Godzilla-style creature. (there are some shots of the process of building the puppet over here) I also made a few of the props for the city and helped to dress the set.
I worked with Ryan McFaul (director, camera, props, set) and Katie Akana (props, set, moving vehicles and things around with magnets) It was so much fun to smash things with them, even though I spent the better part of two days crammed under a table with one arm reached as high as I could manage, surrounded by the output of a sweet-smelling fog machine.
We even managed to make Godzilla breathe fire! (kids at home: the secret is an aerosol can of WD-40 and a lighter.)
I made this puppet for a health-care advocacy group. In a short video, the puppet will wreck hospitals, clinics, and maybe even get to eat some ambulances and doctors. I’ll be doing the puppeteering today, so I’ll post a link as soon as it is available. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that fire will be breathed.
The puppet is made from urethane foam covered with liquid latex and acrylic paints. I also added UVA foam teeth and claws, and some red LED lamps for eyes. Steel rods inside the puppet can be used to move the arms, and there are two dowels that fit into sockets located at the back of the puppet’s knees so that the puppet can be “walked” without a puppeteer’s arm inside.
Of course this isn’t THE Godzilla. Godzilla has powerful lawyers with radioactive law breath. Let’s just say he’s a Destroyosaurus. Or possibly a Destructiodon.
I’m working in the Art Department of Sesame Street, and I made plenty of letters and numbers for the 41st season. Most were made out of foamcore or blue foam, but I did make some “7′s” that I scored so that they would break apart easily when Cookie Monster chomped on them.
I went to Chinatown and picked up some pyjamas from a bargain rack to get some fabric for this puppet. The head is made from foam and cardboard (with googly eyes) and the mouth is opened and closed with a piece of clotheshanger wire.
Layers of foam were used to make this puppet and give it an appearance of wind-worn stone.
I sewed a tiny beret for this puppet, and gave it a painted wooden dowel for a cigarette. the mouth is opened and closed by a thin wooden dowel, since the puppet is too thin for a puppeteer’s arm to fit inside.
