So this past week, has been a good one, but certainly a very different pace to previous weeks. Zilla and I are now working from home, which obviously limits the amount of things we can get done, less resources etc. Currently the production is still moving ahead, but now with everyone working from home. How long this will go on, we can’t know. We are taking it one week at a time. But we are trying our best to be productive, and keep morale high.
We have a puppetry department meeting (via video) every morning at 9am which has been a fantastic way to start the day, not only connecting with colleagues, and discussing how things are progressing, but also as a nice routine to keep us getting out of bed and starting work on time!
Zilla and I continued working on various moulds this week. I worked on a lay up for a hand, something I had started and set aside last week. It is challenging, but I feel I am starting to get the hang of it. A lay up for those just tuning in, is the first part of a two (or more) part mould. You start with about an inch and a half deep base of soft clay, and then place the piece you are going to create a mould of in the centre, then build the clay up around it, to about the mid-way point. You can also begin by making a hollow for your piece to submerge in and create your layup that way. I should have some pictures to share of a lay up of a personal project next week. Will take lots of progress shots! I think it will be a little easier to explain through pictures.
The personal project I have been working on is a little self portrait. My plan is to create a stop motion puppet from beginning to end, and Zilla is helping me through this process. So to begin, I have been working on a sculpt using oil based clay. She is standing in a neutral pose, and is mostly naked, except for her shoes (converse sneakers of course). She also has no hair. The costume and wig will come later down the line. Once I am ready, I will create a mould of my sculpt, and then following that cast her using soft expanding foam and a silicone skin. She will have a simple wire armature inside, like that of the background characters on the production. I am looking forward to working with the armaturists on the production (once we are back in the studio) to learn about the extremely intricate armatures in the leading characters. Once I have the cast of her body, I will begin working on her wig, and her costume. I will likely sculpt the wig out of clay and then cast it using silicone like most of the wigs in the production. The costume will be mostly fabric. I am also excited to work with the wig and costuming teams once we are back in the studio.
As you can imagine, there is a lot of uncertainty about exactly how my placement on the production will progress with all that is happening around You-Know-Who. For the moment, we are continuing to work from home, and that is all we can know. I have however had some lovely conversations with our producer Mel Coombs, and puppet production manager Jennifer Hammontree about what the future may look like for me, which has been very reassuring. The support I have received from the entire team has been really amazing. I am very privileged to work with such wonderful humans. So, for now I am continuing to learn and grow, and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
Outside of our work tasks, we have been keeping busy with other creative pursuits. We have been doing a daily drawing challenge. It started out just me and my two housemates, but has expanded in to a bigger group. Yesterday we hit a record high with 11 submissions! It has been a really wonderful way to connect with people, feel a sense of community, and do a fun, silly, low stakes creative task. The daily drawing has been very good for my sanity. Get in touch if you would like to join in! Prompts have been things like “Xena, ordering FroYo aboard a dinosaur” and “Morticia Addams rollerskating at the zoo”. It is very silly and fun! We love seeing how everyone interprets the prompt differently, and also the similarities!
Those who read last weeks post will remember that I was putting a playlist together of the Pinocchio crew’s favourite happy songs. I asked everyone to submit their 3 favourite happy/ uplifting songs and then put it together into a big wonderful playlist. There is so much variety in the choices. We listened to it several times last week and it is very uplifting. If you would like to have a listen, follow this link: Maderra Crew Happy Jams
We closed out the week on Friday afternoon with “Quarantinis”, a social catch up with the crew via Zoom. Usually we do Friday afternoon drinks in the bar at the studio, and this was a great alternative. Zoom is awesome because you can choose to put everyone in gallery view, which means you can see everyone. It was really fun. I highly recommend it.
And so we move forward in to week 9. Zilla and I have a number of moulds to work on this week. And I will continue working on my personal project, and take lots of photos to share with you all!
Stay safe and sane out there!