Creating the ‘Chewie’ Creature Puppet

Posted on Categories Tv Series

‘Scariacs’ is a children’s TV series in the vein of the Twilight Zone. Two pilot episodes were created for Nickelodeon.
The Episode called ‘Bookworm’ has a small creature in it that likes to eat books, Sharp FX designed and created this creature as a puppet. Series created by Simon Adams & Shane Elsmore from the Production Company – Roboto .
The creature needed to be cute and appealing to children but also with an element of scariness.

Creature Puppet Sculpture
Creature Puppet Sculpture

First a design was created for the creature puppet. Then the armature was constructed with wire on an arm cast of the puppeteer. The sculpture was created in plasticine.
Moulding the Creature Puppet
Moulding the Creature Puppet

Once the creature puppet sculpture was complete it was walled up with water based clay and a four piece mould was made in fibreglass.
un-painted Silicone puppet skin
Un-painted Silicone Puppet Skin

A fibreglass core was created for the head and joined to the existing arm cast. The skin was poured in silicone.
Painted puppet with core and eyes
Painted Puppet with Core and Eyes

The silicone skin was painted with psycho paint. Acrylic eyes were hand painted and then the eyes and core were glued into the skin.
Finished Creature Puppet
Finished Creature Puppet

The ‘Chewie’ creature puppet was finished off with some hair punching.
puppeteering
Puppeteering

The puppet skin has an internal jointed armature with removable puppeteering rods.

See the finished ‘Chewie’ Puppet in action below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w6G8qtMBhc


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