Bringing this character to life was a different approach to the usual process, as it had already been physically built as a push puppet. So, the team went straight into the 3D build process, using the model as reference. We think they did a pretty fine job of making it indistinguishable from the real thing!
The concept for this piece was for the puppet character to be watching a comedy gig either at home in front of the TV, or live in a theatre. We came up with a few options for the environment design in collaboration with the Woolley Pau team to help give the viewer context. However, because the puppet is such a stylised design, we struggled to find an option that would physically make sense and that didn't feel too cumbersome. Instead, we decided to keep the character in a neutral setting and use sound effects and VO to establish the scene.
Keeping it simple with the environment design meant it was even more important to get the facial expressions just right; to create narrative and keep the piece engaging - especially as we were limited in the puppet's physicality. We created the expressions in 2D and composited them onto the 3D model to help reduce 3D rigging time and come in on budget.
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If you need help bringing a character to life - from a piece of reference or from scratch, we'd be happy to help. Get in touch to see what we can create.
