So, the Toyota dealership in Bowling Green, KY asked Sublime Media Group to produce a series of puppet spots  for his business.  Here is the resulting hard work of the entire crew in the first two of three commercials.

In this first add, I played the monster interviewer.  I had so much fun performing the character because he takes up so much room on the screen.  It really gives him a sense of stage presence that smaller puppets can’t quite match.  The monster was a design of my own, simple and fun.  He had been built long before landing this gig.  So we costumed him appropriately and gave him a microphone.

I used so many of the puppeteering techniques I learned at my Sesame Street Puppeteer Workshop journey.  Notice how important the immediate focus of the eyes is in every shot.  Specifically at the end where the puppet HAD to turn directly to the camera.  Had he not, the shot would have been far less convincing.  I practiced the movement over and over until I was able to do it without effort.  I am thankful to be working with a director and crew that understand the needs of a puppet on screen and allow me so much creative input.

Enjoy!

The second spot was very different.  Again, the owner is seen in the add but this time we use three characters interacting in the same frames.  I played Clyde the cat while David Hosay plays Sid the Squirrel and our director fills in as Bernie the goat.

The car shots were VERY difficult to get and a lot went into them.  Part of being a puppeteer is learning how to get uncomfortable.  Was it all worth it?  Judge for yourself.