Need help building Muppet and question about foam.

[TxBabyHuey]

So as you guys get to know me, you'll understand I love Tron and Star Wars, but my whole reason behind getting my MFA in Animation and Modeling was so that I could apply to the Henson company.

I realize now that my MFA doesn't really stand for much compared to most of you guys who have way better skills than I could EVER hope for.

But it has been my dream since I was 5 to work at Henson studios for all the work that they are known for.

the 3d world will die down soon and with the new Dark Crystal on the horizon I really think the Henson company is going to make a SEVERE comeback.

Before CG those guys had a miraculous way of interpreting ideas into physical form to the likes of which we really haven't seen in years.

So in order to graduate from the Academy of Art in San Francisco we had to come up with a story and this is mine.

This is Milton the Pigeon and his partner Eggy the Crackhead.

I am producing the animation as we speak and just for fun when I apply to the Henson company I also want to show that I have the skills to make muppets.

This is Milton the Pigeon.

This is Eggy The Crackhead

So I have been researching this and have found that most people use a foam called l200 and I have not been able to find out how to find the damn stuff.

But I got really goofy one night and designed this. I want to do an animatronic head of Milton, and if I can't do that I would just like to do a hand operated muppet of him.

I know the L200 foam is a little harder and this has a Chuck Jones kind of feel to it and I want to be able to shape it a little more, but for the body I can use a regular foam.

So I am wondering

A. Where the hell do I get L200 foam here in the states.

B. Has anyone here worked with it.

I used to work in a warehouse making panels that had styrofoam as the core and we would cut it with hot wire. Would that method work with regular foam or L200?

Basically after I have the Tron light disc made it will be out of my hands until I get them to wire which should only take a weekend.

But this is a project I would love to add to my portfolio when I send it to the Henson company.

 

[bleyd]

So as you guys get to know me, you'll understand I love Tron and Star Wars, but my whole reason behind getting my MFA in Animation and Modeling was so that I could apply to the Henson company.

I realize now that my MFA doesn't really stand for much compared to most of you guys who have way better skills than I could EVER hope for.

But it has been my dream since I was 5 to work at Henson studios for all the work that they are known for.

the 3d world will die down soon and with the new Dark Crystal on the horizon I really think the Henson company is going to make a SEVERE comeback.

Before CG those guys had a miraculous way of interpreting ideas into physical form to the likes of which we really haven't seen in years.

So in order to graduate from the Academy of Art in San Francisco we had to come up with a story and this is mine.

This is Milton the Pigeon and his partner Eggy the Crackhead.

I am producing the animation as we speak and just for fun when I apply to the Henson company I also want to show that I have the skills to make muppets.

This is Milton the Pigeon.

This is Eggy The Crackhead

So I have been researching this and have found that most people use a foam called l200 and I have not been able to find out how to find the damn stuff.

But I got really goofy one night and designed this. I want to do an animatronic head of Milton, and if I can't do that I would just like to do a hand operated muppet of him.

I know the L200 foam is a little harder and this has a Chuck Jones kind of feel to it and I want to be able to shape it a little more, but for the body I can use a regular foam.

So I am wondering

A. Where the hell do I get L200 foam here in the states.

B. Has anyone here worked with it.

I used to work in a warehouse making panels that had styrofoam as the core and we would cut it with hot wire. Would that method work with regular foam or L200?

Basically after I have the Tron light disc made it will be out of my hands until I get them to wire which should only take a weekend.

But this is a project I would love to add to my portfolio when I send it to the Henson company.

Great looking characters! Hope you get the Henson gig. Tho not a professional I've been researching and building my own muppet style puppets.

My suggestion is to go here.

Muppet Central Forum - Uniting Muppet Fans Around The World
LOTS of great folks there and can help you in a good direction to build your character.

I've been on a super tight budget and have used anything I can get my hand on. For my base I've used: carpet padding, silencingfoam, and upholstry foam used in boats. Tho I'd rather use a better grade of foam it's teaching me the basic internal structure without killing my wallet.

If you're planning on going animatronics it's not TOO far from some stuff I've seen. Ever mold and cast? Based on your images I'd carve the head and go with foam latex although it WOULD break down in time. Coldcast foam latex isn't too expensive and fairly easy to work with when set.

Puppetmania - Kennedy, John E., was helpful. Tho in the kid section some good info. on doing differant types of puppets.

Hope this helps.

 

[bleyd]

View attachment 43177 This may help also. Not MY pic but one I picked from another puppeteer. If the owner of this pic doesn't want it here please let me know and I will take it down.

 

[TxBabyHuey]

View attachment 43177 This may help also. Not MY pic but one I picked from another puppeteer. If the owner of this pic doesn't want it here please let me know and I will take it down.

Damn, if this puppeteer is here then I would love to chat with him.

Sooner or later I want to do a replica of the orange guys from Labyrinth, I always put my hands over my eyes when that scene came up because they scared the hell out of me.

So where do I get L200 foam? There has to be someone here who is knowledgeable about it. Someone sent me to some guys youtube video and it was terrible.

I guess I would also like to know where to buy the special fabric to where it simulates fur of sorts.

I saw one option that are feather fringes and they aren't expensive but they come in small strips and it would take a while to sew those.

 

[Apollo]

There are a few puppet builders here that can probably give you some tips.

I like what you have done with Milton and Eggy!

 

[89Forever]

Good job!

 

[TxBabyHuey]

There are a few puppet builders here that can probably give you some tips.

I like what you have done with Milton and Eggy!

Thank you. I have been looking at them for 4 years now while the story has been in development, and I am not as bored of them as I would thought I would be, and my professors are impressed with my ability to come up with characters so hopefully the animated short works out. We are going to try to pitch it as a cartoon, but I don't know what networks, especially Disney and Nickelodeon are going to be interested in a character named Eggy the Crackhead.

The whole reason I came up with Eggy the Crackhead was because I lived in San Francisco/Oakland for 5 years and there are plenty of crackheads around there for inspiration.

One time I lived in a loft in Oakland. We were the only ones that were lived in the building and the rest of the offices were commercial buildings and after 5 we were the only ones that were supposed to be in the building.

To get to our loft you had to go into the building, up the stairs, down a hallway, through double doors to get to another set of double doors, then into the door into our apartment.

I left my bike outside my door because the building was locked at all times anyway, but no one had any business being there. One day a crackhead broke into our apartment and stole my bike. It was my favorite bike, it was about $125, but the crackhead left his bike there in exchange for mine. :rolleyes

The joke was, the bike he left turned out to be a really rare vintage Raleigh racing bike from the 60's that was only available in Japan and it was in God Awful shape but I got about $175 for the thing :confused - when I called and told my dad, he laughed so loud that I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

Then I said what a crackhead! and the character came to me. Milton was originally supposed to be a monster, here is the original concept.

But my professor who used to be a big wig at ILM said people wouldn't get the connection unless I made him a bird.

Here is the original concept, but even this monster changed a few times.

 

[SeanB13]

Since the question always gets asked, I thought I would start a thread listing all of the suppliers for reticulated "Scott" foam worldwide and maybe other people can add to it suppliers I have missed:

Reticulated/Scott Foam Suppliers - Muppet Central Forum

Where can I purchase bulk quantities of reticulated foam? Our foam supplier's contact information: Corporate Address: Rogers Foam Corporation 20 Vernon Street Somerville, MA 02145 United States of America To order call: 215-295-8720 You will need to order reticulated foam or Scott foam in a 1/2 inch thickness at 35ppi (pores per inch) in the neutral color. The foam comes in 48" X 72" sheets and the pricing varies.

Professional Puppet Patterns, Puppet Building Tutorials, and Materials

Another Foam Source I'm here in Los Angeles and there is a good foam source here: Atlas Foam 12836 Arroyo Street Sylmar, CA 91342 # 818-837-FOAM(3626), FAX 818-837-1114 contact Jim Young or Pam They also carry crossed linked, closed cell polyethylene foam which we call L200 or L300 for the denser foam. They will cut the bun to the desired thickness and will ship one sheet of foam, as far as I know.

Puppet Making Supplies

 

[TxBabyHuey]

Thanks a lot, that helps a bunch.

Can you cut L200 foam with hot wires like you can styrofoam?

 

[HMS Mike]

Thanks a lot, that helps a bunch.

Can you cut L200 foam with hot wires like you can styrofoam?

Hi,

Yes you can, but it cut's very easy with a x-acto or a razer. You can also use a electric carving knife or a band saw. If you use L-100 or 200 make sure you vent the head as the L-100/200 etc. does not breath.
I would make the head out of reticulated foam covered in antron fleece.
Atlas Foam sells reticulated foam in black any thickness you ask for and it is cheaper than Rogers foam as they (Rogers) have a min. order of $500.00. Atlas also sells L200 etc.
Your drawing looks like you have a vacum formed or fiberglass under skull to attach the mech. to

This is one of my pieces. From My company's web site.

Hope this helped,
HMS Mike