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Author Topic: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -  (Read 41908 times)

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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #20 on: September 13, 2009, 11:33:18 PM »

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Came across these today, and thought it would be of interest to include them in this thread.

Here are some of the 60 or so preliminary drawings i did to plan out every feature realted to the 'George' marionette.

Much of what you will see was changed during his creation, particularly the crossbar controls and his visual appearence. Most of the internal workings and sculpted diagram ideas were used and executed almost exactly as originally drawn.

I will make notes where there is something that might be of special interest.

First up, one of the first full sheets of doodles i did to get out onto paper what had been in my head for about a month to see if this was feasable.



^ At this early stage 'George' was sporting his half-shaven 80's appearence. The main focus at this early stage was plotting out how the different animations would work in the context of his facial layout. In simple terms, would all i wanted him to do actually be able to happen internally in this figure. 'George' was originally planned to be a small marionette..much like your standard sized puppet figure...that would be operated on a tabletop and walk around. This changed later on as will be shown.

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^ Another early set of drawings, this time focusing on how the different facial animations will actually be tackled and built. All of the concepts here were actually used, with only very slight changes.

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^ This page represents what ideas i had for creating various aspects of his body, specifically his outer clothing and various limb details. Several pages were drawn outlining ideas for how his body should be made, but i chose this page to share as it has more variety ( and hopefully more interest!) Note the three figures on the top of the page- these are the three different clothing choices i was pondering over while construction was underway.
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #21 on: September 13, 2009, 11:34:23 PM »

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Continuing now with the initial sketches that led to 'George's' creation.....





^ During the time i was working on sculpting his head, i did a series of sketches outlining ideas for how his arms and hands should appear and what they should be made from. This picture above shows a series of images covering all aspects of how he should strum his ukulele. Everything was considered, from posture, finger pose, appearence in general ( tendon lines, knuckles, fingernails, etc.) to help create a sense of realisim. The bottom half of this page shows the complex 'slide bar' i originally planned on making to enable 'George' to move his left hand to 'hold chord notes' on his uke when playing. This was never made primarily because when it became obvious this figure was turning out much larger then expected, this animation would have proved troublesome and difficult to operate. There was so much else to be mindful of when performing 'George' you would need another person to just operate his 'slide' hand. Another image of interest- in the bottom right hand side you can see the spoof i did of the banjolele's brand label. The original 'CN' was changed to a similarly styled 'GH' in honour of George.

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^ One of several napkins i drew on with ideas and planned strategies for how 'George' should be operated. Since he is a marionette, the strings were to be positioned to reflect where the various animations were to happen. The layout of the strings, and the shape of the crossbar controls, varies greatly from figure to figure. No two are ever the same really...as each character is usually of different size, weight, and has a different number of features or animations to control. Almost all of the charactersi had made up until this point were single-hand operated figures. 'George' had a far more complex array of animations, and required very careful considerations and planning to acheive the correct string layout and more importantly crossbar control layout. You can build the coolest puppet in the world, but it is really useless and a wasted effort if it cannot perform! So the top part of this early stage of development shows the string placement for both the head and body. At this point i knew 'George' was huge and would probably always perform seated..thus we see the string layout for his arms. The bottom half shows a few of the insane multitude of variations i made in trying to come up with a proper set of control bars. I must have gone through at least 30 different variations before reaching one that fit his needs perfectly. These shown were never used.
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #22 on: September 13, 2009, 11:36:28 PM »

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^ Here is a very early napkin drawing i did to clarify what i had in my mind at that early stage for the controls for 'George'. The two control bars shown were a must, as one controls his head animations while the larger one handled the arm and hand animations. These two sets of animation needed to be seperated as the timing would be seriously off on both the lip sych animations and the hand strumming motion if melded together. Also, due to 'George' being lifesize, there was no way my stubby fingers could handle pulling all those strings together! So the 'splitting up' was always planned right from the start.
In the end, this layout was not used. The actual control bars came out looking like a reverse version of this, with no interlocking hook used. No back string or shoulder strings were used in the end, as they were not needed. The actual controls i ended up making ended up looking 'backwards' when compared to this early version...the strum string is now where the back string was to be shown above. The very bottom shows a pattened stripe that was to be used to decorate the control bars '..for a touch of George..' as the scrawled lettering says in the bottom right hand edge. The final controls were indeed decorated - strips of Indian/Nepalense patternwork designs and a small 'Dark Horse' image were smoothed into various decorative points within the wood.

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^ Another napkin drawing, this time showing the correct animation sequence for 'George' to strum his uke. At this point i was near completion and most of the project was finished. This was drawn out just to give me a sense of what needed to happen when i finally strung the uke and placed it in George's hands. The black triangles show in which direction each string needs to be going in to create the illusion of actually strumming the instrument. It takes seven strings for 'George' to strum. If i had added the 'slide' feature, it would have been eight. The various angles and smooth movements are achieved by the combination of rocking back and forth between the seven, with the primarily 'strum string' attached through his guitar(s) being the key component.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into what went into making 'George'. When i finally get the new batch of performance videos up, you will get to see him in action with me at the controls.
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JimmyMcCullochFan

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #23 on: September 21, 2009, 06:58:40 AM »

Looking forward to the videos  :)
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Mairi

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #24 on: September 21, 2009, 07:51:31 PM »

very interesting!
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #25 on: September 28, 2009, 04:57:40 AM »

Watch out for those FIVE NEW videos ......they are in our midst!

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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #26 on: October 01, 2009, 06:42:24 PM »

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- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -


Ladies and Gents...the moment you have all been waiting for...

Here now for your enjoyment is the ALL NEW collection of 'George Harrison' Marionette performance videos!



Now enjoy FIVE new videos - four songs performed by 'George' along with one special 'Behind the Strings' segement giving viewers a peek into how he is brought to life.

Direct links -

 "Pisces Fish" -
George Harrison Marionette - "Pisces Fish"


"Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" -
George Harrison Marionette - "Devil and The Deep Blue Sea"


Behind the Strings segment -
George Harrison Marionette "Behind the Strings"


"That's The Way It Goes" -
George Harrison Marionette - "That's The Way It Goes"


"Jai Sri Krishna" -
George Harrison Marionette - "Jai Sri Krishna"


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- * - * - * - * - *  - * - * - * -

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sgt. peppie

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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #28 on: November 15, 2009, 06:42:30 PM »

Hi there Sgt....

The reason is probably the playback system i use ( tape).  The recording i performed to may have been a pitch higher then the CD listening public is used to...

Could also be the video capturing unit my friend used to convert the original videotaped version, but my guess is that it is more then likely the tape recorded audio.

Thanks for watching..and commenting!

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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #29 on: December 14, 2009, 11:44:40 PM »

Latest batch of photos, these from the video shoots this past Summer.

Enjoy!







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Mairi

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #30 on: December 15, 2009, 02:11:54 AM »

The one with the flowers is very nice.
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #31 on: February 09, 2010, 12:17:17 AM »

Thank you for the compliment. 

:)
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Bubby Gnome

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #32 on: February 09, 2010, 03:27:46 AM »

Wow this is so cool.  :) :D ;D
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #33 on: March 27, 2010, 12:02:11 AM »

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Thought this may be of interest, particularly to users of the social network 'Facebook'..

'George' now has his very own Facebook page! 

Search 'George Harrison Marionette' or click this direct link if you are on Facebook-

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/George-Harrison-Marionette/108744329145003?ref=mf

I thought it would be a fun way to promote the videos, and keep all the drawings, reference photos, and written stories about his creation in one place.

Stop on by and have a look....


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In other news....

There is talk now about making a couple of more videos to add to the collection of performance videos.  Two songs are now being seriously considered to be filmed, and this may happen in the coming months.

 :)
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #34 on: May 25, 2010, 10:46:37 PM »

Thought i would add an update, for anyone interested....

Some new photos will be forthcoming at some point...including some with 'George' holding his banjolele. 

Plans are still on track for filming some new Performance Videos this Summer.  'If Not For You' is looking like the leading song choice, with  'That's What It Takes' also still being considered as well.  Both videos may be in a edited form, which i purposely avoided with the last batch so viewers could better concentrate on the actual performance of the figure.  Now that folks can see what he can do, it is time to bump things up a notch.  So the new additions will have a different look about them.

A new idea is being considered set to the tune of 'Marwa Blues'.    Think of a 'artsy' film style....a edited montage of sorts featuring 'George' partaking in some activities set to music.  It is early at this point in development, and may not be ready for the Summer releases.

The target date i am aiming for to release the new collection of 'George' videos is August 1st - the 1 year anniversary of the projects' unveiling. 

 :)

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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #35 on: July 01, 2010, 07:52:45 PM »

All new photos of 'George' , photographed last month.
More will be forthcoming as in the coming weeks work starts on the latest batch of new performance videos.

Enjoy these in the meantime!

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'George' poses for the camera with his favourite ukulele
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When the mood strikes him, 'George' is know to pick up his uke and do a improptu performance...much to the delight of onlookers.
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A experiemental photograph, done for artistic purposes.
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The play of light on 'George's' face makes a nice image.  The tiny turquoise 'Dark Horse Records' lapel pin he wears can be seen in this closer view.
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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #36 on: July 17, 2010, 11:32:10 PM »

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Latest news- Work has begun in earnest on filming the NEW collection of 'George' videos! Finally...after many months, cameras are rolling on four new offerings.


Filming is now complete for the first new addition to the Performance Video collection.
"That's What It Takes" is now in post-production and about to be edited into it's final form, in preperation for release. If all goes to plan, it should be ready for viewing in a couple of weeks. The target date for release is August 1st.


Three more video shoots will be taking place for three more songs...two already have very clear ideas about how they will look, which as any filmaker knows is half the battle. Things are looking good so far..with some dashes of random humour tossed in to keep in theme with George's preferences.





This new collection will be made in a slightly different style, with some different views of 'George' so viewers can see him in greater detail. Close ups, various angles, and alternative views will be put together to give viewers a better look at him and what he can do. Some slight editing is planned to enhance the veiwing experience and give each new video it's own distintive look and 'feel'. I purposely avoided using any cutaways or editing in the previous collection as i wanted viewers to better be able to concentrate on 'George's actual performance....hard to do if the picture is changing every few minutes!

Now that viewers have seen what he can do, it is time to step things up a notch creatively. The new collection will have a more visual feel, and also inject some of GH's wry humour into the settings. This combo should be both a joy to capture on film on my end, and hopefully a delight to view on your end!

More info will be shared here as progress goes along.
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cubanheel

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #37 on: July 19, 2010, 08:45:38 AM »

So much hard work and obvious dedication has gone into all that you do with your George! Well done! You should do performances at Beatles conventions or as a support act to a tribute band. I think fans would love to see what you and George get up to!
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #38 on: July 20, 2010, 01:07:10 AM »

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That is very kind of you to say, cubanheel. It means a lot to me to hear this project is being appreciated by people who are aware of Mr. Harrison and his persona. So many thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts!

Folks can keep up to date with what 'George' is up to, and what projects i am working on with him on 'Facebook'.
Yes indeed, 'George' has his very own Page....and i may have already mentioned it earlier in this thread.
Search for 'George Harrison Marionette' and it should come up on Facebook.  Hope to see you there! 

Getting back to responding to cubanheels comments now....

 I would absolutely LOVE to go someplace where 'George' would be able to perform for a welcoming audience 'live'.  I have a lot of experience performing with my marionettes in front of a audience and on stage...so this would be a natural for me. To date 'George' has only performed live in front of a audience once, and it was for a small gathering of about 15 people who were not overly familiar with George Harrison's works,  besides the obvious Bealtes connections of course.  They enjoyed him, but i will admit i often wondered how well he would do performing for people who are FULLY aware of him?  I would imagine folks would go absolutely nuts....or either be scared out of their wits.  'George' seems to bring out these two extremes in people i have discovered this past year while sharing the current video playlist with other Forum posters elsewhere in Cyberspace.

'George' at a B-Con?   Sure...i would be up for that if i was extended a invitation.
The one thing however that concerns me is his safety, and the fact he is not very easy to transport ( wheels only...no flying!).  George himself hated flying in airplanes...and the same can be said for his marionette likeness as this puppet is lifesize. I seriously do not intend on bringing him on as carry-on baggage on a airplane.   Can you imagine what would happen at the security checkpoint??

EEk!

In all seriousness though...i would love to be able to bring him somewhere and let him perform in person.

Hey, maybe that film premeire coming up....made by that well known director?

  ;D
« Last Edit: July 20, 2010, 01:14:11 AM by Unknown Delight »
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Unknown Delight

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Re: - * - George Harrison lifesize Marionette creation - * -
« Reply #39 on: July 23, 2010, 12:57:23 AM »

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The past few days have been intense...in many respects. The focus, performance quality, and the very intense heat during filming has had me in a whirlwind of activity. Nothing like filming outside in the 96 degree heat of humid Summer weather dressed in black...ieee!

Filming is now complete on "If Not For You" and i have to say that this one looks to be something very special. It has a definate 'feel' to it...very homey and comfortable. Think of yourself visiting George Harrison at home..at Friar Park...and getting to spend a Summer afternoon with him enjoying the grounds. Yeah...THAT kind of 'feel' to it visually. Bliss.

Today i spent some time reviewing all the footage for the first two new videos - "That's What It Takes" and "If Not For You". I was VERY pleased with the results...and some of the veiws of 'George' are stunning. There was even a shot or two where it gave me a little chill, as it reminded me so much of the man himself. It actually kind of freaked me out...but in a really nice way.

Filming wrapped for "That's What It Takes" last week...and reviewing it's footage today shows a good performance segment with a very funny last minute additon that brings it to a whole new level. I think George himself would be laughing at this little bit...it is SO 'him' ....a random bit of hilarity that is both Python-like and a nice nod to...well, wait n' see!

'George' is being filmed from various angles, with many close ups. Now folks will be able to better see the detailing of his face, his hands, and guitar stumming/plucking. He can do some decent 'solos' believe it or not. Several takes involve him singing and playing in a way that makes you feel like you are right there watching him in person. A lot more to be seen now then just the usual standard 'facing forward' strumming position as the previous six videos in the collection have already shown.

These two new additons are a absolute step up in a major way from the original collection. When these are finished in the way i hope to accomplish, it will blow the others' in the collection currently showing out of the water.

I have a really good feeling about these....now the serious work begins in getting these assembled and cut together into a completed presentation.

More news as production continues along !
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