Hi Sonia, thank you so much, and thank you for these questions - pleased you are enjoying my interview, with my previous answers I hope I’m not sounding too much like a politician by not answering them properly, but sometimes a question can spark off other thoughts rather than a direct answer. These are good questions, glad to hear you like the clip, there are a few more clips of the ‘puppet-show’/animation part of the show on the Cartoonito website at:
http://www.cartoonito.co.uk/tv-show/balloonivilleBallooniville started off as just an animation, back in 2008. Jana and I looked into different ways of making and animating balloon puppets, stop frame, solid latex models, green screen, rods etc. We consulted with and worked with some brilliant puppeteers, led by Francis Wright with Rebecca Nagan and Sheila Clark (they have all worked on lots of different shows), plus myself and Jana every now and then when extra pairs of hands were required. We came up with a system of putting in extra twists to give the puppets flexibility of movement. We called these twists ‘scrap twists’ as each one was held closed by a little scrap of suitably coloured balloon. We also used weights as well as specially made rods, all made by hand.
As the concept developed, the live action with children learning how to balloons, the other arts and crafts, the location adventures and the music and the time-lapse were added. We have a wonderful arts and crafts lady called Sandy Thornton, (who now does some work for Mr Maker)
One of the biggest challenges was that we were filming two episodes a day for day after day after day, and keeping up with the schedule of making models and set pieces for the next days ahead. I always thought that other balloon modellers would be surprised to know how quickly that part of the show had to be filmed (hope it does not show too much). Props could occasionally be re-used but each episode covers a very different subject. The animations were made separately, again about two episodes being filmed per day. Most of that was 160’s which was a very pleasant change to the bigger stuff in the live studio. I would be making models whilst the rehearsals and filming commenced and would occasionally rush into the studio to repair a popped puppet leg etc.
11, Who is your market aimed at?As far as day to day or week to week balloon modelling work goes: Corporate Events and Private Parties, about half half
I probably do about 50% children’s events, 25% grown-ups and 25% mixed.
12, What kind of work do you do mostly - parties? Corporate? Etc Pretty much 50/50 corporate events and private parties.
It’s enjoyable to be working in a variety of venues and locations.
Some of the more lavish private parties can be like mini corporate events and vice versa.