File puptcrit/puptcrit.0604, message 315


From: "Mary Horsley" <mphorsley-AT-earthlink.net>
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] STRINGS  --  Movie
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 19:18:18 -0400



Whoa! So, when does open in the U.S.? Who does the marionettes? Absolutely
fantastic!

Mary

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
-Walter Bagehot

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the
choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape
ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And, the choices we make
are ultimately our own responsibility."-----Eleanor Roosevelt

"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are
dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do
it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many
tomorrows.

-Michael Landon

www.gentleteaching.com

We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are.
 
--Oprah Winfrey
 




> [Original Message]
> From: Steve Axtell <steve-AT-axtell.com>
> To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
> Date: 4/27/2006 4:54:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] STRINGS  --  Movie
>
> I watched the trailer and saw how the strings are 
> central to the story.   Here is a link to the trailer.
>
> http://www.stringsthemovie.com/uk.html
>
> Ax
>
> At 4/27/2006 12:36 PM, you wrote:
> >Greetings, All:
> >
> >I'd like to respond to Linda, Ax and Michael about "STRINGS."
> >
> >Ax: The strings were the puppets' lifelines, so to speak. If one's
strings
> >were cut, then one was 'dead.' One cut one's own 
> >strings to 'end it all,' as in
> >one example in the film. So the 'connection' to 
> >whatever was quite evident and
> >a necessary visual to get that idea across... During the film, the use
of the
> >obvious qualities and also the limitation the strings imposed on their
owners
> >was used effectively. Both as a restrictive element, and also to
indicate a
> >physical bonding by having two characters' strings entwine. We got the
> >message....
> >
> >I won't pretend to understand to what source of life or power or force
the
> >strings were connected. I've seen it a few times and didn't get the idea
that
> >there was any attempt to convey some 'spiritual' connection, although
that
> >certainly might fit into some folks' 
> >interpretation.   The strings rose into some
> >cloud-like ether so we never saw where they terminated. The strings did
go
> >'up.'
> >So make of that what you will. Seems to me that reverence and respect -
> >possibly worship - was paid to those who had 
> >gone before. Not to some deity or
> >force.
> >
> >I don't want to say too much. Bernd Ogrodnick will be with us at the
O'Neill
> >Puppetry Conference this June and I hope we all 
> >have a chance to ask him a lot
> >of questions.
> >
> >I agree that the film desperately needed some changes of pace. It was
> >tedious. And plodding. It certainly could have used some cutting. I had
great
> >difficulty telling which side was which in the battle scenes.
> >This very 'liquid' film needed some help in that I, personally, never
> >understood why so much rain. Nothing was offered 
> >to explain or justify the excess use
> >of water or why we seemed to be in this very humid environment. Perhaps
it
> >just 'was.'
> >
> >I will, no doubt, get some 'heated' replies for the following.... I'm
here to
> >learn.
> >I was not taken in by any human character. None earned my sympathy. They
were
> >all too distant. Too self centered. Strangely, however, I did feel
empathy
> >for the bird. It was the only character that evoked an emotional
response. I
> >felt that this bird showed his ability to relate to and care about other
> >characters. Perhaps the Mother in the 'birthing' 
> >or 'giving of life' scene was a close
> >second. I can't explain why.
> >
> >I will also go out on a limb and suggest that this was some of the finest
> >(successful) manipulation I have ever seen in a 
> >film using marionettes. I have
> >seen dozens of films/videos with some by world famous puppeteers. Most
fall
> >horribly short where it comes to careful 
> >manipulation. Even those I've worked on.
> >
> >I'm thinking that one of the main reasons was that Bernd and his crew had
> >access (or so I've been told) to special goggles 
> >that allowed the puppeteers to
> >see what the camera saw though tiny monitors in the goggle lens. They
could
> >stay focused on the puppet and not have to peer over at some monitor.
Working
> >from very high bridges is tough enough. 
> >Fortunately they had this high tech tool
> >to help them. I'll assume they took plenty of time to rehearse.
> >
> >A real problem with any commercial film seems to be that there are
impossible
> >time constraints, lack of rehearsal time, and in some cases, lack of an
> >experienced director who understands what a 
> >marionette can and cannot do.   With
> >STRINGS, I got the feeling that they did it 'til they got it right.
'Right'
> >being a relative term...
> >
> >The marionettes were interesting and of really nice (clean) design and
> >construction. I like the use of various textures to create interest.
> >It was a tremendous undertaking, no question, with little expense or
time,
> >spared.
> >But I for one, would have liked to have seen the potential for
exploiting the
> >possibilities and range of movement explored more fully. This is an easy
> >statement to make as I sit here in my 
> >comfortable chair, with no deadline hover
> >ing, or film crew waiting for my input.
> >
> >I was jarred when the bird flew off at the end without the aid of its
> >STRINGS. Nothing prepared me for that. It seems 
> >the whole film, that is to say - the
> >LIFE connections, was based on those strings. Now, we have this critter
take
> >off on its own. Did I miss something?
> >
> >I wish there had been an hour of behind the scenes shots.
> >
> >For what it's worth...
> >Fred T.
> >
> >
> >
> > > Did they do a lot of rain scenes to hide the strings?
> > > Ax
> > >
> > >
> > > At 4/27/2006 09:59 AM, you wrote:
> > > >My 4 cents on Strings:
> > > >
> > > >The puppets were astounding works of craftsmanship and artistry, and
for
> > > the
> > > >most part they were manipulated beautifully. (Only some of the battle
> > > scenes
> > > >looked a bit clumsy.)
> > > >
> > > >My quibble with the film is with the script and direction.
> > > >
> > > >I would have appreciated some variation in the overall gloominess of
the
> > > >script. For instance, the girl's pet bird could
> > > >have added some much needed comic
> > > >relief.
> > > >
> > > >As for direction, I thought the pacing could have varied. It was all
so...
> > > >legato. There were also some questionable
> > > >cuts/edits. When the characters' faces
> > > >never change expression, and their mouths never move, it's incumbent
upon
> > > the
> > > >director to make absolutely clear who is speaking when. There were
many
> > > >scenes in Strings when the direction was more
> > > >like that used for humans, which
> > > >simply doesn't always work for puppets.
> > > >
> > > >I also got a little tired of all the rain scenes. It began to seem
like
> > > >showing off -- "Look! We can operate puppets in water!"
> > > >
> > > >But like I said, just quibbles. Overall, really an amazing film.
> > > >Linda
> > > >_______________________________________________
> > > >List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
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> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Steve Axtell
> > > Axtell Expressions, Inc.
> > > Website - http://www.axtell.com
> > > New on DVD "AxTelevision"! - http://www.axtelevision.com
> > > International Performer's Directory - http://www.axtell.com/ipd.html
> > > Original contents © 2005 all rights reserved.
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> >
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> >
> >
> >--
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>
> Steve Axtell
> Axtell Expressions, Inc.
> Website - http://www.axtell.com
> New on DVD "AxTelevision"! - http://www.axtelevision.com
> International Performer's Directory - http://www.axtell.com/ipd.html
> Original contents © 2005 all rights reserved.  
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