From: "W & P KREFTING" <kreftingfamily-AT-msn.com> To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org> Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:58:56 -0500 Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] STRINGS -- Movie The film opened last year and was featured at the Puppeteers of America Festival in St Paul MN along with Bernd Ogrodnick who held a Q&A/demonstration program. The DVD became available, first in Canada Amazon.ca, toward the end of the summer. Wayne ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Horsley" <mphorsley-AT-earthlink.net> To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org> Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 6:18 PM Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] STRINGS -- Movie > 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 > > > > >Admin interface: > > > > >http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org > > > > >Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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 =A9 2005 all rights reserved. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > > > > Admin interface: > > > > http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org > > > > Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > > >Admin interface: > > >http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org > > >Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > > > > > > > > > > >-- > > >No virus found in this incoming message. > > >Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > >Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.5.1/326 - Release Date: > > >4/27/2006 > > > > 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 =A9 2005 all rights reserved. > > _______________________________________________ > > List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > > Admin interface: > http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org > > Archives: http://www.driftline.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org > Admin interface: > http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org > Archives: http://www.driftline.org > _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org Admin interface: http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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