#getting felt up- a puppetry podcast

[muppet-facts]

Muppet Fact #511

Treelo was originally named Rollo but it was changed after people decided it sounded too similar to Rolie Polie Olie, which was another show being broadcast on Playhouse Disney at the time.

The name Treelo was actually created by Tyler Bunch, Treelo's performer.

Source:

Getting Felt Up- A Puppetry Podcast. Episode 8: Tyler Bunch. June 11, 2014. (00:50:55).

[feusus]

About Rian (2.0)

I already wrote something about him a while ago but I did another ‘essay’ for a Trial By Stone podcast episode centered on him. Of course, I did some modifications because it was before the cancellation. The interviews I mention on the text are obviously the ones in the podcast. 

Rian is a bit overlooked as a character sometimes, often seen as the least interesting of our protagonists or just the pretty boy with beautiful hair and eyes (he sure does, but that’s not my point !) I’ve been a bit surprised by those statements because I’ve been really touched by his character watching the show, and I wasn’t even fond of his design at first ! 

Being a lifelong animation fan and a hobbyist animator, I got a hard time adjusting again to puppetry in AOR. But after watching a lot of stage puppet shows, I did ! And Neil Sterenberg’s performance on Rian was the one that struck me the most. At first I felt more familiar with Deet or Brea because their facial expressions felt more like animation. Rian expresses himself by his body, and for me, it’s the expression of puppetry in it’s purest form. Obviously, he has almost all the action packed scenes with choreographies pushing forward the art of puppetry. Now, as a puppet nerd, I would give everything to see unedited cuts of these scenes with that full body Rian performed by those three perfectly synched puppeteers. But that’s not what impresses me the most in his performance. Neil talked in his interview about “stillness without being still” and all those tiny movements we humans do even if we don’t notice it. It fascinates me how Rian’s emotions can be portrayed by those simple movements, like a tilt of a head, a breath, a gasp, a head lowering, awkward steps, a weight nervously shifting leg to leg... It was hard to convince me that he doesn’t have feet ! I can comfortably say that it’s the best physicality I saw in a hand-rod puppet ! I watched some of his scenes multiple times as inspiration, mainly because I’m currently learning to perform human-like characters. I have rarely seen that sense of rhythm, breath, balance and most of all : weight.

Because when you think about it, Rian’s character is all about weight. The weight of his father’s reputation, the weight of truth, the weight of responsibility and the weight of loss, grief, symbolized by the essence vial he keeps carrying. As Alice Dinnean said in her interview, he starts off as a spoiled kid. He was at the core of society, but unlike Brea, he didn't question anything. He took everything for granted. But he got the biggest slap on the face ever, and he grew up very quickly afterwards. Even if he still takes dumb decisions and is very very flawed, I love how he has a very mature mindset after being listed as a fugitive. He is a victim of his people's fear and ignorance, but what is truly inspiring is how he forgives and kind of understands them, he is more sad than angry about it all. It seems like seing his loved ones dying opened his eyes about Gelfling’s vulnerability and, deep down, his own. The truth can easily die with him. I had the pleasure to have a chat with Neil at the Great Con Junction (Dark Crystal’s first convention), and he said that he portrayed Rian as a character who has more growth in his heart than in his fighting strength. And it shows ! He gains more empathy and humility. We can see his movements getting slower and heavier like all this weight is literally accumulating on his shoulders, and at the same time these movements are gentler, more careful. I don’t know if it’s only Neil getting better at his portrayal or if it was made on purpose, but as he said we can easily project things on puppets.

(There was a poll) As my favorite Rian moment, I chose the group dreamfast scene in episode 4 because even if it happens a bit fast, it encapsulates that evolution the best. Rian convinced Kylan, Tavra and Naia to dreamfast with him, thanks to his sincerity and explaining calmly the truth. Dreamfasting is for me the ultimate form of empathy. A communication without any words, only memories and feelings. Reliving Mira’s death over and over again is seen as a torture for Rian by some viewers, but I saw it as a chance to heal. For the first time after dreamfasting with Gurjin, a weight is lifted from his heart and shared. He has his father with him, and new allies, he is able to cry and they are all crying with him. Rian is still very young. He is deep down a frightened Gelfling in a twisted world, running for his life. He lost practically everything and is searching for new foundations. He needs help, he needs others and he knows it. He found what he wanted in Brea and Deet. He rely on them but is overprotective and extremely worried if something happens to them, because the weight of his losses is still there. He acts this way mainly with Deet. I know that it’s pretty controversial, but I love their relationship. Deet is not Mira, and they are not officially a couple yet ! For me when they are together, they’re in a bubble of solace. They can be themselves, Deet can put down her happy face and show her sorrow and homesickness, and Rian can put down his brave face and show his doubts and vulnerability. One lifts the other up, and they give each other that precious hope powering the resistance. Now that he lost her too, all that weight is falling on him again. Will he go after her and not run away again ? Or would it be the time to properly mourn his losses ?

Rian is the fire of resistance, the « Deatea » in the song of Thra (I don’t know if that’s correct ! I haven’t read the books) But a fire can’t be ignited alone and needs to be constantly fueled. He is not the quirkiest character, even if his sarcasm in the opera scene makes me chuckle. He is a tragic character, he is my favorite character, and whatever form season 2 will take, I look forward to know how he will go on and if the slow fall of his entire species will be another weight for him to carry. 

[esonetwork]

Earth Station One Podcast - The 50th Anniversary of Sesame Street

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/earth-station-one-podcast-the-50th-anniversary-of-sesame-street/

Earth Station One Podcast - The 50th Anniversary of Sesame Street

Sunny day! Sweeping the clouds away! Mike, Mike, and Felt Nerdy’s Charles Kelso hang out in the neighborhood where adults, kids, animals, and Muppets have been educating and entertaining folks for more than 50 years. Plus, Team Kamikaze gets animated about their new Kickstarter project. All this, along with Angela’s Geek Girl’s Take, Ashley’s Box Office Buzz, and Michelle’s Iconic Rock Moment, Rants & Raves, and Shout Outs.

Earth Station One wants to hear from you. Please write us at earthstationone@esonetwork.com. Feedback is always welcome, and please subscribe and rate the show up on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, or wherever fine podcasts are found. Table of Contents 0:00:00 Show Open / Rants and Raves 0:28:33 Box Office Buzz 0:30:55 A Talk w/ Team Kamikaze 0:52:42 Michelle’s Iconic Rock Moment 0:55:39 50th Anniversary of Sesame Street 1:41:07 A Geek Girl’s Take 1:43:21 Show Close

Links ESO Amazon Link Earth Station One on iTunes Earth Station One on Stitcher Radio Earth Station One on Spotify Past Episodes of The Earth Station One Podcast The ESO Network Patreon The New ESO Network TeePublic Store Suicide Prevention Hotline – 1-800-273-8255 Angela’s A Geek Girl’s Take Ashley’s Box Office Buzz Michelle’s Iconic Rock Talk Show Red Cross ESO Network Patreon Felt Nerdy Kamikaze Center for Puppetry Arts Earth Station DCU 42 Cast – Just Us

ESO Network Upcoming Appearances Nov 20 Earth Station One 500 at Infinite Realities (Tucker, GA) ESO (Mike F, Mike G)

If you would like to leave feedback or a comment on the show please feel free to email us @ earthstationone@esonetwork.com

[im-the-king-of-the-ocean]

🌗, 🥰, 🍄

🌗 fluff or angst?

rn angst. I've been getting more and more into horror podcasts, and really vibe with their darker aspects.

Like, one of my favorites is the Silt Verses, and part of what I like about it is that you kinda have to leave normally accepted moral standards at the door and realize this is a pretty messed up world by our standards, and subsequently the characters we're listening to go through this story are themselves kinda messed up as a result.

Subsequently, I feel like I've relaxed a lot in caring what anyone else thinks when I write. I used to be very concerned about writing only Good (Non-Questionable) Things (that don't test or push the boundaries as much, or explore harder concepts). Getting into horror has felt rather freeing, cause  'horrible things happening' is generally accepted as the status quo.

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🥰 fave fic you’ve written?

Rose Puppetry is always going to be be a fav of mine. Steampunk is something I've loved for a long, long time and getting to write something inspired by it (as well by an awesome band) with characters I love was just awesome.

A Seabird and a Song, although my execution of it is a bit messier, I’m super happy with the cadence I’ve managed in it.  I love fairytale Jonmartin fics, and getting to do one of my own is fantastic.

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🍄how do you get yourself in the mood to write?

Listening to music that pumps me up, I suppose?  Idk rn it’s hard bc I don’t have a lot of time or energy left for writing, so it’s usually squeezed between everything else.

Cause of that, it’s hard to be in the mood for writing (or put myself in it).  It tends to be something I have to push myself to do, otherwise it just won’t get done (cos it is easier to sit down, relax, and do something mindless).  Like, the last chapter of Souls was finished when it was entirely bc being on plane rides with nothing else to do forced me into a position to work on it.

[muppet-facts]

Muppet Fact #683

Early Sesame Street puppets had light blue sclera since the cameras had difficulty picking up the color white, so these eyes would appear white on film. Occasionally, the blue would show through on film.

Source:

Getting Felt Up- A Puppetry Podcast. "23. Sesame Street Exhibit Guided Tour - New York Public Library." Discussion with Ryan Dillon. December 10, 2014. (~51:08).