This particular part of the project has become quite tedious... but fun! Let me just briefly explain what all goes into creating these graphics. First you have to watch LOTS of Muppet shows. That's the fun part! You study every scene to find those instances where all or part of the background is left empty (very rare because those pesky Muppets are everywhere!) .Then you must print screen shots of those instances and composite the multiple photo layers together until you have created a complete background/foreground photograph. (This job is much harder given the fact that i am expanding from a standard screen show to a widescreen background). After your complete photograph is done you must cut out the foreground from the background and create multiple layers in order to add the green screen portion which will allow your final filmed puppet scenes to be seamlessly inserted into the muppet theater without having to build thousands of dollars worth of sets that simply could never look as authentic as the real thing.
I'd like to recommend a wonderful documentary
to all the Muppet fans!! It's presently showing on Showtime called "Paul
Williams: Still Alive". Even if you have no idea who Paul Williams
is... you will quickly come to realize that he is a HUGE part of the
reason they warm our hearts the way they do!
Mark has really outdone himself on this guitar!! To build a Gibson Les Paul replica from scratch to scale with the puppet is a task most puppet builders wouldn't dream tackling, but Mark will not say no to any idea i throw at him!!