Children's show

As all children's shows have overall themes, my show's theme will be centered around Memphis City Street Smarts and Safety. The overall layout of the show will mimic kid's shows but the content will contain adult humor. Some parts of the show will have subtle adult humor while other parts will be obvious. 

Possible Show Titles:  St. Elmo St., Puppet Trap House, Stat Flo Street

Show outline:

-Introduction

         Show will open with the theme song which will contain a mixture of animation and live action. The theme song will end on the host in the main backdrop with a puppet. The two will converse briefly about the show and it's theme.

-Letter of the Day

Host and puppet(s) will present the letter of the day- G. Live action will mix with animation to present different memphis-related G things. This area will purposely be cheesy with animated letters and so on.

-Guest

A young, black male will appear as a guest with a rough attitude and advice. He, along with the puppets, will explore the importance of safety street knowledge when protecting yourself and your "product."

-Visit puppet Bumbo

Talking about drugs will lead to an adventure to visit Bumbo, the homeless puppet. The guest and puppet(s) will arrive at the trash heap/cardboard box on a park bench where Bumbo lives. Bumbo tries to sell them drugs but the guest explains the right and wrong way. Bumbo leads to focus on homeless life of Memphis streets.

-Street Shout

long armed puppet Kish goes out on the streets with the camera to talk to people. She may interact with some bums along with hookers?

-Chemist Corner

human character scientist with thick glasses teaches about mixing chemistry which is really drugs.

-Number of the Day

Animation and song similar to Letter. Number is 36 for 36Mafia where Host and puppet(s) talk about rap and 36 Mafia music plays.

-Guest Appearance

Breakdancer guest appears and teaches viewers a dance move.

-Closing 

Characters will join together and rap with guests coming in as well

Pre-Production notes

General Idea

A Sesame st. influenced children's show that targets more adult humor. This particular episode will be based around safetly tips and survival in Memphis City Streets. The show will be comprised of clips that focus on different aspects of the theme.

Characters

 

Host: Ryan, puppet co-hosts, guest appearances

Puppets:  

Kelsi: stoner, slow talking, 

Cutter: deep black man's voice

Donovan: maybe mute? or innocent kid talk

Bumbo: cracked out, raspy voice

Kish: outgoing, sassy girl voice

Tracey: goody goody girl voice

Textures and Props

  

Hats and props, Curtains for set, Beads for Mardi Gras

Costumes

 

dresses for ryan

Inspiration

This show is a modern day puppet-type show. I love to watch because it is so bizarre

I should have instructional songs maybe more related to being safe on the memphis streets... I will use random musical childrens' instruments to create the songs

Appropriately, I will include memphis rapping songs- probably 36 Mafia and Project Pat.

This clip is so freaky but completely awesome because i had a friend who's mom was a flight attendent and she brought these things back from germany or something. the toy inside was SOOOO cool

This montage provides a lot of great sample examples. There are a few voices and "characters" I may mimic in my film.

NEW IDEA (the best always come last minute)

A CHILDREN'S SHOW

I was briefly reminded of my work with my hand-made puppets at the beginning of the semester which i had completely forgot about. I had been planning on using them in some kind of movie eventually so I'm not sure how I forgot about them completely. For the first time in a long time of filming, i have an idea that i'm pretty set on.... I want to have a children's show!!!! I had first bought a monster hand puppet from Target back in the day. After I had learned to crochet and was left over with all this yearn after being burnt out on making hats and scarfs, I decided to start making hand puppets of my own. When I first got the puppet tho, I was fascinated with the idea of children's show. I held a photo shoot where I, the host, dressed in red and white striped socks with the other members of my cast, Chingy, the puppet, and my friend's miniature greyhound, MooMoo. I took a series of photos, turning one into a poster for The MooMoo ChingChing Show, and also a small book illustrating a show. I am baffled by the fact that I have completely forgot about the influence these puppets had on me and my desire to create a children's show.

so for my newest idea, I will script a children's show. I think this will be an excellent change and relief from my previous filming ideas and techniques which have been honestly stressing me out. It this case, everything will be scripted, I will need only one main character with a few guests, and the set will be simple, allowing me to more cleanly experiment with shots and angles. The structure of the show with be similar to a children's show but I would prefer the content to be slightly more adult. I think this will allow me to break apart from the puppet shows adult cartoons put on which are funny but amateur looking. In this case, they will look more professional, yet have a funny light hearted dialogue.

I think this project will really allow me to explore multiple aspects of an extremely controlled environment. I will be able to play artistically with backdrops. I will be allowed to use specific colors in terms of the puppets, props, and costumes. I can use animation techniques and song to create the show's opening theme song. Also, if i choose to include smaller clips as they do in children's shows, I can include animations as in with "the letter of the day" and I can even do some interview footage with the puppets go out and talk to people on the street.

I am so excited about this!!!!! It also gives me an excuse to continue working on my puppets since I haven't had time lately!

next project

After reviewing my comments and talking with people, the idea of hoarding using plastic bags in particular seems to stand out.

New Film Ideas

1. Hoarding

either with a combination of multiple people or a narrower focus on just one person....
the idea of people collecting and saving stuff
both in a messy, cluttering way and/or in a precise, sterile way
If i use one character, I would want them to have thick glasses and they would collect things and place them all in ziplock bags.
i really like the image of objects separated and organized into plastic bags

2. Ziplock bags

storing food in ziplock bags
There are many practical foods to be stored in plastic bags but there are also many impractical things
reminds me of my grandma putting chicken and dumplings in a ziplock bag, or macaroni, something that just doesn't work
also playing with the idea of "does it work"
hanging bags upside down, smashing it with a hammer, boiling it.. weird stuff to get weird textures


3. combination

what if someone collected hair specimens from different people and stored them in those tiny zip bags
even hair itself is interesting
thinking of all of the different colors and textures of hair and imagining how to light them
or things coming in and out of hair
or hair being found in strange placing
when girls use brushes, the hair that forms a matte in the brush, could form together to create a mass of hair that comes to life with stop motion

4. grandma

as i continue making movies, I find myself burnt out on characters which have revolved around myself, and places which have been my room
I would love to be able to shoot at my grandma's house... but i'm not sure exactly what the substance would be. I think my grandma would be a great actor to work with but I'm searching for a more specific story line.
There are a lot of funny things about her everyday activities that could be interesting to shoot... her cooking, playing cards, feeding the cats, and whatever else she does
also just the things around the house could be fun to focus on... her closet, her egg cartons of earrings, the collection of fairy figurines, the hat rack, her stacks of music reels to play on the piano
with easter coming up, ideally if i don't have too much homework, i will go home anyway and this would give me a good excuse to stay at her house all weekend and film which i think would be SOO MUCH FUN because my grandma makes me laugh