BIGFOOT & GRAY: on the run.

CREDITS...

2012-01-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

As Production of Bigfoot and Gray nears completion (yay!!!) I wanted to post the credits to see if I have everything right. If you feel I've forgotten you or spelled a name wrong, please let me know ASAP! Thanks!

WRITTEN, PRODUCED & DIRECTED BY

CHRIS SAVINO

BIGFOOT
CARL FARUOLO

GRAY

ERIC BAUZA

NARRATOR
FRED TATASCIORE

DIRECTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

JAMES ROBERSON

PUPPETEER

ROBIN WALSH

EDITOR, COMPOSITING & EFFECTS

CHRIS YOUNG

MAKE-UP

MALIA MIGLINO

FUR WRANGLER

STACY RENFROE

CASTING

AARON DROWN

ADR RECORDING ENGINEER

MARK KONDRACKI

MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS

JEFF SHIFFMAN

RE-RECORDING MIXER

CARLOS SANCHES

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

OTIS VAN OSTEN

CARL FARUOLO

LORI MOORE

ERIC TARIO

SANDRO CORSARO

AARON DROWN

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS

MEAGHAN DUNN

AMY ROGERS

JULIE LAU

CRAIG McCRACKEN

BENJAMIN SOTO

ELIZABETH SISSON

JANELLE NEELY

SHELLY CHILTON

PAUL McGINNIS

KIMBERLY ROBERSON

JOHN TENNEY

CANDI MILO

TIM BORQUEZ

KEITH MALLORY

CARRIE FROMM

BOBBIE, SARAH & KATIE RENSHAW

JENN PAGE

SPECIAL THANKS

ALIKI GRAFFT

THOMAS SHIELDS

MITCHELL LARSON

MICHAEL GALLEGOS

HEATHER ADAMS

TRACY JONES

CINDY MORROW

DAVID SHAYNE

DARRICK BACHMAN

GERI BRYAN

NINA SAVOIE

REBECCA PALATNIK

AMANDA MELENDREZ

C RAGGIO

CLAY RENFROE

CHRISTINA WATT

NICHOLAS CROSS

DAN THOMPSON

JOHN & JESSICA LaFREE

JENTRI QUINN CHANCEY

THANKS

STEPHANE CARPENTIER

STEPHEN JENNINGS

HOWARD PERRY

JANICE SHTOGRIN

JOSELYN & MAX MASON

CHRISTOPHER DeWITT

LISA SCHAFFER

MAYA LONG

ERIC FREEMAN

BROOKE ZADORSKY

BLAKE LEMONS

JESSICA TENNANT

TIMOTHY HANSON

AMBER HARDIN

NORM HUTTON

CHRIS BATTLE

HOME STRETCH...

2012-01-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

Post compositing is finally complete! We have all effects and backgrounds as well as color correction done! The only thing left is the ADR (re-recording the voices), music, then a final mix. I'm thinking we will be done by the end of the month! In the mean time here are some comparative stills to show the process from green screen to final composite!

STILLS FROM BF&G PROGRESS

2011-10-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some stills from the post production process on BF&G. It is more time consuming than I thought, but the results are fun. These background plates are mostly temporary and there has been no color correction. Still a ways to go, but I thought I'd share them!

THE BRANDING CONTINUES...

2011-09-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is a sneak peek at the next Bigfoot and Gray commercial spot. Bet you can guess what it is....!

EARLY TEST COMPS

2011-09-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pix of early test composites, as well as a temporary background.

PHOTOS FROM THE SHOOT...

2011-08-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

A few shots from the filming of Bigfoot and Gray on the run. You can see more pix of the shoot here.

FINAL COMMERCIAL ANIMATIC...

2011-07-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

I finally got some time to clean up the drawings for the commercial animatic. You can compare the "rough" animatic I posted here.

Cheers!
Chris

2D and 3D PUPPET TESTS...

2011-07-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of requests to actually see the puppet tests. I hadn't planned on showing them, but I figure why the heck not?? Thanks to Chris Young and his Panasonic 3DA1 camera we were able to shoot some really great and simple green screen tests quickly and easily right in his back yard! We learned a lot from these few tests. Like, for example, Gray does NOT look good in direct sunlight as you can see by the first test below. He tended to burn out and lose definition. He looks much better in a flatter, bounced light. We also learned that Gray's eyes are super reflective, so i will have to "deaden" the pupils with a clear matte finish spray or even hairspray. Anyway, for those of you with red/blue anaglyph 3D glasses enjoy the 3D clips below, if you don't have those, no worries, I have included the 2D versions here as well! They both look great! I'm really happy with the results. I hope you like them, too!

We just pulled a hi-rez background off of the internet for this one. I kind of like the flatter (no 3d) background. It makes it feel more cartoony.

This next one was with flatter lighting. It looks a whole lot better and his features really pop. Especially his highly reflective eyes. We ran out of background plate. Again, not a 3D plate, just one pulled from the internets.

Finally, good lighting and a 3D background plate. He actually looks like he's walking down the street. I'm really happy with the way this looks and at the very least it is a great place to start when we shoot for real!

MEET GRAY!!!

2011-06-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Finally after many, MANY months of trial, error, blood, sweat and dollars, Gray is complete! And just in time, too! I'll be shooting some screen tests of him next weekend. (You didn't hear it from me, but there will be 3D!) And now... MEET GRAY!

I tried to include the original design in the background of this next pick. Enlarge the photo and compare to the final product. How'd I do? puppet.

Finally, I put together a montage of the creation of Gray from initial sketches to final puppet. Enjoy!

Thanks for sticking with me!

Chris

UP NEXT: Meet Bigfoot!!

BIGFOOT AND GRAY BRICK MASTER....

2011-05-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hey! Check out this amazing Lego creation/gift from my friend, Clay Morrow! He has some mad Lego skillz! You need to visit his FLICKR account and ogle his other creations, especially the HUMAN SKELETON! Thanks, Clay!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR...

2011-02-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a rough assembly (called an ANIMATIC) of the BF&G commercial. Rough as in rough drawings, temp sounds and music as well as scratch dialogue (Gray is voiced by Scott O'Brien, while Bigfoot is voiced by Carl Faruolo and the Narrator is voiced by Fred Tatasciore!). The next step will be to clean up the drawings, putting them more "on model" for the animators. Hope you like!

Cheers!
Chris

THE LAST PIX...

2011-01-02T12:17:00.001-08:00

Here is what will probably be the last pix of Bigfoot and Gray before they are completed. Bigfoot is ready for his fur and Gray is ready to get a head. ;)

I'm also planning (fingers crossed) to shoot this thing in April! Wish me luck!!!

Happy New Year!

SUPPORTING BF&G HAS IT'S PERKS....

2010-12-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

The Bigfoot and Gray shirts for all 3rd and 4th tier supporters of the film are screening this week! I hope to get them out by the end of the year! Thank you and thank ALL of you for helping me to get my project made!!!

MENS

LADIES

P.S. Don't forget to "LIKE" Bigfoot and Gray on FACEBOOK!!

PUPPET STAND

2010-11-13T14:24:00.001-08:00

A quick, easy AND inexpensive puppet stand!

Made from...
1- 30 inch length of 3/4 PVC
6- 6 inch lengths of 3/4 PVC
5- 3/4 inch caps
3- 3/4 inch T-connectors

Assemble as you see here (no glue needed) and voilà! Puppet stand for about $6.

Cheers!

UPDATE-O-RAMA...

2010-11-12T14:45:00.001-08:00

Bigfoot costume in final stages...

Gray puppet in final stages...

Thanks for following along!
-Chris

PROPS....

2010-11-03T13:56:00.001-07:00

Just a quick Post. Here's the Gray Bull energy drink can props from the first sequence. Lot of work for one insert shot, but worth it. Special thanks to Scott O'Brien and his stomach lining for consuming the necessary beverages in the making of said props!

Until next time!

ANIMATED COMMERCIAL BACKGROUNDS...

2010-10-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some backgrounds for the 30 second commercial for BF&G. They were skillfully painted by the talented DAN THOMPSON. Do yourself a favor and check out his art on his blog! He really captured the essence of a Jay Ward cartoon yet still has a style all its own! I'm super happy with how these came out!!

Thanks for looking!

Chris

UPDATE....

2010-10-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Things are moving kinda slow at the junction... but they are moving! I've finally located some Antron Fleece for finishing Gray! This stuff is scarce, but I wanted to share the info on where I found some! OUT OF THE BOX PUPPETS located in Texas has some in stock now! Their prices are great and the gal who helped me, Julie, also makes and sells puppets of her own, so she was very helpful in answering questions! Get while the gettin's good!

BIGFOOT UNDER-STRUCTURE COMPLETE...

2010-07-25T16:51:00.001-07:00

Finally! After one false start (see archives), I've finally managed to get the Bigfoot foam under structure to a good place. I started with the tube (green) making it a bit more form fitting to the actor. This time I put the shoulder straps on EARLY! That's the little red pieces of felt so the string didn't rip thru the foam. Next was an arc of foam (yellow) for the chest to the back. I also glued strips of muslin to the seams as I went to ensure stability.

I added more foam to make the shoulders. They were arcs as well, but I cut out darts and glued the seams together to get that pinched look.

Here is a detail of the shoulder. Again, gluing muslin to the seams to avoid tearing.

I cut out arm holes as well as the hole for the head, making that hole slightly more forward from center to get that slouchy dumb look.

Next was the fun yet terrifying part. I needed to create the hunched shoulder look of the drawing. The shape was not as easy as rolling up a sheet of foam and sticking it to the top as I had hoped. After some internal debate I figured out my next step. I glued two big hunks of lightweight foam blocks to the top of the structure and with an electric turkey carver (yep) I carefully cut away the foam until the desired shape was achieved. You may wonder why it looks so choppy. It really doesn't matter because the whole thing will be covered by the fur and none of this will show. As long as it is the shape I wanted, I am happy with it.

Finally, I glued strips of muslin to the shape, pulling it taught as I went to smooth out the bumps a bit.

It's not perfect, but I am really satisfied with the outcome. Next, after another measure on the actor, I will have a pattern made of muslin which I will transfer to the fur and complete the costume!

This costume was a challenge. I certainly felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants. And in a way I was because I had no clue as to what I was doing. Going on instinct sometimes gives you amazing results!

Until next time, let the fur fly!

Chris

BIGFOOT AND GRAY LIMITED EDITION COLLECTOR'S GLASSES... SOLD OUT!!!!

2010-07-01T08:55:00.001-07:00

They're here! Limited edition Bigfoot and Gray collector's glasses! Due to the cost of shipping I decided to package them as a set of four! You can get this set for only $15 plus shipping! A real bargain! I can only ship within the U.S. as of now. If I can find a cheaper way I will certainly ship elsewhere!

Cheers!

Chris

P.S. I'd love to see you with your glasses! Send me pix of you enjoying your favorite beverage in your new glass. With permission I will post them here for all the world to see that you support Bigfoot and Gray!

BIGFOOT AND GRAY INTERVIEW...

2010-06-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! Here is an interview I did for Strange Kids Club regarding Bigfoot and Gray! Do yourself a favor and check out the other interviews while you're there too!

NEW IPHONE WEBCLIP...

2010-06-08T13:26:00.001-07:00

Hey! With the new iPhone about to hit the stores, why not make it even cooler by getting a Bigfoot and Gray Production Blog webclip on your home screen? Simply stomp on over to www.bfandg.blogspot.com on your iPhone and touch the bookmark + sign. Then touch "Add to Home Screen" and voila!

Now All BF&G updates and information is just a touch away!

BIGFOOT & GRAY COLLECTOR'S GLASS...

2010-06-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

I was thinking of having these made up to sell. If I get enough interest I shall! Please leave a comment!

NEW LOGO DESIGN...

2010-06-04T20:30:00.001-07:00

I'm not one to slow down once I have momentum, so while waiting for a new shipment of fleece I decided to take a stab at the logo. The idea was to give a more organic feel to Bigfoot's title and a more precise feel to Gray's. With the help of the uber-talented graphic designer BENJAMIN SOTO (also art director on Kick Buttowksi) this is what we came up with.

I thought I'd mess around with it to see if it would read on a live action background. I think it looks pretty cool. Plus it is a HINT at what the final t-shirt design will be for all of my financial supporters!

Speaking of backgrounds, I've been lucky enough to get another talented guy to help out! DAN THOMPSON is designing and painting the backgrounds for the animated commercial. He is super talented and is totally in sync with the idea of giving them a Jay Ward style. Below are some samples of his awesome work.

See you next time!
Chris

COMING SOON: You can own your very own set of Bigfoot and Gray on the run drinking glasses!!!

COMMERCIAL STORYBOARD PT.2

2010-05-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

This is my next step is storyboarding out the commercial. It's a bit more fleshed out, having added more "acting" poses as well as some rough expressions. In my final pass (posting next) I will re-draw the whole thing refining all the poses, expressions, size comparisons and background information as well as adding any extra bits of acting.

That's all for now!

Chris

ROUGH THUMBNAIL BOARDS FOR COMMERCIAL

2010-05-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Here are my rough thumbnail boards for the BF and G commercial. They are called thumbnails because they are literally that small in some cases. It's so much easier to scratch out ideas this way. It doesn't hurt to throw away a sketch that took three seconds to draw as compared to one that took 30 minutes. I'll post the final boards soon for comparison.

Thanks for following!

Chris

WE MET OUR GOAL!

2010-05-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to announce that we met our fundraising goal for Bigfoot and Gray on the run! I huge thank you to everyone who has made a contribution, not only monetarily, but emotionally and creatively! There's still a long road ahead of us before we call "ACTION", but I am confident we will reach that time soon and I hope you will all follow along as we do! Special thanks to the team at INDIEGOGO who made fundraising and crowd sourcing such an easy and affordable process! If you are considering raising money for a creative project I highly recommend you use INDIEGOGO! You will not be sorry!

There's still time to become a part of Bigfoot and Gray! Just click the link to the right and join us in Knobby Flats!!

See you soon!

Chris

AN EARLY LOOK...

2010-05-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

I've always lamented the fact that I would never get to see Bigfoot and Gray animated as they were originally intended to be once I decided to go live action. I will get that chance. All of the episodes, including the pilot I am working on have a built in cliff hanger moment that goes to a faux commercial. I just assumed I would shoot the commercial live action as well, but thanks to a suggestion from Chris Young, I've decided to do them animated! Below is a rough sketch of the animated Bigfoot and Gray! You'll be seeing a lot more of them soon, including storyboards and color BG's!

GETTING A LEG UP ON GRAY...

2010-05-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

Literally!

While trying to figure out how the heck to cover Gray's head in fleece (I totally screwed up on the last go 'round and couldn't find the right fleece anywhere!) I decided to move forward on Gray's legs. Puppets typically do not have legs save for a couple of special scenes. I had not planned on using legs, but the more confidence I gain not only in puppet fabricating, but the fact that I just might pull this thing off, the more I want to do. Below is a pic of his legs. They will be removable until needed for the specific scenes. A big thank you, again to Stacy Renfroe for sewing these things up for me. They look great, don't ya think?

And while on the topic of Gray, I am pleased to announce I have a puppeteer for the film! A really great guy by the name of PAUL McGINNIS. Paul has puppeteered on lot's of great projects and is currently on a cool new show called WARREN THE APE. I'm glad to have Paul on board. His enthusiasm and support already has raised my confidence 10 fold! Thanks to ELISE ALLEN for introducing us!

Also, check out this short film by Paul and a couple of his puppeteer friends called HOT CARL! It'll blow your socks off!

On the fund raising front, we are well over half way to our goal!!! With just $1400 left to go i am confident we can reach it by the end of the time period. I plan on continuing to raise funds beyond that amount if I can. Not out of greed but out of the desire to cut less corners and make each stage of production that much better! If you have donated, I thank you again! If you are considering it, please click the link to the right! You won't be sorry!

See you soon,

Chris

LITTLE UPDATE....

2010-03-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Lot's of things happening on the home front...

Gray 2.0 is in the final stages. The talented knitress STACY RENFROE (@JEDIMOM) is fashioning the pattern for Gray's head covering. We are trying to figure out the best way to have as few seams as possible. Not easy, but i am confident she will succeed! Pictures soon!

As for Bigfoot, I am moving into a 2.0 phase as well. I'm starting to think that the costume I am currently making, although cartoony, may not be as easy to move around in as i once thought. I don't mind making this change, as the performance is far more important to me than having the costume look exactly like my drawings. Pictures of this progress soon as well!

And finally, I have reached the half way point in my fund raising efforts. If you click the link to the right here you can see the fund raising page at INDIEGOGO. I'm super thankful to have so much support from my friends and colleagues! If you believe in the project as they believe why not click on over and let us know!

Thanks to everyone!---------------------------------------->

Chris

SNEAKY PEEKS...

2010-03-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

Gray 2.0 is nearing completion...

...What do you think?

AND VOILA!

2010-03-03T21:46:00.001-08:00

In my previous post, I pointed out that the extra foam at the bottom of the puppet would form the chin. First, I divided the tube into eight equal parts. Then I cut each part into points, glueing all points together forming a nice flat dome.

I reinforced the joints just in case. Always a good idea. No worries about how it looks since it will all be covered by fleece anyway. This is a nice look at what goes on under the hood, so to speak. I say, do what it takes to make it right, because it will all be hidden anyway!

I cut a hole in the bottom for my hand and voila! Gray 2.0 under structure is complete!!!

Next steps are to cover the structure with fleece, add the body (which is already complete) and the details: eyes, ear caps, etc. I think I will refrain from posting about it until Gray is a complete puppet. Oooo.... suspense!

Until then.... thanks!

A FABRICATION SUCCESS!!!

2010-03-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Gray 2.0 is coming along surprisingly well! I learned more than I thought while fabricating the first one. I wasn't sure how I was going to attack it, but oddly enough the answer was in front of my face all along. This early sketch that is pinned to my bulletin board (which I discarded when I went with a puppet pattern) is pretty much how I constructed it this time, darts and all.

I was stumped as to how I was going to cap off his head, but again, the sketch showed the way. As you can see, the top is made of a black foam that was sturdier than the green. It was cut from a circle and a dart cut in to make the dome. I rounded the point with some scissors as well as trimming the edges to meet the arc of the lower tube. It fit well together. It looks like Frankenstein's Monster.... and it kind of is.

After completion of the top I located his mouth position. I knew I wanted his mouth to be able to open wide, so I cut it further than half way around the cylinder. The problem I ran into was the foam on the back of the head didn't allow the mouth to open really at all without buckling the back of the head. I came up with the idea of cutting out the shape in the pic below on the back of the head.

This allowed the mouth to open nice and wide without a weird ripple of foam in the back. I'm not sure if this is the proper way to do things but, it works for me. After a bit of reinforcing of the corners of the mouth and neck slit to prevent tearing during use I moved on to the mouth plates.

I slipped a piece of cardboard into his mouth slit and traced his shape making sure to subtract a quarter of an inch inward to allow for the thickness of the foam

I glued two pieces of foam core together as it is light weight and made the plates more durable. You can't see it here, but I also applied finger grips on the inside of both the upper and lower plates. I hot glued them into the mouth slits leaving a bit of lip overlap for the fleece to wrap around later.

There you have it! I'm shocked I made it this far. As you see at the bottom of the cylinder are black marker lines. They will be cut and glued to the underside to form his lower jaw and chin which will be only a couple of inches thick (again, very similar to the drawing), but that is for tomorrow!

Until then, thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Don't forget... it's DONATIONS from folks like YOU who will help make Bigfoot and Gray a reality!

GRAY 2.0 TAKES SHAPE

2010-02-26T10:01:00.000-08:00

As you can see I've already changed what I did on the previous post. I wanted Gray's head to be bigger, but I figured if it was bigger, it would have to be lighter. I'll have to reinforce the inside walls so his head doesn't buckle during use. I'm totally flying by the seat of my pants, so if any of you out there have any comments or input I'd love to hear from you!

Next up: Trying to figure out a way to cap off the top of his head! Oy!

MAKE LIKE AN ACRYLIC NAIL AND PRESS ON...

2010-02-22T20:13:00.000-08:00

I've FINALLY resumed fabrication of the Bigfoot costume as well as the Gray puppet 2.0 (see image below). I'm stoked to be working on this project again. Thanks to everyone for sticking around and checking back in. As you know, I've posted my project at IndieGoGo. A great site for fund raising! I've raised over $400.00 dollars so far and want to thank those that have donated and hope that if you BELIEVE that you too will donate and help make BIGFOOT AND GRAY a reality!

Until next time!!

HELP BF&G BECOME A REALITY!! (AND GET COOL STUFF TOO!)

2010-02-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

Hey gang! I've joined IndieGoGo! An excellent website set up for the independent film maker to raise funds to complete his or her project! You can donate by clicking the link to the right! Help make Bigfoot and Gray a reality! It's quick! It's easy! And it's fun! Okay, not fun but you'll get fun stuff! You'll be glad you did!

Thank you!

PRODUCTION UPDATE...

2009-12-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

Finally getting some fore funds collected to continue preproduction! I hope to have enough to finish Bigfoot's costume as well as the brand new Gray puppet! What a catch 22 it has been. I need money to do my project so I do freelance. And because I am doing freelance I have no time to work on my project. Oy! Here's to hoping January is the most productive month yet!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Chris

TIME FLIES...

2009-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

...When you have no funds...

Welp, my self imposed October 10th shooting date has come and gone and i'm still in the same place I was before. Sad and true. The good news is that I am still working on this project the bad news is that funds are low so it is taking longer to pull it all together.

Like I mentioned before I am totally revamping the Gray puppet. I think it is the wise choice and it gives me an excuse to not be finished. (haha). Another MAJOR decision I have made is to shoot the whole thing on green screen. Some may gasp, but besides the fact that it will be WAY more easy to control the shoot (don't we love control?) and get everyone in sync, it will give me far more latitude in post production to play with colors and effects to push this into a cartoony look. Plus I might be able to do full body shots of Gray (instead of the limiting hand puppet shots) and all i will have to do is "erase" out the puppeteer. Sweet. Also, it will allow me to shoot WHENEVER i want rather than waiting for the weather to be right up in Big Bear. Basically I was limited to just before and just after winter. Not fun.

Besides this, I have also been working on other projects and pitches. The Lazy Susan with all of my projects has spun around I am inclined to work on them. Currently (and simultaneously) I am reworking the animated version of Bigfoot and Gray as part of a larger pitch which includes live action segments. Also working on two other animated series pitches that I am super excited about.

Well that's about it for now... i hope that those of you who are following along feel that it is worth it... I will do my best to make it so!

Until next time!

Chris

THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT?

2009-08-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Attention iPhone lovers/film makers check this out! CINEMEK is offering a STORY BOARD application for the iphone! It's called HITCHCOCK (of course) and it's pretty sweet! For 20 bucks I say you can't go wrong! Be sure to check out the VIMEO tutorials!

UPDATE.....

2009-07-25T09:59:00.001-07:00

It's been a while I know... Work has taken over my life for now. Tough making a film on the side of such a demanding career. Anyhoo, my perfectionist side or perhaps my insecurity got the best of me. I've decided to start over on Gray's puppet head. Not that what I have is bad, but I really like his design and I want to try and get it closer to that. I learned a lot buildng the other head and hope I can apply the principles of that build to the new one. Wish me luck. I'll keep you all posted!

Best,

Chris

PROGRESS UPDATE...

2009-06-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post on the progress of BF and G.

As you can see I've finished Gray's arms. I'm not sure if I even did it right but I think they look good. I went for the long spindly type. I hope the arms are stiff enough. The hand color is the same as the color of his head which I hope to have complete this weekend.

As for Bigfoot, I have pretty much finished the under-structure and have to put a shoulder harness inside. After that a pattern will be made off of this structure for the fur "coat". Hopefully that will be finished soon as well.

Next post will be the finished duo I swear!
Chris

GIVING MYSELF A HAND... OR TWO

2009-05-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Finally found a spare few hours to get back to the puppet fabrication. Today I tackled the hands. Below you can see I glued some florist's wire onto the one side of a hand. This way I can pose them. The tubing wrapped in the wire is the housing for the rods that will work the arms and hands. The rods will be removable so that if I don't need them in a scene I can just take 'em out.

I sandwiched the two halves together and glued.

Once that dried I pinched and glued the edges together as in the hand on the right to give them a more tapered look.

Finally, the finished pair of hands.

Next they will be covered in the same fleece material that will cover the head.

Until next time,
Chris

I HAVE A HUNCH...

2009-04-23T22:21:00.001-07:00

I took advantage of the time waiting for the fleece to arrive for Gray's covering and started the fabrication of Bigfoot's costume. This is the foam under structure of the upper shoulder area.

I needed to create a dome of sorts (as in the drawing above) to get that hunched look. So I dusted off some long forgotten math to figure this one out. My high school math teacher would be proud.

I got to this point in the build when I realized that the costume was too narrow. He'd end up looking like a furry hotdog. My mind quickly went into action and came up with a solution.

I cut the dome in half and added this twelve inch strip of foam in the middle.

Now the shoulders look broader like I always envisioned them to be. A happy accident to be sure. I'm pleased with the outcome.

Next I'll measure it against the actor and find the right spot to cut the head hole. I'm not sure how much of a hunch I want so I decided to leave this part till later. Prolly a wise choice. The body will come next. Then I will have to make a rough pattern out of some muslin and then sew the fur covering. If all goes to plan I should have the costume complete in a couple of weeks!

Until next time...
Chris

UP NEXT: FINISHED GRAY PUPPET!

OKAY, SO I LIED....

2009-04-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

I made pretty good headway (pun intended) on Gray. So much so that I wanted to share it now. My nervousness about proceeding on building a puppet for the first time turned to excitement. I think it turned out pretty good so far. I'm thinking that maybe this part will turn out to be the easiest. I'm now fretting about how to cover him.

Anyway, as I said earlier I'm glad I ordered the pattern from PROJECT PUPPET. As you can see it was a big compromise from the head shape I designed, but worth it to avoid all the problems it may have brought.

This is about a days worth of work. I was too afraid to stop so I went ahead and finished the head.

I enlarged the pattern for the head by 25%. I wanted to have the usual large head/small body of an alien. The hands will be longer than the supplied pattern as well.

The red bits on what are the mouth plates are strips of cloth to be used as finger holds for the puppeteer. Those weren't in the instructions but I think they should be. It really helps.

Here is the finished head. I really like the dimples on the corners of his mouth when it is closed.

Now onto the body, arms and clothing.

See you then!
Chris

BUILDING GRAY...

2009-04-11T14:14:00.001-07:00

I'm finally starting fabrication of the puppet. Pretty much flying by the seat of my pants here. I made a compromise and purchased a puppet pattern from PROJECT PUPPET. I'm glad I did instead of trying to do it all from scratch. Foam is frickin' expensive. I'm pretty sure I would have ended up needing more foam. I prolly won't post again about Gray until it is finished. I am taking pix of the work in progress and will put them up here. Wish me luck. I've already glued my finger tips together.

Yikes.

Chris

CASTING NEWS...

2009-04-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Casting of the main characters is finally complete! I'm really excited by these guys and cannot wait to get them in front of the camera to see what they do!!!

CARL FARUOLO AS "BIGFOOT"

NATE KNETCHEL AS "AGENT Y"

MARK BELTZMAN AS "AGENT I"

Just need voices for Gray and the Narrator... but i have some awesome names in mind.

Until next time!

Chris

NEXT UP: PUPPET FABRICATION BEGINS!

I HAVE SET A SHOOTING DATE!

2009-03-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

I set a shooting date of October 10th, 2009! I figure if I don't set one I'll never get this thing done. Now that I have set it I HAVE TO do it or face certain shame. You can follow BF&G on TWITTER now. I'll be sending TWEETS from the set location with exclusive pics and info. Updates will still be posted here during preproduction and also after the shoot. Click the link to the right and follow Bigfoot and Gray!!!

Thanks!

Chris

GRACIAS CHUCK TAYLOR!

2009-01-11T09:30:00.001-08:00

Looky what came in the mail...

Bigfoot's size 17 clodhoppers!

PUPPET HELP!!!

2008-12-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

Wow. Four months goes by quick. Obviously things have moved into a low gear on production. The economy is one. I can't see fit spending money on a project in times like this. Also, my NEW JOB has been taking a lot of my free time. That's no excuse, but I HAVE been picking up the odd prop here and there. Nothing too exciting to share here.

The two main projects that are really pressing are the Bigfoot costume and the Gray puppet. I'm calling on any puppet fabricators out there in the Los Angeles area who would be interested in lending their hand/expertise/proper materials in fabricating Gray. I feel I have only one shot (pretty much financially) in making this right. I can't offer payment only work experience and a credit in the film.

Below are a few sketches I've been working up for possible construction on both. I'm interested in hearing from ANYONE out there with suggestions etc to make these right. Please contact me if you are interested or have any thoughts!

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Chris

HIIIIIIIII.....

2008-12-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

We're still here.

LOCATION SCOUTING...

2008-09-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

I headed up to Big Bear (in the mountains just outside Los Angeles) over the holiday weekend to scout some locations for BF&G. A few miles west of a small town called Fawnskin is Holcomb Valley. It's deep into forest service territory, but it is perfect because, as you can see, the land is nice and flat with many trees and mountains popping up in the distance. The large boulders supply good break-up of the monotony of the trees.

I thought this area below might be great for Bigfoot's Mid-Century Pine home!

Oh, and looky here... A bit of photoshopping and voila! Welcome to Knobby Flats!

ATTENTION iPHONE OWNERS...

2008-08-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Make a WEBCLIP of the BF&G Blog and this is what you get! Conveniently stomp on over to BIGFOOT & GRAY directly from your iPhone favorites page!

Chris

UN-COVERED

2008-08-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peak at the cover for GRAYBOY magazine. Any sci-fi geeks out there recognize the alien font?

More soon!
Chris

ANOTHER WEEKEND PROJECT... THE MANUAL!

2008-07-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

There are three things that I am admittedly bad at, crafts, using an "exacto" knife and coloring in the lines. This particular project utilized all three. It's Gray's "MANUAL" containing all human knowledge from A to Y. The prop had to be lightweight for the puppeteer to manipulate. I used a chunk of foam, some foam core and some cloth. Those pieces of foam and core might look straight, but they're not.

Here are the parts put together before the cloth.

And here are the boards wrapped in cloth.

As you can see the foam representing the pages of the Manual are jagged. That was a total accident. Cutting this thick foam with a small Exacto knife proved difficult. So i just went layer by layer. The interesting thing is doing it that way resulted in the jagged layered cuts looking like pages of a book when painted. I win!

I wasn't sure what kind of lettering to use. I thought maybe I would make it look all alien and foreign. Eventually I settled on the font from the early MAD comic book from the 1950's. Sort of an homage to the periodical that taught me how to draw. The letters are cut from a piece of stiff felt and I'm not sure if you can see it, but they have sparkles. I debated whether or not I should put some sort of alien symbol near the bottom of the cover, but experience tells me that simpler is better.

And here it is...

I made a "dummy" copy of the MANUAL made only from a chunk of foam and the cloth. This one is the one that will be chucked at Agent Daye's head. The letters are painted on (The third thing I am bad at). They are a bit sloppy, but it will be whizzing through the scene, so who cares?

More soon!

Chris

MORE BOARDS...

2008-07-29T11:03:00.001-07:00

Here are the rest of the storyboards from the pages of script that I posted earlier. I adjusted some of the opening panels to reflect the cool chair I got off of eBay. I think it is a funnier reveal of Gray.

Best,

Chris

ANOTHER SWEET EBAY FIND....!

2008-07-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

This here is a one twelfth scale model of the full sized chair! I planned on using a chair like this for the interior of Gray's flying saucer. My only concern was having to build a full-sized set of some sort to accommodate the full-sized chair. Now, with this model I can do the establishing interior shot that I really wanted to do as a miniature and then cut to a close-up of Gray in the full-sized chair! Sweet.

SOME NEW EPISODE IDEAS...

2008-07-25T10:30:00.001-07:00

I thought it might be fun to share some episode ideas for Bigfoot and Gray and to also introduce you to some of the other "villains" of the show. I'm considering writing another script and shooting a second episode after this one. I figure it will be much easier once I have the Gray puppet and the Bigfoot costume finished. That's half the battle. Anyway, in no particular order...

1. “Side Splitters” or “It’ll Keep You in Stitches!”

When Bigfoot accidentally swallows the Manual, Gray dives in after it becoming stuck in Bigfoot’s belly. Gray is in heaven! What a filthy stinking place to live. Bigfoot is put off by the fact that his pal is in there and suggests Gray running around until he gets pooped out. Gray responds that he likes being Bigfoots number one friend and refuses to be number two. Bigfoot can’t stand it any longer and heads off to the Hospital. While there, two very familiar looking agents -er- Doctors gladly perform surgery on Bigfoot. First they remove the appendix (from the Manual) and then they get the surprise of their lives when Gray jumps out of Bigfoot like he was a birthday cake singing a jaunty little tune.

2. “They’ve Finally Snapped!” Or “Some Day My Prints Will Come.”

Bigoot and Gray (in disguise) are out enjoying their newfound life as humans when they are spotted by the nefarious tabloid photographers Otto and Manuel Focus. When confronted, Gray denies being an alien, but Bigfoot, with no concept of the dangers of being photographed, starts striking poses. Gray grabs the incriminating photos and the two run off. Knowing that their instincts are correct Manuel and Otto give chase. A crazy chase sequence ensues where every time Otto and Manuel catch up with our heroes it looks like Gray is just reinforcing their hunch. Did Gray really just probe Bigfoot or was he just shoving him into a tiny hiding space with an aerial antenna? Did Gray Just mutilate that cattle or did he just steal the costume off of a partygoer? Did Gray just make that crop circle or did he just get lost in that wheat field? The evidence against Gray is piling up and the chase is coming to a head when the Focus Brothers finally snap their prize photo. Bigfoot and Gray are doomed! But fortunately when the photo is developed it looks like the WORST fake photo of an Alien you’ve ever seen.

3. “Fur and Loathing.” Or “I’ve Never Pelt This Way Before.”

Super wealthy tycoon Lucre P. Wadsworth III jr. has got his heart set on having a Bigfoot stool in his game room. No, not that kind of stool, the kind you put your rich fat feet upon. Money is no object when he hires world famous trapper Ivanna Pelt to do the job. She baits them by offering our heroes a job at the mansion as Man-servants. After a series of failed attempts and a dizzying chase through the multi-roomed abode Bigfoot and Gray get a leg up on her causing the stool really hit the fan (not the kind for resting feet) now she must pretend to be the piece of furniture herself to avoid the social backlash.

4. “Art Attack.” Or “Now Museum, Now You Don’t.”

Exercising his penchant for foods consumed without silverware, Gray convinces Bigfoot to try out the new Rib joint in town. (“You get to eat with your hands!”) While Gray goes about his ribs like a man on a mission Bigfoot goes about his in an overly dainty fashion: Take a bite, wipe with napkin, repeat. Bigfoot’s many discarded napkins are discovered by a local art dealer who frames them and calls them art. Bigfoot’s newfound fame goes directly to his head and it is up to a jealous Gray to remind him of the dangers of public exposure.

5. “Quit While You’re a Head.” Or “Who’s That Noggin on My Door?”

Bigfoot and Gray are out wig shopping when the Evil Doctor Plotz takes notice. He puts up a false storefront advertising the ‘world’s best wigs’ ("a strand above the rest") that our heroes gladly enter. Dr. Plotz pulls a lever and Bigfoot and Gray fall helplessly down a trap door into his sinister laboratory. The experiment this time is switching the heads of our heroes with various other creatures’ heads. Unfortunately Dr. Plotz did not realize that his prisoners would love their new found bodies. Well, he won’t have any of THAT kind of joy, so he quickly goes about reversing this mess. The situation turns from bad to worse when the contraption goes haywire and soon everybody is losing their heads... literally.

6. “Whatta Drag.” Or “Who’s Wooing Who?”

The ever-scheming Agent Knoght “persuades” Agent Daye to dress as a woman and try to woo Bigfoot into capture. Bigfoot falls head over heels for the new "lady" in town. Bigfoot spends hours primping and priming for his “date”. But when it comes down to he is too nervous to go alone and convinces Gray to play Cerino DeBergerac. Gray’s dependence on the Manual (which hasn’t been updated since the 1940’s) gives Bigfoot outdated mating tips which could spell disaster. But lo and behold those tips tug at the heartstrings of Agent Daye who uncontrollably falls in love with his mark and lets him escape. Agent Knight is FURIOUS, but that’s okay because Agent Daye will always have his memories.

7. “A Do A Do.” Or “Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow.”

When Bigfoot and Gray are chased into the C-shaped town called C-ville, Bigfoot decides he needs some grooming and they duck into a local Barbershop. And good thing too, because when the FBO shows up our heroes quickly don Barbering disguises. When questioned, the new BARBERS OF C-VILLE (on Feego road, Feego road, Fee-go roooaaaad) literally sing the praises of their profession and are off the hook in the nick of time (pun probably intended) when a Big-shot record producer happens to hear their song and gives them a record deal on the spot. Bigfoot and Gray (the barbers) soon find themselves on a whirlwind nonstop concert tour. The life of singing barbers soon grows thin on our heroes and they leave the limelight to return the simpler days of cutting hair. When the return to the shop on Feego road. There they again cross paths with FBO, who having waited so long are on need of haircuts themselves and soon Bigfoot and Gray are again, on the run.

Hope you liked.

Chris

SOME STORYBOARDS...

2008-07-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

The storyboards are almost done. I've never done live-action boards before, but since I want it to play like a cartoon I just boarded it the way I would normally board a cartoon... sort of. I'm not sure if I have too many drawings for a scene or too few. The good thing is, that because it's live action I didn't need to put a lot of detail into the panels. Regardless, by clicking the title of this post or here you can download the boards. It's the first three pages of the script. I haven't added the dialogue or direction or anything like that but I'm sure you can get a good idea by comparing it to the SCRIPT. I did these on a CINTIQ in Photoshop. There are some real advantages to boarding digitally. More boards soon!

Enjoy.
Chris

MY WEEKEND PROJECT COMPLETE!

2008-07-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

I was too excited by the thought that the UFO model was just sitting there in my office. So I tackled it this weekend. It wasn't going to build itself. As I stated previously I knew I was going to make some modifications to the model. I went to the local hobby shop (if you live in LA you must treat yourself to a trip to KIT KRAFT in Studio City. Bring money). Anyway, the model itself was made of clear plastic (in case you wanted to see the interior as part of the display). I liked the bottom of the model a lot so turned it upside down and added the clear dome (a Kit Kraft purchase) on it. It's more cartoony that way, I think. Below is the final model pre-paint.

I chose a metallic silver paint. I had hoped it would come out nice and smooth, but when the paint dried it took on this interesting texture. I'm not sure if you can see it by these pix or if will even show up on the final film but it is a happy accident to be sure.

I cut out a small notch in the rear of the craft for the rod to go in as a handle to simulate floating in space (Hanging it from a piece of fishing line might have been TOO cheesy for my taste).

Here it is with the handle (which will be painted green later) inserted. It works like a charm.

As you can see, nothing fancy here. No blinking lights or whatnot. It serves its purpose. If you've read the SCRIPT you know that Gray crashes it anyway.

I think I'm going to do a little test footage on a green screen and add some panning background. I'll post that soon enough! I'd love to know what you all think!

Until next time!
Chris

SWEET EBAY FIND...

2008-07-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

I was planning (read: hoping and praying) to pull a favor and have a friend of mine build a CG UFO for the film. Operative word "was"... because I found this on eBay!

A few modifications here and there and this sweet model will be Gray's spacecraft. I'm glad I found it because truth be told I really love models over CG any day! Plus I can make it look a little cheesy/cartoony to fit the tone of the short! Bless you eBay!

Chris

GRAY PUPPET... WHERE TO START?

2008-07-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

I suppose the best place to start is at the beginning. Instead of just showing the final product I plan on showing my progress no matter how rough or crappy it might look. In other words you all have to suffer along with me! I've been doing a lot of research on puppet fabrication. I've found a lot of helpful websites including this one and this one. Lot's of great tutorials as well as helpful tips on materials and where to find them. According to these sites the best place to start is with a sketch of your puppet-to-be. These are my first sketches of the Gray puppet.

As you can see I have a lot of questions. If there are any puppet fabricators out there who have thoughts or tips or ideas on how to make this fabrication work I'd love to hear from you!!!

Cheers!
Chris

THE BROWN FUR HAS ARRIVED!!!

2008-07-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

WOOT!

I BOUGHT A NEW TOY...

2008-07-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

The wife and I were in the market for a new point and shoot camera. I chose this camera:

THE PANASONIC LUMIX FX500
I chose this one for a couple of reasons. One, I get a Panasonic discount from my place of employment. Reason enough, but another reason is one of the many settings available on this camera. You see, I also wanted a point and shoot for my location scouting in Big Bear, California (of which I shall post photos). This little bugger not only shoots 16 x 9 aspect ratio but it also has a nifty little feature that superimposes a grid over the photo you are going to take. This grid is three by three which allows one to compose a shot nicely in the rule of thirds. What is the rule of thirds? Stu Maschwitz explains it in his indespensible book: "The DV Rebel's Guide". If you don't own a copy of it, you should!

You don't need a fancy camera to do this for you. You can certainly eyeball the rule of thirds when taking your photographs or setting up your shots, but I am a techno-geek and I love my new camera!

More soon!
Chris

Amazon.com Widgets

BUILDING A BETTER BIGFOOT COSTUME...

2008-06-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

I finally found a bit of time to start looking for the materials to build Bigfoot's costume. I thought I wanted to make a foam under-structure to help give it the hulking, hunchy shoulders and wide body. So, of course I went to FOAM MART!

If you live in the Los Angeles area I recommend going. It's like being a kid in a candy shop. So many foamy ideas come to mind just being in there.

Now, like I said I thought I wanted a foam under-structure, but I soon figured that it would not be practical, and I decided on a bean-bag like vest that can be worn like a coat. Does Foam Mart have bean-bags? Heck yeah!

It's a toss up right now between foam beanbag filling or shredded foam filling. They have both. With that out of the way, I wandered further into the store and discovered that they also sell fabrics. Loads of them!

My mind reeled. If they have this much fabric... Could they have it? Yes they do! Fake fur fabric!

Now, they didn't have the color I wanted in stock (brown), but I ordered it. The fur will be a separate piece that will be put on over the foam under-structure. I'm stoked to get this costume under way!

I didn't end up buying the foam I originally went in there for, but my trip to Foam Mart proved it really is the one stop shop! I will post some pix as the costume construction progresses!

Slowly, but surely...
Chris

Funding? NONE HERE!

2008-06-18T09:45:00.001-07:00

As you may or may not know, I am paying for this short pretty much out of my own pocket. I am pulling favors from a lot of generous and talented folks and for that I am grateful. The one downside to all of that is I have to kind of wait until they are available. I wish I had money to and make it more of a paying gig. If I did I think I would be done with this thing sooner rather than later. But alas, I will just keep forging ahead as time and moolah permits. One person who has it right is filmmaker Jessica Mae Stover. Man, she figured out a great way to raise money for her short film. She may have struck on something here. If you have a chance go and check out the site for her film Artemis Eternal! I don't think I could ever have the balls or the confidence in one of my projects to think I could do it her way! I wish her the best of luck and when I get some extra dough, I will send some her way too!

Anyway, more posts soon including: Costume and puppet updates as well as storyboards!

HUMOR...

2008-05-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Since I have no real updates today I thought I might take a moment to talk about the humor of this short. Now it is no surprise that I am a HUGE fan of Jay Ward cartoons. As I mentioned earlier they are among my most favorite cartoons of all time. As a writer, this is the type of humor that comes most naturally to me and the type I have the most fun with. A lot of people think that those cartoons are only full of puns. This could not be further from the truth. Now granted, there are puns in those cartoons, a lot of them, and I feel that a well placed pun (and they are not easy to do) is just as valid as a crafted joke, but there is so much more to those cartoons, especially Rocky and Bullwinkle. They are some of the smartest cartoons ever written.

As proof of my love, a few years back I wrote an episode of The PowerPuff Girls called "I See Funny Cartoon in Your Future". I wanted to do the episode in the style of a Jay Ward cartoon. I fought Craig McCracken for years (literally four seasons of the show) to let me do it. He resisted stating that "It would only be an episode full of bad puns." He was right to a degree. The entire idea started from one silly idea about a "small medium at large who flies around in her astral plane" (ouch). Craig finally relented and I built the entire episode on that one line. It is my favorite episode that I did and if you care to, you can read a transcript of that episode HERE.

Those that know me, have dubbed me the "pun king" (express?) or the "king of puns". I may not be that, but I do love laying a good groaner down as often as possible. I'm quick with them and take pride in them. It's gotten to the point where if someone lays one of their own they say they've "pulled a Savino". And that is just fine by me!

Until next time!
Chris

TITLE SEQUENCE...

2008-05-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

I thought I might share the title sequence I've been working on. It's a work in progress so you can see the sort of early version vs. the final version. I have temporarily (apologies) set it to The Birds and the Bees, an awesome song by the equally awesome PATRICK DAWES of the Groove Armada. Hope you like it so far.

CASTING NEWS...

2008-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have cast my first actor for BF&G. Everyone meet CARL FARUOLO! He will be playing the part of Bigfoot! I have worked with Carl for a couple of years now on various animated TV shows. He understood the tone of the SCRIPT immediately. He's very talented, very funny and was born to play this role!

SOME OTHER BIBLE ARTWORK

2008-05-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is some other artwork from the bible when the show was an animated pitch. If you haven't already, the SCRIPT is still available for download.

Enjoy!

MORE OF OUR HEROES

BIGFOOT

GRAY

AGENTS KNIGHT and DAYE (respectively) of the FBO

THE SCRIPT...

2008-05-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here you go...

I'm only publishing the first half of the SCRIPT. Hey, I gotta leave something for you to enjoy when this short is all finished!

I'd love to know what you think!
Chris

WHO'S WHO?

2008-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

GRAY

Ran away to Earth to escape his sterile, technological existence, he is the third in the Ufological classification of alien life forms called “Grays”. He has successfully kept his presence here on Earth a secret, until now. Gray is unintentionally demeaning and delightfully energetic. He is the voice of reason in this team usually having all of the right answers (or does he?). He’s a hairless waif that sticks out like a bald thumb. His skepticism of the human race (and who wouldn’t be skeptical of a world that doesn’t believe he exists?) has led him to question everything thus making him the venerable “straight man”. Because Gray has a good grasp of the dangers of the open world he sees every situation in black and white. Gray’s advanced brain may not help him on Earth because he has been bred with a superiority complex. He is a slob simply as a reaction to his sterile upbringing. He once left a sweat ring on a table from a cold beverage much to the condemnation of The U.S.A. (Unit of Sanitizing Aliens) and they are still investigating the rings around Saturn. Gray wishes to let down the hair that his advanced civilization has lost. Gray puts up a pretty good front by acting brave, but deep down (well, not too deep) he is a paranoid chicken. Will Gray be clever enough to outwit the F.B.O.? Well, his crash-landing should give you a clue as to how the rest of his stay on Earth will be.

BIGFOOT

Born on Earth to further hide from mankind, he is in Crypto zoological terms, a “Big Foot”. He has successfully kept his presence on earth a secret, until now. Bigfoot is a charming dolt and an irresistible clod. He is the voice of confusion in this team usually responding to a situation with childlike ignorance (or is that unintentional genius?). He’s a hairy oaf that sticks out like a pair of size 33 sneakers. His naïveté of the human race (and who wouldn’t be naïve of a race that is incapable of tracking down a 7 and a half foot walking carpet in the woods?) has led him to be easily duped thus making him the venerable “folly”. Because Bigfoot’s concept of the real dangers of the open world is almost non-existent he looks at the world through fog colored glasses. His super-human strength may not help him now because he isn’t aware that he has any. He is a neat freak beyond belief (almost to the point of OCD). He once laid down a coaster on an old tree stump in his living room as to avoid leaving a sweat ring. Bigfoot wishes to shed the fur of his primitive ancestry. Bigfoot’s natural ability to turn and run the face adversity is rivaled only by his inability to perceive it. Will Bigfoot be clever enough to outwit the F.B.O.? Well, since somebody crash-landed in his living room he will have to.

AGENT KNIGHT

One half (9/10 if you ask him) of the duo assigned to capture Bigfoot and Gray he’s the leader and also the guy who hatches all of the hair-brained schemes to do so. He acts as the father figure (that is, if your father is loud abrasive and insanely bossy) and feels the need to teach his young partner the tricks of the trade. Overbearing, over-reactive, overcompensating and over-aged, Agent Knight has been part of the FBO for 25 years and should have been the agency's director by now if it had not been for the “incident”.

AGENT DAYE

The other half (1/10 depending on who you’re talking to) of the duo he is the one executing all of the hair-brained schemes that his partner hatches. Agent Daye consistently tries to impress his seasoned teammate and looks up to him (usually after being knocked flat on his back executing one of Knight’s plans). Underappreciated, undervalued and underpaid, Agent Daye has all the right answers but is afraid to show it ever since the incident.

There you have it!

NEXT UP: THE SCRIPT

SO, WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

2008-05-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not (and I’ve been known to tell a tall one), little Gray aliens do exist. So does Bigfoot, in this particular instance. To top it all off the Government knows this! Now, the afore mentioned Gray and the after-afore mentioned Bigfoot had the rather fortunate opportunity to meet each other the day Gray crash landed his flying saucer right into Bigfoot’s living room (which consisted of hastily thrown together sticks and underbrush) right as he was sitting down to lunch (which also consisted of hastily thrown together sticks and underbrush).

This crash landing did not go unnoticed. Agents Daye and Knight of the top-secret government agency called the FBO were dispatched to find out heroes. And what is the agent’s mission? To capture Bigfoot and Gray and prove the DON’T exist!

With the Government hot on their trail, Bigfoot and Gray are forced to hightail it out of the secrecy of the forest and blend themselves amongst the population of the human world. With awe and childlike wonder they make their home in Knobby Flats, a small town in the country’s northwest.

Now they must use their brains (and therein lies their plight) in order to avoid capture (and subsequent offing) by the FBO and other, far more dangerous and opportunist, folk. In their attempt to lead a normal life they get themselves caught up in ridiculous schemes, diabolical plots and hair-raising capers all of which will keep Bigfoot and Gray on the run!

NEXT UP: The Characters...

ANIMATED BEGINNINGS...

2008-05-04T09:39:00.005-07:00

BF&G started out as a pitch for an animated series. One of those cartoon networks optioned it, but alas it did not get beyond script phase. I put the idea away for a while, but resurrected it to try to do it live action. Below are the designs of our heroes Bigfoot and Gray during that period. For those who are wondering how I will handle these characters in live action, Bigfoot will be a costumed person where as Gray will be a puppet. I'm excited to try to execute this idea as a live action project, but if someone suddenly said they wanted to do this animated I would in a heartbeat. Enjoy.

NEXT UP: The Show...

P.S. For anyone interested in seeing the rest of the show's designs I will be glad to post them.

AND SO...

2008-05-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? Where to begin? I guess at the beginning. Thanks for checking in. I assume you linked from my other BLOG (which was a live action short project that became a long and animated one). I've been wanting to try live action for quite a long time now. This short will be my first attempt. I plan on shooting only one episode, but I set it up as and would love it to be a series. Bigfoot and Gray on the run is exactly as it sounds. The log line being: "A Bigfoot and a Little Gray Alien must use their dim wits to blend into the human world and avoid Government capture." For anyone who knows me, I am a huge Jay Ward fan, GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE and SUPER CHICKEN being my favorites. This, for all intents and purposes, is my ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE, except in live action (more on it's animated beginnings later). I hope you find the posts here interesting, informative and most of all entertaining. Check back often, as I hope to have many new posts within the next few days!!!

Until next time!
Chris

NEXT UP: A little history.