The Booze Brothers Band of Puppets: How much Booze?

Booze in the Kitchen, dangerously near the cooker!

Armed with our small batch of audio, we filmed a few jokes and visual gags in my flat, using the existing furniture as background. The puppets themselves are about 14 to 17 inches high, and are mostly head. Certain 'real world' items look fine next to the puppets, such as cups, plates or anything head related like hats and glasses. The scale of tables and background scenery only works if you can get the camera low and the puppet at a decent distance to allow the background to look normal. Not easy, but we ventured on.

Chris and Mike, acting up

We ended up shooting much of it in front of the red curtain back drop, to make the puppets the main focus. It worked really nicely, again, the puppets came to life with their counterparts voice coming from their mouths. Mike in particular had recorded his lines with vigor, having lots of amateur dramatics experience, his puppet really shone! At this point we only had Mike and Chris talking on tape. Martin and I did our lines live and from a few recordings we had done.

It was at this point, Martin had another idea. What about if we wrote a set of proper scripts, and treat the band as a small sit-com? Our banter and brotherhood within the band was certainly daft, and our various 'in jokes' could be stretched too, possibly for 3 to 4 minute episodes.

Martin, having a great idea and making a point - again...

We could have sets that were to scale, record the whole story with everyone around a microphone and have small 'web-isode'' to upload. It would be much more interesting than just music videos, and everyone could be involved. An interesting idea, but it was slightly running away from were we were at the time.

Jake and Elwood from the back: How I always see them!

A slow reveal. Of characters, not intelligence obviously.

I'd never written anything like that, but Martin had written a funny rock opera during his time at university. Why not have a go at a daft situation comedy based around a struggling band of odd characters? We would have to let the cat out of the bag to the guys in order to see who would want to do it. Perhaps we should get them onboard with the basic Booze Brothers replica puppets first, before we ask them to full scale character act themselves for other peoples amusement. They still hadn't seen any of this yet, it could still all back fire!

We collected all the footage together and shot some introductory scenes with several 'slow reveal' shots of the two front men puppets walking from a lift, through an under ground garage and opening a door. Through the door would then walk all the puppets one by one, being introduced by a title with their name. It then cut to a gag, a music video, a gag, another music video and some closing credits. Everyone would be able to get a look and a feel for their puppet clone for the first time, and afterwards they could decide if they wanted to be a part of our Situation Comedy concept.

Martin and I decided that we really wanted everyone to be involved. The best way would be to 'wow' them into wanting to take part.

After a phone call to Oliver Smith at the Black Swan rooms, we hired his function room with a massive TV and set chairs up for an audience of band members, friends and family to showcase our hard work.

The Premier venue: right next to the bar!!

I sat to the side of the TV, watching everyone's faces instead of the screen. I wanted to get a first look response and reaction from them as it happened. I suddenly realised I was really nervous. What if people took offense to their puppet representative? What if they didn't find it funny? Chucking away a year of crafting and sewing is one thing, but wrecking fourteen years of friendship and band camaraderie is something else altogether!

As it began to play out everyone sat quietly… until the first puppet came on screen, then they all erupted into laughter. As each character appeared on screen, the rest of the band would laugh and shout at how accurate a depiction it was... until their own likeness appeared, and then the laughing rolls were reversed.

Mark 'Elwood' Folds

Once the film ended, everyone was in stitches - I think the copious amounts of beer had a small helping hand in that. Due to demand, I set it running again and everyone was thankfully; impressed.

Once it had calmed down I produced all the puppets from the gigantic box I had hidden at the back of the room so I could get a photo of everyone with their own puppet. Olly ran off with his puppet into the Black Swan pub to show his regulars, I think it may have even pulled a pint. Martin and I canvased an opinion from everyone about the Episode concept, being an obvious bunch of performing divas, they all agreed. If we could produce the scripts, they would perform them. Having never done it before, where do you start? Martin didn't know either.

This could be the worlds shortest idea!