Who: Michael A. Nickles (director, Monopol Films, producer), John Sundling (puppet set design & build), Dylan Rohman (assistant set builder), John Farrell, Ian Bannon, & Dylan Rohman (puppet creation & performance)
Where: Portland, Maine
Year: 2017
Materials: Foam board, white glue, bristol board, wire, children’s toys, acrylic paint, printed material, salt, lights, fake christmas trees, headless barbie dolls.
In the winter of 2017 I designed and built miniature sets for puppets as part of the (mostly) live-action feature film, Holly Star. It was great collaborating with Figure of Speech Theatre and was challenged to match the quality of their puppets and performances. My favorite details include the light-up vending machine, the 4’+ long Airstream trailer, and the 700 pounds of table salt we used for snow. The film is set in Maine, and the sets are imbued with details from the area, including recreations of real world filming locations in Biddeford and Saco.
