No Strings Attatched, Creature Shop Book

*Buslady* · 12-01-2005, 06:02 PM

What this gotta do with TMNT?
It's the Henson Creature Shop!!!

This is a neat book, find it on Ebay(got it for like $20) cause I don't think book stores have it anymore it's called "No Strings Attatched", By Matt Bacon.

There is a bit of info on TMNT 1 & 2, how they were reluctant to even go with the project because of the violence issue. There's some photos of the costuming also.
I just read something cute, what Josh Pais said about what it was like with the animatronic motors running while he was performing as Raph, it seems they were pretty damn noisy:
"like being in Grand Central Station at rush hour with a tin can on your head"

The book also has other features of course, it's really neat how they bring so many fantasy characters to life with animatronics. They go into Dinosaurs, Babe, TMNT, Dark Crystal and others.

**GK Punk** · 12-01-2005, 06:07 PM

Woah, I've never heard of that book before but it sounds awesome. I may have to track copy down. Especially since it not only covers TMNT but Dinosaurs, and Dark Crystal as well.

*zkarlette* · 12-01-2005, 07:03 PM

Thats a great find !!!Ive always wanted to know how they managed to do such great effects on all those movies , Thats why I love my Behind the shells tape cause it shows a little bit of how the TMNT 2 was made

*Buslady* · 12-01-2005, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zkarlette

Thats a great find !!!Ive always wanted to know how they managed to do such great effects on all those movies , Thats why I love my Behind the shells tape cause it shows a little bit of how the TMNT 2 was made

My BTS tape sucks. It's all scrambled and messed up when Michelan Sisti talks about Mikey and stuff....*kickstape*
the 2nd half is cool, the first half sucks cause all it is are little kids bellowing cowabunga...

god i hate that.

**GK Punk** · 12-01-2005, 11:28 PM

Is that the tape where a kid says that Raphaengelo is his favorite?

**Jester** · 12-01-2005, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buslady

the first half sucks cause all it is are little kids bellowing cowabunga...

god i hate that.

You are a Raph fan, aren't ya...

Seriously cool stuff Buslady....anything on Muppet Movies themselves?

*Weapon X* · 12-01-2005, 11:29 PM

Indeed it is.

And I remember getting that book from the library years ago, it had like two or three storyboard drawings.

*Buslady* · 12-02-2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jester

You are a Raph fan, aren't ya...

Seriously cool stuff Buslady....anything on Muppet Movies themselves?

Nothing on the muppets themselves, it's all focused on the Creature Shop itself, it's creations and the development of the animatronics systems and then the last chap about the bit of CGI they've done.

I wish they were do another TMNT live movie...it was said in the book, all the motors and gears and stuff they fit in the shells is small enough now it could all fit inside the turtle heads. And it tells WHY the TMNT looks a little different in TMNT2! Cause they made the heads to fit the technology, instead as in 1, they made the technology fit the heads. I know it sounds redundant, but think about it. Sounds like they made the heads for 1 first, then somehow made the systems fit inside them where they did the system first then desgined the heads in 2; and in 2 they were able to really advance the Performance Control System as well.

I do wish there was a book that dug deep into making of TMNT 1 & 2 though.

d_osborn · 12-03-2005, 01:57 AM

Quote:

I do wish there was a book that dug deep into making of TMNT 1 & 2 though.

same here, man. i really can't believe there wasn't one published back in the day...

can anyone get scans of the TMNT storyboards from the book?

michiko · 12-06-2005, 10:59 AM

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/185...books&v=glance

If you have any interest in animatronics (which I do, in no small part because of the excellent work done in the TMNT movie) then this book is a must-have. Loads of great information and photos. I was so sad to hear that the London creature shop closed down earlier in the year, even though the US workshops are still going. Seems like the end of an era

I'll dig the book out when I get home and look for the storyboard bits.

I've never seen the Behind the Shells video (I'm in the UK, and I don't think it was released in PAL format) but I do have a video clip from "Film 90", a film review program, where they look at the work done on TMNT2. There are short interviews with John Stephenson, Mak Wilson and.. a bald guy who's name I forget. There is some great footage of actors trying out the costumes, wearing just the mask and hands. I wonder if it's the same as the BTS video?

Goth · 12-06-2005, 11:41 AM

lol that book was in my local library it was pretty interesting actually i enjoyed it

BlueSonnet · 12-06-2005, 11:50 AM

Sounds like a pretty cool read, sure to be quite insightful to anyone into modelling or puppeteering. Should be out over here too, so i'll look it up at my Uni's library.

michiko · 12-11-2005, 03:08 PM

There are only a couple of storyboard pictures:

d_osborn · 12-11-2005, 09:26 PM

very cool! thanks for posting!

*Buslady* · 12-11-2005, 09:46 PM

I'll just say I occasionally drive by the Hollywood Henson HQ when I do trips up there. There's a big ol Kermit decked out like Charlie Chaplin cause the bldg used to be owned by him. I would DIE to go to that location and poke around.

*Weapon X* · 12-12-2005, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michiko

There tey are, man I'd love to see em all.

12-01-2005, 06:02 PM	#1
Buslady WingsOfDarkness! Perkele! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: In 7803... Posts: 4,366	No Strings Attatched, Creature Shop Book What this gotta do with TMNT? It's the Henson Creature Shop!!! This is a neat book, find it on Ebay(got it for like $20) cause I don't think book stores have it anymore it's called "No Strings Attatched", By Matt Bacon. There is a bit of info on TMNT 1 & 2, how they were reluctant to even go with the project because of the violence issue. There's some photos of the costuming also. I just read something cute, what Josh Pais said about what it was like with the animatronic motors running while he was performing as Raph, it seems they were pretty damn noisy: "like being in Grand Central Station at rush hour with a tin can on your head" The book also has other features of course, it's really neat how they bring so many fantasy characters to life with animatronics. They go into Dinosaurs, Babe, TMNT, Dark Crystal and others. __________________

12-01-2005, 07:03 PM	#3
zkarlette Fashionably late Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CA Posts: 4,146	Thats a great find !!!Ive always wanted to know how they managed to do such great effects on all those movies , Thats why I love my Behind the shells tape cause it shows a little bit of how the TMNT 2 was made __________________ "If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time" E.W

12-06-2005, 11:50 AM	#12
BlueSonnet Random Punk Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Britain Posts: 44	Sounds like a pretty cool read, sure to be quite insightful to anyone into modelling or puppeteering. Should be out over here too, so i'll look it up at my Uni's library. __________________ Shake a leg!

12-11-2005, 09:46 PM	#15
Buslady WingsOfDarkness! Perkele! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: In 7803... Posts: 4,366	I'll just say I occasionally drive by the Hollywood Henson HQ when I do trips up there. There's a big ol Kermit decked out like Charlie Chaplin cause the bldg used to be owned by him. I would DIE to go to that location and poke around. __________________

12-01-2005, 06:07 PM	#2
GK Punk I'm your Devil Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 12,439	Woah, I've never heard of that book before but it sounds awesome. I may have to track copy down. Especially since it not only covers TMNT but Dinosaurs, and Dark Crystal as well.

12-01-2005, 11:28 PM	#5
GK Punk I'm your Devil Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 12,439	Is that the tape where a kid says that Raphaengelo is his favorite?

12-01-2005, 11:29 PM	#7
Weapon X Turtle Power! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,744	Indeed it is. And I remember getting that book from the library years ago, it had like two or three storyboard drawings.

12-06-2005, 10:59 AM	#10
michiko Random Punk Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: UK Posts: 35	http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/185...books&v=glance If you have any interest in animatronics (which I do, in no small part because of the excellent work done in the TMNT movie) then this book is a must-have. Loads of great information and photos. I was so sad to hear that the London creature shop closed down earlier in the year, even though the US workshops are still going. Seems like the end of an era I'll dig the book out when I get home and look for the storyboard bits. I've never seen the Behind the Shells video (I'm in the UK, and I don't think it was released in PAL format) but I do have a video clip from "Film 90", a film review program, where they look at the work done on TMNT2. There are short interviews with John Stephenson, Mak Wilson and.. a bald guy who's name I forget. There is some great footage of actors trying out the costumes, wearing just the mask and hands. I wonder if it's the same as the BTS video?

12-06-2005, 11:41 AM	#11
Goth Random Punk Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: south wales, UK Posts: 21	lol that book was in my local library it was pretty interesting actually i enjoyed it

12-11-2005, 03:08 PM	#13
michiko Random Punk Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: UK Posts: 35	There are only a couple of storyboard pictures:

12-11-2005, 09:26 PM	#14
d_osborn Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,426	very cool! thanks for posting!