Jaws in Lockdown, Pop-Up Puppet Cinema-style
#ShowMeTheWayToStayHome, it's a message we've all been heeding the past few weeks, no matter where you live in the world.
And it's been the same on Amity Island, Quint, Hooper and Brody may have all been social distancing but they've still been keeping in touch through the power of video.
Well, the Puppet Pop Up Cinema versions of the Jaws trio have, in a hilarious video that pokes fun as much at Jaws as it does some of the things we've had to endure during the last few weeks.
The Daily Jaws (TDJ) caught up with John (J) and Andy (A), the creative comedy duo behind Puppet Pop Up Cinema, about how their latest project came together.
TDJ: Loving the lockdown themed video, how did the idea come about?
A: When we realised we wouldn't be able to puppeteer as a group for a while we had a discussion about what we could do during lockdown. Then the discussion moved along to what the characters from Jaws might be up to! With so many people communicating via video chats at the moment the solution presented itself pretty quickly, and the song seemed too good a fit.
TDJ: Did the Show Me The Way To Stay Home song take many rewrites to get right?
A: Once we'd settled on the idea, the lyrics came about pretty quickly!
J: How could we not mention Tiger King.
TDJ: How long did the whole video take to put together?
A: The video was completed in just a couple of days - all of the puppets are together with John, so we worked on the audio mix together then he was able to puppeteer each of the characters individually. I then edited the audio and video together in the final video.
J: Yeah we did a few back and forths online putting together a little script. The lyrics came together quickly. It's a great little fit.
TDJ: Any difficulties in making such a video during lockdown?
J: The video phone concept meant we could perform each puppet seperately and with social distancing multiple puppets would have awkward so we designed our idea around that.
A: Thanks to modern technology we were able to collaborate on this fairly easily.
TDJ: The video is very funny, do you think humour has an important part to play in getting such important messages across?A: We grew up watching Sesame Street, so I think the idea of an important message being delivered in a humurous way seems like second nature to us.
J: Yeah it helps things stick. The video was just meant to be some fun, both something for us to be creative in lockdown and fun for others to watch at home. I think it certainly helps to keep that message going but not to be too heavy about it. It's easy for people to become fatigued with everything so a jokey fun video helps re-enforce a message without depressing everyone.
TDJ: Do you think we'll see a follow up video?
J: Maybe, who knows how Bruce is dealing with things. What does he do if someone's coming towards him! He can't swim backwards. Perhaps we can do one of those reaction videos, only he's watching tiger king, or jaws the revenge.
TDJ: And what do you make of lots of parallels with Jaws being made during the covid-19 epidemic?
J: Close the beaches! I mean it's there isn't it, peoples livelihoods vs a very real danger. Any film with an external threat will have parallels but Jaws especially so.
TDJ: How has Pop Up Puppet Cinema been impacted by covid-19, have you had to reschedule or cancel many events?
A: Yes we had a few events - including a wedding - that have all had to be canceled or rescheduled. We've taken the opportunity afforded by the downtime to work on developing some of our new or existing shows.
J: We were due to be on at some festivals as well, a couple have already confirmed they want us for next year which is very lovely of them.
TDJ: We loved your work on The Quint's Speech - The Daily Jaws - Christmas message from a couple of years back. What reaction did that get?
J : We got extra big presents from father Quintmas that year for being good. As with this video, the positive reaction is a really good feeling.
TDJ: How long has Pop Up Puppet Cinema been performing?
J: 7 years I think. The first show we did was Back to the Future, that was a surprise present for a friend. She was having a Back to the Future themed party for her birthday and this idea had been percolating for a while, the reaction was great and that was the first time we thought this could be an actual act rather than a one-off surprise.
TDJ: Who are your puppet or comedy inspirations?
J: The Muppets, you can't escape them. So so so good. That combination of chaos and warmth, it's just brilliant. Henson, Oz, and the rest of that gang really are geniuses. We're all children of the 80s which is very much reflected in the films we choose to parody. My favourite Muppet moments are Rowlf as Sherlock Holmes (combining two of my favourite things), and the amazing Run Rabbit Run sketch with Fozzie.
A: Absolutely, Jim Henson has a lot to answer for! My favourite Muppet moments include the bicycle scene in The Great Muppet Caper ("Couldn't We Ride") and the whole of the documentary 'Of Muppets and Men'. I also recently had the opportunity to work with master puppeteer Mike Quinn (The Muppets, Star Wars, Dark Crystal) on a similar video; he joined my band Blues Harvest for a lockdown jam of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb', which you can see here:
TDJ: And Jaws isn't the only famous film you lampoon in puppet form, what other films do you do in shows?
A: Other than Jaws, our shows also consist of Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forbidden Planet, Flash Gordon, Die Hard, The Thing & A Nightmare on Elm Street.
TDJ: Which is your most popular show?
A: I'd say it's a tie between Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jaws. People seem to love the combination of Spielberg and Puppets.
J: Agreed. Elm Street we've only perfomed a few times but it's getting a lot of love when we do.
TDJ: Any plans to cover any of the Jaws sequels? we'd love to see a Pop Up Puppet Cinema Michael Caine.
A: Hmm, maybe Jaws 19, with a hologram shark terrorising 2015 Amity Island. In the meantime, we've been revising our original Jaws show, with improved props and puppets.
J: I'd love to make an audience wear 3d glasses to a puppet show...
TDJ: How can we find out more about Pop Up Puppet Cinema?
A: Go to http://www.popuppuppetcinema.co.uk or find us on social media.
J: Or if you happen to see us at a show please say hello.
TDJ: Got any Jaws Jokes for us?
What do you call a tiger shark when it's eaten someone's husband?
A Baskin Shark!
