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[ MUSIC PLAYS ]
>> IT'S REALLY REWARDING TO COME
FROM SKETCH ALL THE WAY TO AN
ACTUAL, LIVING, BREATHING,
MOVABLE ANIMAL.
>> IT SOUNDS KIND OF FUNNY WHEN
WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AN
ELEPHANT SKIN OR A GORILLA FACE
OR A BIG T. REX TO A
PACHYCEPHALOSAURUS.
EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO TAKE A
PACKAGE TO THE UPS STORE AND
SHIP IT OFF AND THEY ASK WHAT'S
IN IT, WE SAY, "WELL, WE'RE
SENDING TWO CROCODILE EYEBALLS,"
AND THEY'RE GOING, "WHAT ARE YOU
TALKING ABOUT?"
>> RAINFOREST CAFE OR T-REX --
THEY COME UP WITH AN IDEA, AND
WE HAVE TO DO THE CONCEPT
SKETCHES.
WE'LL SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT
WHAT WE CAN MAKE THESE ANIMALS
DO TO MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD ON THE
STAGE.
>> THEY WANT IT TO KIND OF TELL
A STORY, SO WE TAKE A MOM AND A
BABY AND KIND OF DESIGN HOW THAT
WOULD LOOK TOGETHER, AND THEN
YOU SCULPT THE MOM AND THE BABY
SEPARATE AND ALL THE DIFFERENT
PIECES.
>> EVERYTHING WE DO IS VERY
LABOR-INTENSIVE.
WE HAVE MORE LABOR INVOLVED WITH
MOST OF OUR PROJECTS THAN WE DO
MATERIALS.
>> THE FIBERGLASS SHELL IS
BROUGHT TO THE MECHANICAL
DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S WHERE THEY KIND OF FIGURE
OUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THE
CYLINDERS AND MAKE THE EYELIDS
MOVE AND HOW TO MAKE THE MOUTH
MOVE AND HOW TO PUT ALL THOSE
CYLINDERS AND MECHANICS TOGETHER
IN A SMALL SPACE WHERE IT ALL
FITS AND IT LOOKS RIGHT AND IT
MOVES RIGHT.
>> WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE ENOUGH SLACK IN THE FUR IN
CERTAIN PLACES TO ALLOW FOR ALL
THE MOVEMENTS.
>> AND THEN IT COMES TO US, AND
WE PUT THE SKIN ON AND PAINT IT
AND PUNCH ALL THE HAIR IN IT.
>> THEN WE'LL ALL GET TOGETHER
AND DECIDE WHAT KIND OF MOVEMENT
WE WANT TO PUT IN, HOW MUCH
ACTION WE'RE GONNA PUT INTO IT,
AND THEN JUST WORK THE
MECHANISMS BASED ON WHAT WE COME
UP WITH AND SEE IF WE CAN GET TO
THAT POINT.
>> THE ONE THING THAT WE REALLY
HAVE TO WORK WITH IS MAKING SURE
THAT IT WORKS EVERY DAY.
>> WE KIND OF HELP DIRECT THE
CLIENTS, AS WELL, IN GETTING
WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR SHOW --
TELL THEM, "YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T
WANT IT TO SNARL TOO MUCH
BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA SCARE THE
KIDS."
>> [ SNARLING ]
>> YOU GET ATTACHED TO THEM,
ESPECIALLY THOSE -- THE ONES
THAT ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO
FINALLY GET IT TO WHERE YOU WANT
IT.
WHEN WE FINALLY HAD TO SHIP IT,
IT WAS LIKE YOU WERE SAYING
GOODBYE TO ONE OF YOUR KIDS.