The Squirrel King

Potted Plants for You - Another Step Closer

2012-02-28T08:44:00.002-08:00

Dear Reader,

Look at the smile on Justus' face!! And he's not even in a boulder field!

Yesterday saw a big step forward, with prototype Potted Plant kits assembled for the winners of last year's contest. With some luck, you too will soon be able to enjoy the thrill of your own pom pom flower, Squirrel King-style.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Light Inspiration

2012-02-27T08:10:00.001-08:00

Dear Reader,

Here's a little inspiration from a pair of Brazilian filmmakers that mixes projected light onto a city backdrop. Cool stuff.

To read a little more about these guys, and see another piece in which they use a jungle backdrop, check out this article.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Bob steals the show

2012-02-24T09:36:00.002-08:00

Dear Reader,

Please join me in congratulating Bob Kellough (our sound designer, as opposed to the Catburglar's sidekick who we were filming last week) for his win of the Motion Picture Sound Editors' Golden Reel award for best sound editing (direct to video).

Bob (center of the pic) took LOVE, which was shot entirely without sound and made it a tour de force. A well deserved and prestigious accolade!

Congratulations Bob!!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Doll House

2012-02-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

With the lure of finally getting her doll's house for good, Alien One was an enthusiastic co-conspirator on getting the final piece of the exterior of Ed's house into the can - she operated Bob's light inside the house.

Then, in true squirrel king style, she moved over to something completely different - hummingbirds!

Of course Alien Two was suitably inspired to join in :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whim

Ineffable Joy

2012-02-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

For those of you in LA here's a show to support this month!

"Ineffable Joy" is Claude Smith's (father-in-law of our very own Vivian) first one-man show in Los Angeles.

It's downtown at Gallery Mujo.

And for a tiny bit of ineffable joy from The Squirrel King witness Alien Two's joy on the recorder :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Serging Ahead

2012-02-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

The smile on her face says it all! Don't be fooled by the knife though, its her new attire that's made her happy :)

Last week the Trouble and Strife bought herself a new serger - a kind of sewing machine with two needles, four bobbins and knives of it's own (literally, it chops material!).

And now, well now she's serging ahead :)

Notice Alien Two and her doll have matching tights! Squirrel King wardrobe, here we come!!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Lorax

2012-02-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday the Trouble and Strife took the Aliens and me to The Lorax premiere.

A wonderfully colorful event filled with Truffula trees and bountiful brightness.

The film itself, like Dr. Seuss' original book has a wonderful message we all should heed; plant more trees and take care of the planet.

Keep caring!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Bob's Miniature

2012-02-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Some of you may recall Bob, the Catburglar's sidekick, and the sneak peek footage of his rather ignoble fall from grace.

Today, Bob returns ... in miniature :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Colorful Map

2012-02-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Alien One got a set of watercolors over the holiday season and we've spent a number of days experimenting with what can be done.

Among the wonderful elements we've discovered together was Yupo paper! It's kind of waxy and the paint slips off, but it's very cool when it does dry. ... And I think it would be perfect for a map. Time for a trip to the art store to find the biggest sheet we can :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS rest assured the map is going to be unusual.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Happy Valentine's day from Alien One and all of us here at The Squirrel King.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Ed's Miniature Shoot

2012-02-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Check out a couple of stills from last Friday's big day! Ed's house's background plates for a number of the bluescreen shots we shot with the Mango Goddess (Robin's car) a couple of weeks ago look awesome :)

And equally awesome, was to see the recurrence of some fanciful sets we've already used elsewhere ...

the world is starting to feel like a beautifully integrated place!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Last Minute Additions

2012-02-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

With Ed's miniature shooting today, the Aliens both jumped in yesterday with two hands and a slew of great ideas.

First and foremost was the construction of Ed's curtains.

But beyond that, vines and wind chimes were suggested (both of which naturally look fantastic)!

Finally we rounded out the day with a little Alien One snack :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Inspiration from Jay Nelson

2012-02-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Whimsy comes in many forms, but a patchwork construction always has it!

Artist Jay Nelson certainly has fun with that. And in case you're wondering if there's something in the air that we're all tapping into, notice the shape of his tree-house ... is that not the biggest acorn you've ever seen!!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Sound Design

2012-02-08T00:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

I'm excited to report that later today I'll be heading over to sit down with Bob, our sound design guru. We're going to spot our teaser for sound, which is to say to go through it with an eye on where to place the sound and what sounds to add.

As I've reported before, Bob is a super talented. If you're interested in hearing his work for yourself, check out a little movie called The Grey on which he was the sound designer. It's a little different to The Squirrel King but the sound design is being singled out in many reviews as superb :)

Three cheers for Bob!!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

More Miniatures

2012-02-07T09:32:00.001-08:00

Dear Reader,

The time has come to finally make good on my promise of a dolls house for the Aliens.

And so, we yesterday built a door, a doorframe, and gutters for Ed's house.
By the time the Aliens have finished enjoying the LA rain construction ought to be done :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Fishy Update

2012-02-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Sometimes a whim goes a long way, and the continuing evolution of our fish tanks is one such whim.

We actually lost a fish, Blue Moon, for the first time recently, due to old age. Of course we had our traditional flush (which Alien Two administered with great gusto), but the silver lining was the realization of how far our tanks have come!

The remaining fish are decidedly happy-campers, even with Dark Lightning (left) presiding over the underwater jungle.

And the new tank is home to some pretty happy little critters too :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Stop Motion Sheep

2012-02-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

The backgrounds continue :)

Yesterday I realized we also need some sheep in our landscape, so before combining the bird and the background tests (check out the test clips on The Squirrel King YouTube channel) into one, I took time out to make some sheep.

You can see them on that hill over yonder.

And now, back to one frame at a time :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Beauty of Engineering

2012-02-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Sometimes it's the simple things that make you smile, like the purchase of a flower.

Of course it helps when that flower is an orchid of whimsical blue! Oh the wonders of modern science :)

Go buy a flower for someone you love!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

No Shortage of Corkage!

2012-02-01T08:55:00.001-08:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday I had a visitor, and she came bearing gifts :)

In the midst of the back-breaking stop-motion I've been shooting (the passenger's side backgrounds are now completed), Shi Ne stopped by to deliver a big bag of corks!!

I'm now doubly enthused to finish off the paper-cut stop motion backgrounds as I'm sure the Aliens and I are going to have an absolute ball making Paul's cork car ...

Don't worry if you're not quite seeing it yet ... it's in the concept stage, but stay tuned, we'll start construction shortly!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Ringer

2012-01-31T07:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Once again you can see our star on someone else's prime-time show!

Check her out tonight as a coffee shop girl on Ringer on CW at 9/8C, the episode is: "It's Easy to Cry, When This Much Cash is Involved."

For me, it's day three of the back-breaking stop-motion :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Countryside - Sneak Peek

2012-01-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Here it is ... well the test clip anyway. Check out a short piece of what will be swishing by the car windows we shot in the bluescreen shoot a couple of weeks ago:

Today I'm going to shoot the rest of the stop motion background ... I hope :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

More Flowers

2012-01-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

As I pulled everything out to start shooting the background plates for last week's bluescreen shoot, it suddenly occurred to me that we were missing something ....

Flowers! You always need more flowers in life :)

And so I set to work on just one last foreground of the background element.

With some luck I'll shoot those plates before Monday!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Robin's Bikini: Work Underway

2012-01-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

As with all whimsical ideas, there's some practicalities that need to be put in place for them to blossom.

And where a knitted bikini is concerned, one of those practicalities is balling the wool. As you can see, the Trouble and Strife is paying close attention to the quality of my work ;)

That is, when her time isn't taken up teaching Alien One to knit ... deja vu anyone?

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Sit Tight and Trust all is Good

2012-01-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Sometimes in life forward motion is not always so much visible entity, sometimes you just feel it; our penultimate casting session yesterday was all that. Pretty soon, Ed will have a wife!

In the meantime, I shall leave myself in the Alien's hands and sit tight ... kind of like their dolls after the construction of two car seats :)

What it is to be lovingly tended to.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Alien One Has a Dream

2012-01-24T07:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Inspired by Martin Luther King, Alien One had a dream. Without adornment, here it is:

Theat evryone was fearys and planes
were Birds and trans were catapillers
rollypollys were busis and ants were cars
buterflys were Hellacopters and evryone
was Happy

I love my daughter :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Inspiration: A Knitted Bike

2012-01-23T07:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

A guiding principle for The Squirrel King is to embrace lucky happenstance.

Yesterday was a perfect instance of such an inciting whim. While searching for a pattern for Robin's bikini (to be knitted by the Trouble and Strife), I accidentally hit "knitted bike" in the search bar ... what a stroke of luck!

Check out these awesome pieces of art.

If there's any fast knitters out there who want to contribute to The Squirrel King, just let me know and I'll find something sensational to that needs knitting ... maybe something for the Catburglar's lair.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

That Blue is Not the Sky!

2012-01-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

The Squirrel King always embraces the big outdoors, and our driving scenes will be no different!

Well perhaps a little different ...

... the groundwork is now laid for the paper cutout world to flitter by the Mango Goddess.

Of course with The Squirrel King, it's safety first and we had our own fire marshal on set to inspect all the high speed action ;)

Can't wait to add the backgrounds to these scenes, paper and miniature!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Firemen's Jacket

2012-01-19T06:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Obviously when it comes to the whimsical clothing of The Squirrel King, the Trouble and Strife is the chief crafter.

However every chief needs their minions; the Aliens are always happy to oblige with a pair of scissors!

And me, I've always thought of myself as model material!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS This jacket is really comfortable!

Seeding Watermelons

2012-01-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

While Alien Two gobbled seedless clementines, I toiled on our living room floor, hard at work making watermelon slices.

Guesses as to my construction included pizza slices and tacos.

What I really needed was a little help from Alien One ... specifically, her addition of seeds! Now we just have to figure out who's been taking bites ;)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Martin Luther King Day

2012-01-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday The Squirrel King took a day off to celebrate freedom and all things tolerant.

What better way to do that, than run free on the beach with the birds! Those Aliens were so happy :)

Hope you too believe in everyone.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Inspiration: Japanese Businessmen

2012-01-13T07:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

A friend sent me this clip the other day and I was immediately inspired by some of the choreography, especially towards the end. I'd call it a reference clip, but I haven't figured out how it might be adapted for The Squirrel King. My thinking cap is on ...

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Bonsai-ing the Christmas Tree

2012-01-11T08:50:00.001-08:00

Dear Reader,

Earlier this week we followed up on last year's whim to turn a small potted plant, which doubled as our christmas tree, into a bonsai.

After learning to avoid crossed branches and encourage horizontal shoots (by lopping off all others), Alien One took her deliberate consideration, and the sheers, to the task at hand.

Significant progress was made before the necessity of additional research was acted on. Witness the Aliens examining the natural shape of a real tree :)

Oh, and we do need to remember to water it!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Peloton Progress

2012-01-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Our whimsical background elements continue to come together for the driving sequences.

You'll notice that the legs of our cyclists are made up of separate pieces (which have been completed since this photo). We'll stop motion the thighs and feet to create the pedaling :)

Rest assured that the ropes for the hot air balloons have now been attached!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Parenthood - The Show

2012-01-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Catch a glimpse of Shi Ne, the star of The Squirrel King on Parenthood tonight at 10/9C. For those checking this later, the episode is "Just Smile", and you're looking for the magazine reporter!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Cardboard Progress

2012-01-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

We've started on the elements for our cardboard kitchen, and even as the bones alone, it is taking shape to be another awesome set piece :)

Along the way, Alien Two started on her first forays with an exacto knife, and even more fundamental, she's become an overnight expert in ripping masking tape from the roll - something that is surprisingly difficult for little hands.

Rest assured, we won't stay monochrome!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS For those interested, the trick behind ripping masking tape is to pinch the tape firmly, side by side, right on the edge and then rip.

A Little Piece of Happiness

2012-01-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

Dearest Reader,

Returning from vacation, I felt an unusual sensation: relaxed and really happy. Walking into my office building, I was smiling and saying “hello” to the strangers passing by. That’s it! For the past few days, EVERY person I saw greeted me with an “hola” or “hello" and a big smile, which made me smile, which made me feel happy. It also made me realize that, while the day may have its rough patches, it doesn’t take much effort to give a little joy to others, which in turn brings you a little joy. So this year, I truly do wish you a “Happy New Year” and truly do hope you find a way to experience a little happiness and give a little happiness every day. It could be a simple as smiling and saying "hello".

Irrevocably yours,
The Trouble and Strife

Inspired by Cardboard

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

After the success of our Thanksgiving cardboard stools - which continue to live on :) - the Aliens and I have decided to move onto an entire cardboard kitchen for Ed's house!

A quick web search for further inspiration turned up this wonderful monochromatic rendition (to see the entire cardboard house check this site).

Time now for dumpster-diving for the raw materials!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

A Foundation of Food

2012-01-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

All whims need feeding, sometimes literally. So fittingly we've started our year in fine style with the Aliens in the kitchen again.

Stay tuned for all manner of adventures in 2012.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Champagne Opening

2012-01-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Welcome to 2012!

I trust you all opened the year in fine styles of your own.

For us it started by following a whim: we decided to try the classic champagne bottle opening to complement our profiterole tower.

In spite of the danger, we risked it all and in the end ...

Success!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Animal Inspiration

2011-12-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Today we're off to the zoo in search of some inspiration.

As you can see, the team is ready! No time for more now :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Ice-skates and Skateboards

2011-12-29T05:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Sometimes you just have to do things differently.

The sign said cross-walk, but Alien Two needed to test her new mode of transport!

Not to be outdone, Alien One glided across the LA winter wonderland on some skates of her own ;)

I hope you too can find a moment to mix it up!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Recycled Paper

2011-12-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

As promised, here's a first installment on some of the whimsical background elements arising from wrapping paper scraps.

Note the budding peloton's clothing ensembles :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Christmas Hunt

2011-12-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

The fanciful Squirrel King Christmas tree, aka a Bonsai in the making, was delightfully weighed down with ornaments and lights, and surrounded by the fruits of our paper making extravaganza.

But the highlight of the gift-giving was the treasure hunt the Aliens and I put together for the plethora of socks we got for the Trouble and Strife.

Hope you too enjoyed the holiday season! Stay tuned for further uses of the home-made wrapping paper :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Whimsical Wafts transforming Blank Canvases

2011-12-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

This morning we found ourselves in need of wrapping paper. So out came the artpads!

As with all things Squirrel King we let our colorful whims spread across the white canvases!

And pretty soon we had transformed them into beautifully bright pages.

Alien Two added finishing touches and we were ready to wrap up ;)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Memories of Southern Hemisphere Christmas

2011-12-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

It often escapes the Northern Hemisphere that half the world thinks of this time of the year as time for the beach, but precisely that was on my mind when while grocery shopping yesterday I came across COCONUTS!

Inspired to get a jump on Robin's costume for a future beach scene, I bought two and pulled out my circular saw :)

With a little effort I whittled the white out of Christmas - the coconut flesh that is! All we need now is some colorful straps and Robin could celebrate Christmas with the Aussies.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS. For those of you concerned for my safety, rest assured; I repurposed the glasses from an Avatar screening, so I was seeing everything in 3D ;)

Back From Break

2011-12-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

After hanging around - at the airport and down in Mexico - on a short holiday, we're back!

The ephemeral monster hole we dug on the beach (8 ft wide, 5 ft deep) is gone without trace - not even a photograph; we were simply too busy digging!!

Time to continue the celebrations back here, though I fear my mind may have been left behind ...

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

A Manic Memory

2011-12-15T04:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

While looking back through some footage, I came across this little gem of enthusiasm from earlier this year just prior to the shoot of Robin's bathroom. I feel that it nicely captures some of the passion I have for this project.

Hope you enjoy!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Test Flight

2011-12-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

While the Aliens ate their dinner last night, I put a quick test clip together of the birds we've been making - the paper ones, not the Aliens in their next costumes.

Hope you enjoy!

I'm inspired to see all nine of our birds in action with a real backdrop :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Paper World

2011-12-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Earlier this summer I was inspired by the work of Denise Duong. Her cut paper collages seemed like an ideal springboard for some fantastic Squirrel King background elements. You may even recall, Alien One and I gave the concept a shake with cut fabrics before ordering some fabulous papers.

As so often happens of course, we got sidetracked by other pressing delights! Finally, though, after one last hot chocolate for inspiration, we're back, and this time we're really onto something!

Alien One cut some clouds and pretty soon we had enough elements to get a sense.

Tomorrow I'll try animating :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Life Cycle of a Tree

2011-12-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

It was a year ago to the day that we first assembled our paper forest. Those trees have continued to serve us well, including the nighttime driving shoot last week when they were run by as background.

Like all things though, some have done their dash. So with mixed emotions the Aliens and a friend of theirs helped me retire a few of the more battered cardboard trunks.

To commemorate their passing, Alien Two helped the Trouble and Strife make a meringue - witness her unique lemon-squeezing technique ;)

More on the new backgrounds tomorrow!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

More on Motorized Machines

2011-12-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

In the spirit of what has become a week of mechanically-minded posts, here's a shot of the Aliens and a few friends taking their yoga teacher's Harley for a test ride!

And as one last vehicular reference, it occurred to me that Vlad managed to obscure all of the Mango Goddess' gorgeous upgrade during last weekend's shoot.

Here's the final product of my masking tape thimbles and four broken needles!

More crafts next week!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Inspiration: Kinetic Wave Sculpture

2011-12-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Sometimes you come across things that are simply cool. I'm not sure exactly where this one fits into The Squirrel King, but I'm sure we'll find a way somehow! Enjoy Reuben Margolin

Open to ideas!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Just Hanging Around

2011-12-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

After the craziness of prepping for, and shooting, twenty bodies running around in the dark last week, the Aliens and I decided it was time to let our hair down.

They of course took this suggestion quite literally.

And while we're on the subject of a different perspective, I should mention Alien One, having taken up yoga again, did a four minute, ten second headstand the other day, again literally!

Back to The Squirrel King shortly.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Sunday's Shoot

2011-12-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

One of our mantras for the web series has been to mix media as extensively as possible, and Sunday's shoot was no exception.

Not only was Robin driving the Mango Goddess with Vlad's portrait in the back, but along the way she encountered many things including ..

The purple picture car that Justus had to drive to set (it didn't fit in the back of our transport vehicle).

More soon.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Inspiration to Others

2011-12-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

First and foremost, The Squirrel King is about inspiring others to jump in and create. Every now and then I am encouraged we're onto something :)

Having shared the (work-in-progress) sizzle reel with one of Alien One's friends (again and again, per request) I later received one of the most heartwarming texts I've ever received. The little girl had presented these images to her mother. When asked about them she responded: "Rufus has given me some good ideas!"

She then asked for a camcorder to make a film with! I can't wait to share more with everyone :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS check in tomorrow for images from yesterday's grand shoot!

The Masked Crusader

2011-12-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Final preparations continue for the big shoot this weekend. We'll be using a dozen black-clad prop movers and the Trouble and Strife has almost completed the masks.

Alien Two veritably disappears underneath one in this pic :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS Yes, that's Robin's toilet hanging from our bedroom ceiling.

Masking Tape as Safety Device

2011-12-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

At the Squirrel King we constantly strive to keep our minds open to possibility, and reupholstering the Mango Goddess offered precisely such an instance.

You may recall earlier in the week I sought glue for the operation ...

Well that was until the ubiquitous use of tacks among upholsterers was observed.

And so I turned to sewing. No thimble? No worries! Half a dozen strips of masking tape over the tips of my fingers outlasted our four curved needles :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Team Behind the Grander Vision!

2011-11-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

As has been noted before The Squirrel King has grown well beyond the confines of simple web series. Indeed the loftier goals now include revolutionizing the way people perceive their own ability to create and inciting them to inspire others too. Instrumental in executing this grander vision are the following team.

RUFUS WILLIAMS

A PhD from Harvard in mathematics and rock-climbing expertise that ranks him among Australia's top boulderers serve as great indicators of Rufus' diverse talents and inclinations. Add two beautiful and energetic daughters into the mix, and it is hardly surprising that he has chosen to follow up his debut feature film, Butterfly Dreaming - which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival and went on to win Best Thriller at the Santa Monica International Film Festival - with a light-hearted web series about aliens, squirrels and one woman's quest to be part of something important.

KEITH GOODWILL

After an academic career that started at Oxford University and included over 300 publications in prestigious journals such as Nature, Keith parlayed his scientific expertise into a more business-focussed life. As a founder and director of several successful biotech companies Keith has raised over $100 million dollars and structured partnerships with major companies and institutions including IBM, Dow Agrosciences, Beckman, Bayer, Nestle and the Bill Gates funded FIND Foundation.

The head of the scientific lab that coined the term "Proteome", Keith founded and grew the biotech company Proteome Systems from 12 to 150 people, ultimately leading the company to a listing on the Australian Stock Exchange; doubtless one of the contributing factors in his being awarded an Order of Australia.

Complimenting these professional credentials, is Keith's belief in GNH (Gross National Happiness), the Bhutanese measure of prosperity. Further with five children, and four grandchildren, of his own, he is perfectly placed as a driving force behind the world of The Squirrel King.

PAYTRE TOPP

Otherwise known by the pseudonym The Trouble and Strife, the elusive Paytre would be more accurately referred to as Her Saintliness. Far from torment and conflict, her presence on the Squirrel King team ensures precisely the opposite. Trained as a lawyer at USC where she held an executive position on the law review, she is, by day, an entertainment attorney.

Beyond her legal prowess, and undergraduate background in physics and biochemistry, Her Holiness is a fashion guru and designer; skills she is harnessing as the visionary behind the Squirrel King clothing lines Little Nut (kids), Big Nuts (mens) and the yet unnamed women's line.

She met and married Rufus over 10 years ago while working in a lab at MIT.

JUSTUS ZIMMERMAN

Just outside Wenham, MA, there is a valley named "The Valley of Justus".

If you really need to know more, check out the cast page, as Justus plays his namesake, and the web series lead's love interest.

VIVIAN DOMINGUEZ

Vivian's eclectic background ranges from papier-mache snails and ferrets, to writing "Fly My Way", the number 1 pop song in China for 3 weeks in 2010.

She's also a co-creator of the Sweet Mary & Jane for Monarch Media, and a producing partner for the band Thank You, Goodbye.

Running in Swaths of Color

2011-11-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Exciting steps forward: we've locked the picture for a trailer! Which means that the first fully formed view into the world of The Squirrel King is now with our sound genius who will bring you the sounds of Aliens, trucks and squirrels!

There's still score to add and a couple of small visual effects but this is a big step forward. With some luck early in the new year we'll have something to share.

As you can see, it's the sort of thing that makes Alien One jump for joy :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

A Question of Glue

2011-11-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

What a grand weekend! Thanksgiving was a fabulous cementing of our community around a festive feast.

Then, to top it off, I awoke yesterday morning to find the Trouble and Strife and the Aliens had washed the Mango Goddess, my mango colored car (aka Robin's vehicle in The Squirrel King).

But with the beautiful buff on the exterior prepping the car perfectly for next weekend's shoot, it suddenly became obvious how desperately the interior needed attention.

To this end Alien One inspected and selected fabric to replace what is now gone.

The only issue: how to affix said fabric. My test of "Tiger Bond" is proving of questionable strength. Any thoughts on a glue for fabric and leather would be very welcome!!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Coming Together

2011-11-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

We're a couple of hours out from the guests and the fixtures are coming together!

We've just got to turn to the profiterole tower now ;)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Looking Good

2011-11-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

There's just the little issue of comfort to go, but at least the stools are looking stylish!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Architectural Genius

2011-11-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

When all else fails, enlist an Alien!

Stay tuned for further updates :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Saga of the Chairs

2011-11-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

The Trouble and Strife remains unconvinced by the cardboard stools. She's advocating Robin's pink chair, which I think is a great idea.

... That just leaves us with 18 chairs to find!

I'll report back soon. Sometime between preparations of, not one, but TWO beef Wellingtons, a turkey, sides .... And we've now set our target on the world's largest profiterole tower!

Wish us luck!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Cardboard Furniture

2011-11-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away and a posse of people arriving for the culinary constellation that the Trouble and Strife has hatched ... we needed more chairs.

In true Squirrel King fashion, we're cutting cardboard. Rolling it. Taping it. And ....

Well let's just see where it takes us. Two days left to finish prototyping and execute the order!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Shoot stills

2011-11-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

As promised, here's a couple of stills from last Thursday's shoot.

I wish I could also share stills from yesterday's shoot too, but the LA rain gods gave us another deluge, so you, like me, will just have to wait a couple more weeks to see fifteen people running about, all clad in black.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS do you recognize the bricks from our earlier miniature of Ed's house?

Nesting Police

2011-11-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Alien Two has been ill, not that you'd know it from the smile and the energy, but the couple of days home have been very productive!

First we built the Nesting Police station, which required a little art supply shopping (Alien Two does love a little art supply shopping), and then yesterday we shot the station.

Stay tuned for some images from the shoot.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest Grand Prize

2011-11-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

The final voting has been tallied and we find ourselves taken back to where it all started ... without further ado, the Grand Prize winner in the Contest was Yvonne Topp for her masterful first entry of foil clad acorns to lure squirrels.

Stay tuned in coming weeks when we'll share Yvonne's Vlad-style portrait.

Thank you to everyone who partook in The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

From Miniature to the Real Thing

2011-11-14T21:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

We're shooting the front door of Ed's house in a couple of days and it recently occurred to me that Robin was too tall for our miniature!

How to shrink Robin?!

Fortunately Alien One noted that we have plenty of the brick material left over, and so, with the miniature as a guide she set about making bigger bricks.

While Alien One built the wall, Alien Two worked on the doorbell. And me? I coordinated costumes.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

A Fishy Situation

2011-11-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

As we've built the world of The Squirrel King, another, underwater world has grown around our apartment. Fish have been a stabilizing, albeit ever-expanding, source of joy over the last year and their aquatic world has grown ...

.. so much so, that The Trouble and Strife has endorsed another tank!

Soon the kitchen-living room space will be joined by a river of happy little critters.

I just wanted to take a moment to alert you to this, so you too can share in the growth of what will certainly feature in the background of many production design stills to come.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Food for Life

2011-11-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

The world of The Squirrel King is more than an art project, it's a way of life, and a big part of that is to thrill to all life's wonders.

Empowerment through the mastery of the knife certainly opens up a feast of options!

With meals dealt with, it may be time to move onto the joys of a broom ;)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

An Update on Our Star

2011-11-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Shi Ne, our Robin, has been busy of late on a plethora of projects, many of which don't actually involve Aliens.

Earlier this week she was shooting on the new TV show "Ringer" with Sarah Michelle (Gellar) Prinze (we'll definitely let you know when the episode airs).

But because I know you, like me, want to see her right now, here's Epic Hunt, a web pilot she stars in click here and scroll down to the 11th video, and while you're there give them a vote!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Law in Nesting

2011-11-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday was spent creating and delighting to a little joy.

Specifically, Alien One worked on what to adorn the walls of the Nesting Police station with, while Alien Two reminded us that it's important to take time out and enjoy your creations!

To prove her point, look at the smile on her face as she gives our purple car a test drive.

No, there are no wheels yet, but that will change!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Driven out by Rain

2011-11-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Sunday brought rain; and unlike much of our production design, it was the wet variety.

In consequence, our shoot was postponed, which just means more time to build fanciful sets to add to the wonderful Gondry-esque car the girls and I have already constructed.

Stay tuned as we embellish and put extra elements together.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS And don't forget to VOTE on the finalists of The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest Click Here.

Week Six Contest Results

2011-11-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,

Our initial efforts to bring some Squirrel King madness into your world have concluded their first phase. Submissions for our Mad-Cap contest are closed and we now turn to the public voting!

But first, the winners of Week 6. In part for the sensational poems that have accompanied all her entries, and in part for the final entry itself, Yvonne Topp has won for a second week with "Beyond this World".

Kudos as always to the runners up who also move onto the public voting!

Stay tuned for the public voting site :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Long Black Stick

2011-11-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Alien Two painted an acorn with a paint brush, before asking the obvious question about said tool (the question being: is it really necessary?).

Freedom is joy: No prizes to guess my response, I think the elation says it all :)

With true dedication to her job she swirled and massaged black paint in her own style. We now have a long black stick, an essential tool for Sunday's shoot!

Today, a car ...

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS Don't forget you have just one more day until the Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest closes!! Check out the Last week (They're Coming)

Back in the Forest

2011-11-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

The Trouble and Strife has been noted for her infinite patience, but all patience has a limit and the trees under our bed have passed hers :)

So, with the understanding that we can always make more I thought I'd use the forest of last year for our big shoot on Sunday!

Repurposing said trees again, has required a little more jiggering (they needed a lightening in color for the night shoot), but Alien Two and I were hard at work on her day off school yesterday.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS. Now that they're out again ... I'm feeling kind of attached to them ;)

References: Part 10 (Japanese Gameshow)

2011-11-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

It is well known that in many of life's endeavors, the last 5% of a task takes 95% of the effort.

While the same probably still holds for The Squirrel King, we've deliberately contained the scope of our finishing touches in order to best achieve our goal of simply inspiring people. For instance the wires being carefully choreographed in the fish tank insert will not be removed :)

The same philosophy guides the very foundation of the wonderful shooting technique we're going to employ later this weekend.

I hope you enjoy this reference clip as much as I do:

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Water Fairies

2011-11-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Wings were attached. Tested.

And the joy of flight was discovered!

The Aliens' water fairy costumes, care of the Trouble and Strife's amazing talents took life ...

And then they were gone!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Week Five Contest Results

2011-10-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Apropos for the Week Five challenge we saw selection of dark images last week, but the one that piqued our curiosity the most at Squirrel King headquarters was an image of light .. well a light switch.

So for uniqueness of interpretation, Week Five's Potted Plant prize goes to Juliana Palmcook for "Turn off the lights ...".

Kudos as always also to the runners up who will also move onto the final public voting stage which starts next week!

And for your final chance to enter the contest before the public voting gets underway, check out Week 6 of the Contest!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Contest: Week 6 (They're Coming)

2011-10-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Week 6 of The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest, our last week for you to submit an image!

For details on how this works, check out the The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest Tab or review the Sample Contest Entry blog post.

And now, check out today's inspirational clip:

Enter the Week 6 Contest with an image of something decidedly out of this world!

Weekly motif points go to pinkest entries.

And don't forget there's still a couple of days to enter the Week 5 Contest!

Next week, we'll begin the public voting :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Instructions for Life

2011-10-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday was devoted to realizing the instructions for the potted plant kits - or a first draft at any rate.

As Vivian and I watched and photographed Alien One's hands piecing the pot together and adding soil and grass it occurred to me that there was a lot more to be learnt from kids than the instructions to this kit.

A fearlessness to croon in public (a la Alien Two's current favored whim), outrageous joy in the presentation of simple objects like a dish of kiwi fruit (this example was entirely Alien One's own doing).

But most importantly strive to embrace life as if everything is happening for the first time!

Smile encouragement next time you see an Alien dancing frenetically :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Time Out!

2011-10-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

As always, Squirrel King headquarters takes time out to embrace life. And with Alien One's school taking over an amusement park last night, the time was now! Were the Aliens excited?

Just a little ;)

Next up, stay tuned for the unveiling of the Halloween Water Fairy costumes that The Trouble and Strife has been hard at work on, the results look amazing!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS If you like the leggings your in luck 2012 will be the year of Little Nut!

Ed's Maps

2011-10-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

It's been a hectic few weeks and one piece that's been lost to you in the herdy gerdy of it all was my reporting on Ed's map.

Towards the end of last week Alien One helped Ed and I shoot the wonderful stop motion piece inspired by the Parkour flipbook I referenced back in May.

It still needs sound and score, but I'm delighted by the final product! As always, I can't wait to share :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

PS Huge thanks to Rayshell who drew all the pieces!!

Week Four Contest Results

2011-10-24T07:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Reader,

Week Four saw a slew of fantastic entries with people really getting into the spirit of the contest.

For sheer scale, scope and circularity in a moment that recurs every year, Week Four's Potted Plant prize goes to Robynn Clawson for "Bale after bale after bale ...".
Kudos as always also to the runners up who will also move onto the final public voting stage in just a couple of weeks time!

Now, check out Week 5 of the Contest! for some Squirrel King nighttime color!
Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Contest: Week 5 (Lights Out)

2011-10-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Week 5 of The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest!

For details on how this works, check out the The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest Tab or review the Sample Contest Entry blog post.

And now, check out today's inspirational clip:

Enter the Week 5 Contest with an image from a time when you were left in the dark.

Weekly motif points go to best use of twinkling lights of any sort.

And don't forget there's still a couple of days to enter the Week 4 Contest!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Robin's Pink Chair

2011-10-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Glancing back over the last couple of weeks it occurs to me that I never actually shared an image with you of the final product that began with the Salvation Army chair in the Good Bones post.

The final product is pink and sturdy (the later, thanks to the good bones)!

And the Aliens love it :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Fate of Robin's Canopy

2011-10-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Some of you have wondered about the fate of Robin's bed canopy. Rest assured it was noble :)

In the spirit of recycling, reusing and repurposing we did not simply deconstruct and toss the wood.
Instead I took to it with a circular saw after Alien One and I collapsed the canopy with scissors. Then, over the weekend, we used it during a camping trip up the coast; the aliens do love their smores :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Out of the Darkness ..

2011-10-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

The night sky outside was clouded over so we had to make our own.

It took some fiddling, especially with the lights (in the end the old aquarium light came through), but with persistence, Justus, the Trouble and Strife, and I brought the Aliens' spaceship to life.

We now have all the footage we need to complete our sizzle reel :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Week Three Contest Results

2011-10-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Week Three was one of my personal favorite clips. I simply love stop motion with actors in it :)

For tilling the soil and community service, the Potted Plant winner for the week was Deb Healing with "Fun With Flowers".

Kudos also to the runners up who will also move onto the final public voting stage a few weeks from now, and a particular note to Yvonne who continues to submit a panoply of poems with her amazing photos - I do love the potato sprouts!

Now, check out Week 4 of the Contest! for a close-up of Vlad!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Contest: Week 4 (Vlad's Switcheroo)

2011-10-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Week 4 of The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest!

For details on how this works, check out the The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest Tab or review the Sample Contest Entry blog post.

And now, check out today's inspirational clip:

Enter the Week 4 Contest with an image of a recurring moment in your life ... or simply something circular!

Weekly motif points go to the inclusion of twins or triplets.

And don't forget there's still a couple of days to enter the Week 3 Contest!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Robin's Apartment

2011-10-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Robin's apartment is now shot out!

A superb week of filming has resulted in some good belly-laughs on set and more to come when we cut the footage together :)

During the week we were lucky enough to have Jeremy Pangilinan join us to grab some wonderful production stills. Hope you like the little smattering I'm sharing here - yes that's me in our dolly ;)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Robin's Apartment is Infiltrated

2011-10-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday we were visited by Justus' old friend Bob (who you might recognize from this week's Contest Clip).

Helping hands were needed for his ransom note, but once he had it he was off and away! And we were in stitches on the floor.

Shi Ne, our Robin, also deserves big props for her work with puppetting the fish in her tank.

Today should conclude the big push to film Robin's entire apartment which brings with it the 50% of production DONE milestone!

Check in tomorrow for more production stills :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

2011-10-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

I know most you have probably already checked out the Week 2 Potted Plant winner on the contest page, but for those of you who haven't had a chance, here are the results.

The Potted Plant winner was Venus Lau with "Happy Cab".

And again, kudos also to the four runners up who will also move onto the final public voting stage a few weeks from now.

And now, check out Week 3 of the Contest! and see a little piece of the stop motion we shot a couple of months ago.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

A Coffee in Bed

2011-10-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

Dear Reader,

Before hitting the hay, I wanted to share a little of the joy from this weekend's shoot.

It's been a fun couple of days, but even leisurely starts with coffee in bed for our pampered lead did inevitably have to give way to the serious business of playing Robin ;)

There's still a couple of days to go, so stay tuned; indeed tomorrow is the Aliens' last day of shooting (as Aliens as least).

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Contest: Week 3 (Bob's Burglary)

2011-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Week 3 of The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest!

For details on how this works, check out the The Mad-Cap Squirrel King Contest Tab or review the Sample Contest Entry blog post.

And now, check out today's inspirational clip:

Enter the Week 3 Contest with an image displaying your own gardening prowess!

Weekly motif points go to the most tilled entries.

And don't forget there's still a couple of days to enter the Week 2 Contest!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

The Canopy

2011-10-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

After a day of gathering sticks, filing down protruding broken branches and hours of conceptual planning, the moment finally arrived.

... actually Justus arrived too, which was perhaps the more significant milestone as assembly by myself was a little inconceivable.

Stay tuned for a wider view of Robin's canopy.

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Final Touches

2011-10-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday Alien Two lovingly applied the final touches to Justus' library (the contents of which will reside in his backpack).

Before moving on to our re-appropriated living room to vet the Feng Shui of Robin's apartment. Obviously it still needs the canopy and the pom pom bedspread but otherwise it's feeling like home.

Stay tuned for images of Justus and I erecting the canopy today!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Good Bones

2011-10-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday revolved around collecting the bones for some of Robin's furniture, and given today's downpour, I'm particularly glad I had the Aliens to help me gather wood for the canopy to Robin's bed.

An earlier outing to the Salvation Army located a chair with great structure. A quick switch of the ghastly cushions for the chicken wire and plaster and we were well on our way to something unique :)

A couple more coats of plaster, some paint, and gloss; we don't actually need the chair til Tuesday ... Better cross those fingers it all works out :)

Back to the set!

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims

Look at those Legs!

2011-10-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

Yesterday morning was spent reviewing the script with our delightful leads. A good chance for a chuckle, both because of the story and the fantastic company!!

But like all meetings in prep for the big shoot starting this weekend, other matters needed attending to too. In yesterday's case, Robin's wardrobe was under review.

And the verdict: Robin rocks some awesome leg-wear!!

Stay tuned for the construction of her apartment :)

Chin chin
Ruthless Whims