Here it is in the uh... 'wild'. Looks like it's inflatable, which was something I was curious about from the OP. posted by codacorolla at 1:48 PM on November 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh, cool. I've seen this as an animated gif a few times and always wondered what the source was. Neat as hell. posted by brundlefly at 2:02 PM on November 20, 2012
Yes! Soon my army of robotic spiders will be ready, and I SHALL RULE THE EARTH!!!!!! posted by GenjiandProust at 2:10 PM on November 20, 2012
This seems like a cool idea, but I'm a little surprised that with all the controls and levers and whatnot, when he moves down the street, it moves exactly like a puppet mounted on a walking guy's head, with no attempt at realistic leg movements or anything. posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:17 PM on November 20, 2012
Joakim Ziegler: "This seems like a cool idea, but I'm a little surprised that with all the controls and levers and whatnot, when he moves down the street, it moves exactly like a puppet mounted on a walking guy's head, with no attempt at realistic leg movements or anything."
[comicbookguy] Worst. Puppet. Ever. [/comicbookguy] posted by Happy Dave at 2:21 PM on November 20, 2012 [3 favorites]
This seems like a cool idea, but I'm a little surprised that with all the controls and levers and whatnot, when he moves down the street, it moves exactly like a puppet mounted on a walking guy's head, with no attempt at realistic leg movements or anything.
I think it's a case of being used to the mechanism. The guy in the second video isn't the creator (the guy in the first is.) The mechanism itself is just wires - there's no electronics or air-power (beyond what inflates the body.) The creator (a helluva nice guy called Tim) eschews all that in favour of 'reducing the layers between the mechanism and the puppeteer.' Which I imagine makes it harder to use if you don't know the puppet that well. posted by secretdark at 2:24 PM on November 20, 2012
WHAT NO I CAN'T EVEN. posted by pugh at 2:25 PM on November 20, 2012
Ah, you're right, I had (stupidly) just looked at the second video, where it seemed very passive and just being carried around. The first video has much better movements. I'd love to see more of the creator actually using it and moving around. posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:27 PM on November 20, 2012
NO NO NO NO NO NO KILL IT WITH FIRE NO posted by sarcasticah at 2:36 PM on November 20, 2012
Wow, I LOVE IT! What strikes me as particularly cool is that spiders actually do move using hydraulic pressure changes--thus their "creepy," deliberate movement. This puppet, in using air pressure, is actually mimicking a real spider's form of motivation. With some work I bet this thing could move around beautifully instead of mostly flailing.
Spiders are lovely and this is stunning, albeit dark. Needs rhinestones. posted by kinnakeet at 2:47 PM on November 20, 2012 [4 favorites]
This puppet, in using air pressure...
It only uses air pressure for inflating the body. The mechanism itself is controlled using a wire/pulley system. (I stayed in the warehouse to the left of the shot and got to see and talk the creator about how it worked.) posted by secretdark at 2:52 PM on November 20, 2012 [2 favorites]
It'd be real funny to see this puppet terrorize the guy who was screaming at spiders a while back. posted by angrycat at 4:10 PM on November 20, 2012
Against my better judgement I finally clicked the link. That was probably the most idiotic thing I have done all day.
If you don't like spiders, please, just take my word for it that you do NOT want to look at the video. You are welcome. posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 4:16 PM on November 20, 2012
Thanks for the info, secretdark. How ingenious. Still love it and want one for running up and down my quiet old village streets! posted by kinnakeet at 3:06 AM on November 21, 2012
NO NO NO NO NO NO KILL IT WITH FIRE NO
This puppet, in using air pressure...
FIRE WILL ONLY MAKE IT STRONGER posted by orme at 7:04 AM on November 21, 2012
Dear Hollywood: Practical effects are still really neat, and people are getting better at them. Please stop larding on the lazy assed CG. posted by Trochanter at 10:33 AM on November 21, 2012
Dear Hollywood: You're all to fat and self-satisfied, rich and safe to know what is really scary. I think a couple of reasons that the vid that vidur linked to is so freaky are... ok, the spiders are big, sure, but they move like REAL spiders and not a CG artist's interpretation. They're real enough to activate that old part of the brain that remembers when spiders and spider-like insects were bigger and wouldn't fit under a jar and were a real threat. And they're fast. Like cheetas, but they could corner better because of all the legs. Think about it, you know they're not going to do the stupid "skidding around corners thing" - too many legs and they're clawed too.
So so fast. posted by Zack_Replica at 4:49 PM on November 21, 2012
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