Synopsis

  • THE MAKING OF TOOZLE AND TINKLE (working title) is a mockumentary about the making of a poorly conceived and badly executed low budget children’s t.v. pilot.

  • The inspiration for this film came from a real-life experience I had when I was hired to play a blue dog, in a suit I designed and created, for an independently produced children’s television pilot. The comedy of disasters that unfolded during production provided the basis for much of this script, which Raul Viceral, my co-writer, and I then embellished. We cast several San Francisco theatre actors well versed in improvisation, and captured hours of footage while they improvised on camera. As a result, the characters are rich and multi-dimensional.

  • The Making of Toozle and Tinkle incorporates several techniques, including green screen compositing, 2D animation, various post-production special effects, and the combination of 24 frame-per-second 16:9 footage, used for interviews and other “documentary” scenes with regular video for the show itself, shot at 29.97 frames per second with an aspect ratio of 4:3. The film is currently in post-production.

Film and screening info

  • In post production

Credits

  • starring
    Michelle Talgarow (Lydia Lei)
    Don Wood (Merv Corrigan/Chip Toozle)
    Raul Viceral (Skippy Pagmaagdayo)
    Jamie Nallas (Shelly Love)
    Doug Watson (Montgomery Waterhouse)
    Samantha Chanse (Maxine Ho)
    Mary Patchin (Mary)
    Heidi Schumann (Ginger von Helgenberg)
    Hans Schumann (Spencer von Helgenberg)
    Maia Arellano-Moon (Latreena West)
    Andrew Butterworth (Simon Simms)
    Dan Weil (Travis Paine/Tinkle)
  • also with
    Debby Butterworth, Eden Duarte, Shawn Martin, Ken Nordgren, Brian Watson, Matt Black, Julian Gupner, Nick Dunbeck, Ryan Schuttz, Sam Herrick, Scott Slater, Travis Howe, Brandon Foster, Ashley Mason, K.C. Murphy, Kelson Thompson, Chris Santeramo , Joshua Sigman
  • written and produced by
    Chrystene Ells, Raul Viceral
  • directed by
    Chrystene Ells
  • assistant director
    Raul Viceral
  • director of photography
    Tom Bair
  • second camera
    Joshua Sigman
  • concept art
    Nadine Takvorian, Raul Viceral, Chrystene Ells
  • storyboards
    Raul Viceral
  • art direction
    Raul Viceral, Chrystene Ells
  • set painters
    Chrystene Ells, Raul Viceral, Gordon Henson, Travis Howe, Brandon Foster,
    Nico Rafael, Noel Desmarines
  • props
    Raul Viceral, Joshua Sigman, Chrystene Ells
  • tiger costume
    Chrystene Ells
  • costumes
    Chrystene Ells, Raul Viceral
  • sound
    Matt Bruun
  • grip
    Joshua Sigman
  • production assistants
    Daniel Joseph Weil
    Donald Guilford Wood III
  • music
    Chrystene Ells, Joey Miller
  • singers
    Jenni Schumann, Monique Schumann, Heidi Schumann, Brian George
  • thanks
    Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, Nick Lattner, Nick Lattner’s mom, Dave Bell, Tara Novarro, Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP,The Dark Room, Vivian Schumann, Thomas Schumann, Minnie McElhatton, Michell Arellano, Dan Fuentes (as Library Consultant)