Spencer Lott

Concept Art-The Wright Brothers

2012-01-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a glimpse at some concept art for a new one-man show I am developing about the Wright Brothers.

Stay tuned for more!

New Year-New Work

2012-01-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

Introducing Hotdish Hank! Hank hails from the great white north and loves discussing attachments for his 8-speed snow blower. This is a project that I was able to finalize recently. I'm happy with how he turned out and I'm in the process of working on some new web-content in which he will be featured.

Clifford the Big Red Dog!

2011-12-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

I'm back home fresh from a two-month stint in New York. I was working alongside some incredibly talented folks at the Puppet Kitchen on the new national touring stage show of Clifford the Big Red Dog! The puppets turned out great and I can't wait to see the big guy in action on stage!

Introducing Victor R. Bantam: Spokespoultry

2011-11-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

The online commercial for the release of the new Tallgrass Brewing Company beer "Velvet Rooster" has officially been released! You can see it on the Tallgrass YouTube channel here!

Below are some publicity shots, as well as behind the scenes photos.

This spot debuted at the Tallgrass Film Festival several weeks ago, and rumors are that there may be more in the future...

A very special thanks to both Ryan Waggoner who is responsible for the publicity photos, as well as the lovely folks at thehumminghouse, who were monumental in the production of this ad.

Stay tuned for a "Making of: Velvet Rooster" video to be posted soon!!

Crash the Superbowl!

2011-10-31T22:22:00.000-07:00

I'll be entering in this year's "Crash the Superbowl" contest held by Doritos. I'm currently developing four potential spots and I'm hoping to win with some unique "chip-bag" puppetry. I will be updating this post with pictures from tomorrow's shoot!

PUNCH: Short film, Puppet Slam!

2011-10-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

My short film CUPCAKE is apart of the wonderful PUNCH: Puppet Slam, Short films presentation screening tonight in NYC. The line-up is full of incredible puppet artists and films, so if you're anywhere near, check it out!

In related news: CUPCAKE was also apart of the Portland Puppet Slam: 7 deadly sins on October 15th.

(Old Mother Hubbard from a film by Puppet Heap pictured above.)

Funny or Die.com!

2011-10-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

In just six days, my short film CUPCAKE has gathered over 600 hits on Funny or Die.com! Still showing 90% funny no less! It was even listed as "Now Trending" on the Funny or Die homepage on Saturday. Incredible!

It's posted on both my Youtube and Vimeo, but here is a link to it on the Funny or Die site.

Voice for Vision Puppet Festival

2011-09-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Good news! I've been selected to perform in the Art Attacks Slam which is an evening curated as a part of the Voice for Vision Puppet Festival in NYC on Dec 18th! I'll be performing my new piece "The Last Bamboo..." which I most recently performed in Atlanta as part of the National Puppetry Festival Cabaret. Those of you in or around NYC can buy tickets HERE!

CUPCAKE

2011-09-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is a new short film that I created. I wanted to do something with only one location and one prop that also pushed my film-making techniques.

CUPCAKE

Tallgrass Brewery-Commercial

2011-09-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hello craft beer drinkers! Recently I had the pleasure of creating a 30sec commercial advertising the release of a new beer from Tallgrass Brewery! I designed and built the puppet character featured in the spot and worked with the wonderful folks at thehumminghouse to produce a gem of an ad.

The spot hasn't been released yet, but here are some behind-the-scenes photos. Keep an eye out for the full video as well as a "Making of" video! Cock-a-doodle-doo!!

More to come!

UPGRADE!

2011-09-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new and improved site! Take a look around and let me know what you think. Don't miss the new Tabs where you can see my Resume, Reel, Portfolio and a quick Bio!

Thanks!

Spencer

Some film work

2011-08-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some links to some film work I've been lucky enough to do over the past couple years.

This is a Vimeo clip from "Alpha Bravo Charlie" -2009

http://vimeo.com/7919988

This film stars Christopher Gordon McGillivray as Alpha, Tosin Morohunfola as Bravo, and myself as Charlie. This was written by Tyler Doehring and directed by Tyler Doehring and Kitley Jewell in 2009. Another film with this same creative team, "As a Puzzle", won 2010 Best Student Narrative Short at the Kansas City Film Festival.

New Headshots!

2011-08-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some new headshots. Thanks to the photographic expertise of Mr. Ian Lacy.

Also a special thanks to these brick walls...I'd have nothing without them.

My favorite of the bunch.

Design

2011-08-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

As I gather my work to update my portfolio, I came across these designs for various projects over the past several years.

The above are photographs of several costume designs from studying Theater at the University of Kansas. The assignment was to create costumes inspired by a famous artists, mine was Klimt.

These are character designs for an over-head projector shadow puppet project that has been in development. Sheriff John is the hero of the "Fun Brigade, a satirical "safety-first club for boys and girls"! Little Timmy has been playing with matches...

This is a mixed media design that was inspired by a piece of music. I enjoy the simplicity of the lines.

Building Work

2011-08-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from my puppet designing and building portfolio. They are mostly archival photographs, but give a picture of some of my work recently.

This is Bacon the Cat.

This is a Chicken that I built for "Jack and the Beanstalk", a marionette show by the Paul Mesner Puppets in Kansas City.

This is a Crab from the Paul Mesner Puppets production of "Just So Stories" by Rudyard Kipling.

INK Magazine spotlight-office space

2011-06-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

This week I was featured in the "office space" section of the KC STAR's INK magazine. There are some nice photos and although it's a brief piece, I think it is a nice representation.Special thanks to Brianne Pfannenstiel.

I'd like it to be known that I do not refer to myself as a "puppet master"...it's just one of those phrases that looks good in headlines.

Check out the article here!

The Roommate Wife

2011-06-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Tosin Morohunfola is a powerhouse. Actor, director, playwright. He wrote this short film and with the help of Tristan Noelle, Nathan Towns and Nathan Fung, it's now posted on www.stitchtactics.com.
I play "Spencer" the roommate.

Check it out.

"The Roommate Wife"

Feel free to poke around on the Stitch Tactics website as well. I have been a member of this short form improv group since 2008. We perform three times a month in Kansas City.

The Last Bamboo...

2011-05-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hidden in China,

Where green life thrives,

and mist glides softly over

the mountain side...

There, tucked away

in a forest so deep,

lives a shoot of bamboo

with a secret to keep...

Here are some pictures from the recent KC PUPPET SLAM (photos courtesy of my friend and the very talented Ian Lacy). This is a brand new piece that I am planning on developing into a short puppet film. It uses "Suess-ian" rhymes to tell the tale of the last shoot of bamboo on earth. I experimented with some mask techniques and I'm excited to keep exploring.

ROCK CHALK NATIONAL TV SPOT

2011-03-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

So I was lucky enough to get a "lead role" in a Coke Zero commercial for March Madness several years ago. I just renewed my contract because they are airing them again for this year's tournament. While I'm in the bottom right of the screen for about 1. 8 seconds, I think my performance was inspired...

Here is a link to the commercial as well.

2010 Puppet Reel

2010-11-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here is my most recent Puppeteer Reel. I've been focusing on improv and creating unique chracters lately.

Spencer Lott Puppet Reel 2010

Beat the Bookstore

2010-10-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

I've done some small commercial spots lately, and I've had a lot of fun shooting these with Garret Kelly (another member of Those People Improv Comedy). Check it out, this is the third in a series.

Recent Photos

2010-06-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a collection of photos from the last couple months. The majority are from one of our dress rehearsals for "The House of Atreus". The others are from a recent production of "Rumpelstiltskin" in Austin TX.

Squiggle Puppets Flickr Photos

O'Neill Puppetry Conference

2010-06-25T17:45:00.001-07:00

I just recently returned from my fifth trip to the Eugene O'Neill Puppetry Conference. It was a wonderful year, and over the week of non-stop puppet action, we completed this music video. Enjoy.

Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

Rumplestiltskin

2010-06-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months I have been collaborating with Ric Averill. Ric is a playwright/actor/composer and I had a wonderful time teaming up with him. We created a new take on the classic story of "Rumplestiltskin." Ric wrote the the play and I designed and built the puppets. I assisted in directing the puppet scenes and in June co-directed the same production in Austin TX.

The production in Austin was produced by the Sustainable Theater Project. This is a new organization that was fantastic to work with and will hopefully lead to lots of exciting theater down the road.

Look out for this show in Austin later this fall. Right now it is scheduled to perform at the Austin Children's Museum on Wednesday September 15 and Saturday September 18th. Keep posted for more info!

Production stills from HOUSE OF ATREUS

2010-05-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some beautiful photos from the HOUSE OF ATREUS. These were taken by the very talented Ryan Waggoner. I invited him to a dress rehearsal, there were still lots of details that were added later for the production, just wait till you see the DVD!!

Recent News Paper Article

2010-04-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a wonderful article that focused on "Atreus" in the Lawrence Journal World.

It was great publicity for the show. We had four performances, with four packed houses. I was absolutely thrilled and can't wait to see where else this show will go.

Check it out for yourself!!

2010-04-07T08:07:00.001-07:00

MUSIC VIDEO

2010-04-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is a music video that was shot in KC last year. It stars my dear friend Tosin Morohunfola.

Keep an eye out for me and my amazing "diving from a bench onto the floor while smashing a break-away beer bottle in just ONE take" take, it's at 1:17 into the video. Be impressed...

Glory Burning

or on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBvqJyq71sk

Enjoy!

The HOUSE OF ATREUS

2010-04-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

COMING SOON!!!

We spent the afternoon composing the three musical numbers. It's gonna be a big deal!

George Bernard Shaw

2010-03-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

Recently I concluded my acting career at the University of Kansas with the production of George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man."

This was a wonderful experience with a cast of talented actors and good friends. I have a new appreciation for Shavian comedy and some more tools for handling difficult text. Here are a few pictures from the production.

Photos by Ryan Waggoner

March 8, 2010

THE PILLOW MAN

2010-02-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

January, 2010

Here are several photographs from a production of "The Pillow Man" by Martin McDonagh that was produced by the Multicultural Theater Initiative in January at the Lawrence Arts Center.

I worked closely with the director to design the puppets and scenery. All of the designs were produced on my computer, printed out on overhead transparencies and then cut and jointed like a traditional shadow puppet. I was very pleased with how they turned out and I think they really added to the storytelling.

We based all of the characters off of children's drawings. Everything was created as if it could be drawn by a 7 year old in crayon.

I also designed the poster...

Recent Project- Purple Dog

2009-12-21T10:14:00.001-08:00

Here are some workshop photos from my most recent build. This was a large purple dog that I built for a video series. Time constraints made this a challenging build and I learned a lot through the process. I like the overall look however and I'm proud of how he turned out.

THOSE PEOPLE IMPROV

2009-10-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Check out this link to a feature article about the long-form improv group "Those People".

We have been on a roll lately and have some very exciting things planned for this coming year.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/oct/22/theater-absurd/

THE SCOTTISH PLAY!

2009-09-15T19:54:00.001-07:00

I have been cast as Banquo in "Macbeth" at the University of Kansas. Check out this great spotlight feature they are doing about our production.

http://www.features.ku.edu/macbeth/

Puppet filled Summer!

2009-09-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Two of the hand puppets from my new show "The House of Atreus" which will be performed in March of 2010.

This summer was a whirlwind of puppet activity! I auditioned for "Avenue Q" in New York, as well as a non-union puppeteer role in "Emmit Otter's Jug Band Christmas" (the musical) at the Goodspeed Theater in CT. Both of these were wonderful experiences and proved to be very insightful. I've got what it takes to make it in NY.

I also spent a week in Atlanta at the Puppeteers of America National Festival. It was an incredible week and a chance to catch up with friends. I took a Neoprene workshop and am now gathering the necessary supplies to start experimenting with this versatile new material.

Perhaps the most exciting of all this summer was the preview/debut of my new play "The House of Atreus." I was honored to be an Emerging Artist this year at the Eugene O'Neill puppetry conference. It was a great challenge and I things I learned about directing were invaluable.

Story boards for "The House of Atreus"

ALPHA BRAVO CHARLIE

2009-05-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

Almost every weekend for the past semester I have been working with a very talented group of students on "Alpha Bravo Charlie" a film made through an Advanced Film Class. I'm very proud of how everything is turning out and have had a blast working on it.

Here is the trailer for it.

ALPHA BRAVO CHARLIE

READ ALL ABOUT IT

2009-04-20T22:11:00.001-07:00

Here are links to three recent articles that detail projects I have been involved with this semester.

Here is a mask/movement piece that has been an amazing learning experience.

Tree of Life

Here is a collection of original Operas written by University of Kansas Graduate students. I jumped at the opportunity to do Opera and created and performed two puppets. The first was Antonia, affectionately referred to as 'Tonya. All that was left of this depressed Russian horse was her skeleton. I also created and puppeteered a Japanese Bamboo Moon Spirit, seen in the picture of the article. At the time of the photo the puppet was still in rehearsal mode and I was very pleased with it's final look.

KU CHAMBER OPERA

And last but not least. I was featured in the University Daily Kansan, (the school newspaper). It was a great article and I have received a lot of interest in my puppets since.

Poetry Puppeteering

DEMO REEL

2009-03-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a short, although already out-dated version of my demo reel!

KU Theatre Work

2009-03-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

Sea Captain from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"
Orpheus, in "Eurydice" by Sarah Ruhl
Don Carlos Homenides de Histangua in David Ives translation of "A Flea in Her Ear"
A gentleman caller from "Twelfth Night"
Long form Improv with "Those People"

I thought I'd share some pictures of productions I've been a part of over the past three years at the University of Kansas. Although I'm studying theatre, the department has been wonderful in accommodating my interest in puppetry. But I've also had a blast acting on stage and I learn a ton with each different role.

Acting role in Coke Commercial

2009-02-22T23:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a little of my acting work from a national Coke Zero commercial that was shot at KU last semester. It was directed by Henry Ruben, famous for directing "Murder Ball". It was a blast to shoot and will be airing all during the NCAA tournament next month. Look for me in the bottom right hand corner, beneath the blue dudes, with the red headband and Jayhawk cape.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVtLBzX1fic

Previous Work

2009-02-06T23:48:00.000-08:00

I would like to share some photos of previous puppet work I have done. There are a variety of projects as well as kinds of puppet. This post will continue to grow as I upload more photos.

Enjoy!

Above is a Space Man I completed at the O'Neill Puppetry Conference in 2006, special thanks to Phillip Huber, Jim Rose, and Fred Thompson for their patience.
Here is a another piece from the O'Neill, a shadow work I developed with guidance from Shadow Master Richard Bradshaw and Jim Napolitano! Check out a short clip from it in action!
Working on the finishing touches of Professor Magico, a puppet character from the University of Kansas production of the King Stag, fall 2008.
The King Stag himself! All of the set, costumes, and puppets were made from found objects!
Sketches for walk-around puppet characters from King Stag.

Here are several pictures from Puppet Rampage, the Puppeteers of America National Festival held in Minneapolis/St. Paul in 2007. I assisted guest speaker Martin Robinson with his Sesame Street lecture featuring Telly Monster.

Performing in Mike O'Brian's emerging artist piece developed at the O'Neill in 2005.
Hard at work manipulating Pitti Sing, during Paul Mesner's giant puppet spectacular of The Mikado.

Look for more to come!

KC/ACTF Puppet Manipulation Workshop Videos

2009-02-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple YOUTUBE videos of exercises we did in the puppet workshop. Using my hand and rod puppets, we lip synced to well known songs so the performers could focus on manipulation basics. Body movement, focus, breath, and ensemble work just to name a few. The participants ranged in experience and so I used them as examples to highlight specific skills. Overall I think everyone really enjoyed this part of the workshop.

Check out the heart-warming duet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL7HorEWSC0&feature=related

Followed by this terrifying twisted music video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1b03W33EUs&feature=related

A special thanks to the gentleman who posted these online.

KC/ACTF Puppet Manipulation Workshop

2009-01-31T23:48:00.000-08:00

I recently had the pleasure of teaching a puppetry workshop at the Region Five Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. I had nearly 60 participants in my workshop and I had a great time stuffing as much puppetry-related- knowledge as humanly possible into our two hour class period. You'll be able to check out pictures and some great puppet music videos from the workshop soon!

WELCOME!

2009-01-31T23:31:00.001-08:00

Hello and welcome! This blog is set up as an online portfolio/display of my work. Specifically puppetry! I will be posting pictures, videos, and links of my own projects, and may even develop into displaying and recommending the work of other puppeteers.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!