Cargo Drop at Freeform Festival

Freeform Festival was this weekend, and we debuted Cargo Drop!  It seemed like people really responded to the project and enjoyed it.  People played with the parachute, and liked the interior of the box.  Some people walked right by, but I think it really rewarded the curious participants.  Here's a video, and some pictures!

Last work Weekend until Freeform Festival - Saturday

This is the last weekend that I have to work on the Cargo Drop project before Freeform Festival.  Tim ran into some trouble with his bus and couldn't make it down today.  I build the remaining three walls with the puppet mounts and got started on the roof.  I also cut out some swinging doors in the walls.  Lana cut some fabric to cover the inside walls and the back of the doors so that people won't get splinters on the door.  Tomorrow I want to finish the roof, install eyehooks for the parachute, and start working on the interior decorations.    Here's some a video and some pictures.

Sketch of Cargo Drop!

I tried to sketch the project with a cross section to give an idea of the inside/outside of the project.

Cargo Drop for Freeform Festival - Construction has begun!

Construction of the Cargo Drop box for Freeform Festival has begun.  We got a $500 grant to bring our Cargo Drop puppet theater to Freeform Festival in NJ.  I was fortunate to be able to get most all of the wood that I've used so far for free.  I used some scrap from friends, and my landlord donated a bunch of lumber.  I started by constructing the interior frame, and each wall will be built separately so they can be transported easily.  The interior frame will be assembled on site.  I still need to finish this one wall, and build 3 more walls, and add head hole doors.  Also, the Great Quentini gave me about 12 puppets to choose from for the interior of our project.  Things are coming along!

The other 3 sides will have walls like this.  The puppets will be attached to the inside of the wall, and a head-flap will be installed to blend in with the box's walls, but reveal the puppet theater inside.

Burning Man 2013

So we didn't get an art grant to bring Cargo Drop! to Burning Man 2013, but we're going to try to bring it anyway!  We're going to start fundraising money to pay for construction and transportation of the art across the country.  We'll need to rent a truck or trailer to transport the art, and this will most likely be the largest portion of our budget.  We might try to have a prototype built for Playa Del Fuego.  Keep checking back for updates, and we'll post a link to our fundraiser soon!

Physical Description

The space of the entire installment will be 6' x 17' x 11', but it will be separated into 2 large wooden crates with 5' of space in between.  One crate will be 4'x4'x4' and the other will be 8'x4'x4'.

As people wander around, they come across large shipping crates with (or without) parachutes attached, billowing in the wind (2 large crates with smaller 'seat' crates around them).  At first glance, they might continue on - thinking nothing of it (it is an interstellar offense to tamper with someone else's mail after all).  The next time they pass, however they notice a few funny creatures hunched over with their heads inside the shipping crate laughing hysterically - this sparks the participant's curiosity, and they go forth to investigate.

Upon closer inspection, it is revealed that there are actually 8 sets of small shutters that, when opened, reveal a hole large enough to stick their head through.    They take a seat on one of the smaller crates, stick their head in, and they are now a much smaller person in a completely different environment.  They find the sticks to control the arms and now they can fully interact with the other participants.

The hole that the participants stick their head into puts their head on a teenie body (picture 02).  The puppet bodies are made of recycled stuffed animals and dolls.  Arms legs or other extremities (depending on puppet and scene) will be controlled with metals sticks that the participants can grab from the exterior under their head hole.

Philosophical Statement

Legend has it that roughly 27 years ago, strange extra-terrestrial beings landed on a beach along the West coast of the United States.  They brought with them the gift of creativity and impregnated that on the people gathered there that night.

It was a short,  but powerful visit - and the other-worldly beings promised to revisit some day to see that the newly gained power was being utilized properly.  Word immediately spread and every year since then, more and more people have gathered in a ceremony of creativity and action, sending their prayers through ritualistic dance and music waiting for the god-like beings to return.

The beings have received these prayers and have been very impressed with everything that has been done in their name.  They will return this year via the annual ceremony and as a token of their appreciation will bring their own interactive creative care packages.

"Cargo Drop!" is a creativity care package from a far away friend.  It rewards curiosity and promotes unique interactions.    The aliens will fly over the desert where the annual "Burning Man" ceremony is held and drop their care packages to the ground.

Participants that spot these packages may be confused at first as to what wonderful gifts they contain, but upon closer inspection and interaction they will realize that it is them, the participants, who make the gift what it is.