But some people happen to think they’re really scary.

When we ran our first brainstorming sessions for the show, I shouted:  ”How can you possibly film a kids show without a clown? Let’s put one in Fresh Fruit Pie!”  Another writer piped up, “Absolutely not.  We don’t want to creep everybody out.”  Within seconds, the room exploded into an argument between whether “clowns are scary” or “clowns are cool.”

Clearly, clowns scare some people.  But are they truly scary from a basic gut instinct level (like spiders or public speaking), or is it only certain features that make clowns scary? As mad scientists, we like to push the envelope, so we set out to research what was needed to create an unscary clown.

First, let’s look at a creepy clown and see if we can de-creepify him.  Pictured to the right is Bozo the Clown, one of the most famous TV clowns in the world.  Some think he’s funny.  Others believe he’s devil incarnate.

Well, of course he looks like Satan. Look at that hair, all red and angry-looking; and shaped like the devil’s horns!

Posted on the left is the most demonic pic of Bozo we could find.  Can you believe this dude was the host of a kids show for 50 years?  Certainly some children in his audience were scarred for life, doomed to an existence of despair and endless nightmares.

Time to do a total makeover on Bozo.  Maybe we can mold and soften his image into something that won’t be the cause of so many wet bedsheets.

STEP 1: EVIL CLOWN w/ COOL HAIR. The first thing to go is that ghastly hair.  Let’s replace it with a color that’s more appealing.  How about bright fluorescent green?  And those horns, gone.   Instead, we give him the most awesome hair style known to man – a giant ‘fro.  (The second most awesome being a mullet). Already he’s starting to look better, but still not where we want him.

STEP 2. DE-GHOULIFY. Next, the makeup.  All those sharp constrast lines and white goo remind people of ghouls and zombies.  It strips away the person’s humanity and masks it behind a cartoonish version of a dead face.  A clown is supposed to be a funny man, not a walking corpse.  Combine that with over-exaggerated smiling/giggling, and you’ve got creeper city. It’s important that we have lots of smiling and giggling of course, but the makeup we can keep off.  Leave the goop in the tube.

STEP 3. LOSE THE NOSE. Finally, the red nose.  Who in their right mind puts a bright red nose on a clown?  This isn’t Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Big, wonky, oily human noses look much more humorous.  Flush the round fuzzy ball down the toilet…now!

So instead of a “clown,” we’ve got merely a fun-loving guy who wears a bright green ‘fro and a polka-dotted jumpsuit.  Hire the genius actor Ben Little to play up some crazy clownishness, and a sparkling character emerges for Fresh Fruit Pie:  Garbanzo the Clown.

If you are still convinced that all clowns are scary, even our harmless and lovable Garbanzo, just wait until Fresh Fruit Pie: Party! gets released this fall – you’ll adore him just as much as we do.

Like this behind the scenes article?  Then shoot us your comments below.

In fact, it might end up too crazy and random.  To be safe, we’ve decided to balance the show by casting a “Host” (much like a game show host) to tie all the show’s nuttiness together into a neat little package.

Of course, we couldn’t just cast some guy in a suit.  That would be too predictable.  Even in a role that’s meant to balance out the craziness, we still want this character to knock us off our rockers.

So we began brainstorming – what kind of unique flavor could the Host portray?  How could we capture a look, personality, and flair that’s never been seen before?

Normally we’d keep these kinds of ideas secret, but in this special case, we’ll sneak you into our creative process.  At the end of our brainstorming sessions, we decided that the Host should have three traits:

• A “little person.”  Not a kid, but an adult who happens to be very short.
• A bubbly chap with a fake or real English accent (ala John Cleese)
• Can rip up da’ floor with his wicked dance moves

Since this character plays such a crucial role, the standards were high.  But then again, so are the standards for everything else we do on the show.

The big question..were they too high? Where in South Bend could we find a dancing John-Cleese-impersonator with dwarfism?  No way – not in this small ‘burg.

It was time to branch out. We posted messages all over actors’ networks and casting forums throughout the U.S..  To be honest, our hopes of finding anyone to match our strict criteria were slim.

But a couple weeks later, we received a Youtube audition from Michael Marius Massett, a guy in Chicago who performs a lot of roles related to his 4′1″ height.  I took one look at the special reel he made for us - my jaw hit the floor, and four words entered my mind.

Best.  Video.  Resume.  Ever.

Absolutely perfect.  His dancing, comedic timing, and (fake) British accent were amazing.  Clearly stumbling on a talented guy, I called him ASAP to get him on board.

He was instantly excited about playing the Host - and pretty thrilled that we weren’t asking him to play an Elf, Oompa-Loompa, or Leprechaun (which are most of his gigs).

Posted below is one of our favorite of his auditions.  Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. Casting a Real-Life Homeless Man in a Video
2. Our Best Digital Video Camera Ever – aka The Ray Cannon

Looks like it would blast a hole in the wall as much as it would record video.

And lovin’ it.

The “Ray Cannon,” as we lovingly call it, gives the phrase “shoot your actors” a whole new meaning.  Cobbled together with some of the best equipment in the business, we’ve constructed a behemoth that’s capable of some truly knockout video – only the best for Fresh Fruit Pie.  Not only does this puppy pull some great images, it demands respect on set for its sheer presence.

With all the parts we slap on this baby, it’s pretty much the digital camera version of Frankenstein.  We like our gear big and mean.

What kind of images can you get from this camera?

The Ray Cannon’s performance is pretty impressive.  With this digital video camera setup, we have extreme control over lighting, color, mood, and background blurriness (also known as ”depth of field”) to bring out the most amazing images possible.  Once we release the trailer for Fresh Fruit Pie, you’ll see what we’re talking about.

How can I build my own Ray Cannon?

We’re not big on keeping secrets.  We’re big on spreading good news around the world and sharing our success with others.  That’s why we’re providing the exact recipe for our super-camera FOR FREE.  Just in case you have an itch to build one yourself.

The Base Unit

The Panasonic HVX200.  This camera swept the independent film world a few years ago with revolutionary, low-cost, high-definition 24p video.  It also features true slow motion!  After several years of being introduced, it’s still a leader in creating fantastic video.

Background Blurriness.

Standard video cameras don’t provide as much control over ”background bluriness” that super-expensive film cameras do.   The presence of that “background bluriness” is how most people tell whether a video is “professional/expensive” or “amateur/cheap.”

A few years ago, some genius actually invented a way to create that blurriness on a standard video camera.  Voila, we have the Cinevate Brevis.  It allows us to slap professional camera lenses (in our case, Canon FDs) onto a video camera, giving us a level of control that cameras thousands of dollars more would normally have.

The Sticks

What’s the point of a nice camera if the image shakes all over the place?  That’s where a solid tripod comes to save the day.  We use the Manfrotto 055XB Pro Tripod with 503HDV Fluid Video Head.  It’s pricey but very, very worth it.

The Ray Cannon is a beast, tough to lug around, and so top heavy that sometimes we get very close to accidentally knocking it to the floor.  But it’s the workhorse of our arsenal, and Fresh Fruit Pie wouldn’t exist without it.

Like this behind the scenes article?  Then leave some comment love below.

Related posts:

1. Casting a Real-Life Homeless Man in a Video

Then it came – Light Bulb.

There are thousands of homeless people in South Bend.  Why spend so much effort to fake the “homeless look” when we could hire a real homeless man?  Along with the authenticity bonus, it could help the community out in at least two ways:  promote awareness of real homelessness and give an opportunity for a homeless man to act in a cool video.

I visited my friends who staff the Center for the Homeless in South Bend.  I asked if there was anyone who would wake up at 7AM to sit outside in 20 degree weather for a local kids video.  Without hesitation, they took me to a guy milling around in the lobby.

After I pitched the idea to him, he surprised me with the question:  “What kind of homeless guy do you want to portray?  Do you want an unemployed middle-class worker, someone who’s truly desperate, or a professional homeless man?”

“Professional homeless man?  What’s that?” I asked.

“Someone who travels the country, living at homeless shelters because he no longer wants to be part of normal society,” he replied.

I was again surprised.  “Let’s try the desperate version,” I quipped.

He got right to work, grabbed a coat, and ran outside.  I followed with my digital still camera.  After crossing the street into a gravel parking lot, he threw the coat on the ground and proceeded to completely kick the snot out of it.

Wham!  Slap!  Bam!

For five minutes he destroyed that thing, never flinching once.  I snapped picture after picture, trying to capture a decent still of the mayhem in the dimly lit parking lot.  Several other homeless guys passed by and laughed at the whole situation.

After the kickfest, we went back inside the shelter.  He sliced the coat in several places with a pair of scissors, found a sewing kit, and bound the cuts back together.  After the coat-beating and coat-surgery, he tried it on.  Perfect!

The next morning, we picked him up from the Center for the Homeless and shot for two hours in freezing weather.  The guy never once complained about the cold and seemed to really enjoy filming with us.

After we finished shooting, I whipped out my wallet and offered to pay him for his time.  He refused.  I offered lunch.  He refused.  All he wanted was simply a ride back home to the homeless shelter.

Definitely busted some stereotypes I had in my mind about homeless people that day.

Related posts:

1. Our Best Digital Video Camera Ever – aka The Ray Cannon
2. Best Video Resume Ever – The Host

The Bad News

We hate to admit this, but the Fruit Troupe in our kids video – Apple, Orange, Grape, Peach, Lime, and Banana – is not a group of real-life giant fruits.  We did not cast walking, talking plant actors.  They are not products of genetic engineering or some other mad scientist plot to take over the world.  (We only wish we were that smart.)

Mere humans dressed in large, colorful costumes – that’s all.  Sad, we know, but we figure we’d come clean with the truth.  So now that we’ve burst that bubble, we humbly proceed to…

The Good News

We’re giving you a sneak peak into exactly how we made these cool fruit costumes.  More specifically, how we turned what would otherwise be cheap, flat-looking pajamas into full 3D fruit mascot figures.

Transforming your typical homemade fruit costume to 3D takes takes some planning, elbow grease, and the right materials.  Standard fabric filler won’t work.  Stuffing it full of pillows or other linens won’t work, either (we tried this).  To give fruit costumes that desired squishy 3D quality, it’s important to first find a stiff material and then form it into a shape that holds its own.

Finding the Right Material

The special materials we need won’t be found at Wal-Mart.  Not this time.  We need to shop at a place far more scary, where the adventures are campfire-worthy.  That place is called…

Jo-Ann Fabrics.

Inside the store, there wasn’t a grown man in sight.  As I sneaked my way to the back aisle, trying not to draw attention to my male presence,  I noticed a sign that read:

Half-off sale on all upholstery foam

Upholstery foam is the stuff used to make padded cushions on lounge seats and couches. As you probably know from sitting in chairs, it holds shape pretty well until you put some pressure (as in, sit down) on it. Perfect for human-sized fruit costumes. Giant 8’x4’ pieces. 2 inches thick. SOLD!

After purchasing six giant sheets of this bright green foam, which were each as big as a twin-sized bed, I spent the next half-hour stuffing them into my compact car.

I had dozens of women staring at me during the whole fiasco. That much lady attention would’ve been something to brag about – if they weren’t all twice my age.

The Shape

Upholstery foam doesn’t come in spherical ball shapes, so we have to perform some origami magic and create a sphere from a bunch of flat pieces.

Look at how a real-life orange is sliced.  It can easily be split into 6 or 8 wedges, each with equal size and shape.  Notice that the wedges are widest at the center and taper down at the ends.  Fit them back together, and you have a spherical ball.

We can use the same idea when planning use of the foam to make our giant fruit.  Measure several flat pieces of the same size and shape, wider at the center and tapered at the ends.  When these pieces are glued together, they will form a hexa-, octa-, or whateva- gonal shape you choose.

Cutting

Once the pattern is transferred over to a sheet of foam, it can be cut with a pair of scissors, or more preferably, a manly power tool like a 600 Watt electric-powered jig saw.  Ho ho ho.

While it would be easier to make straight cuts on the foam, it’s important to cut each of the six pieces with a 30 degree bevel.  Doing this allows us to fit the wedges into the shape (in our case, a hexagon) needed to create the sphere illusion on camera.

Putting It All Together

Finally, we attach the pieces together using a hot glue gun.

This is actually more difficult than what may seem at first.  If we just slap glue on the pieces and bend them into a curve to bring them together, they quickly fly apart because flat pieces of foam like to stay flat.

After a ton of trial and error, I found a process that works.

Take two wedges and glue their centers together.  Clamp this weld with your fingers for at least 2 minutes (try not to get burned like I did).  This should form a strong enough bond to work on the next section of the seam.  Work 2 minutes at a time, gluing and holding, until you reach one edge of the seam (Gluing Order 1-3 on the figure to the left).  Then glue center-to-edge on the other side of the seam (Gluing Order 4-5).

After doing this process three times, you should have three 2-wedge segments.  Attach the three segments together to complete the hexagon.  Cut holes for arms, and that’s it!  You now have a giant fruit!

Was this article helpful?  Then leave some comment love below!  And stay tuned to FreshFruitPie.com for more behind-the-scenes articles coming shortly.

Also make sure to check out our trailer, and vote to get Fresh Fruit Pie into stores!

They usually come in gray and black because people who make gas masks don’t have a sense of humor.  But gray is boring.  How about a more appealing color?  Like…bright yellow!

Unfortunately, gas masks don’t come in yellow, so to get the right color, we have to take a stock gas mask and paint it what we want.  However, there’s one problem with that…

Problem #1: How do you paint a rubber gas mask?

Answer: Painting a rubber gas mask is a lot harder than you think.  Don’t believe it?  Then go out and buy a Cold War-era Soviet Union gas mask from your local army surplus store, a can of spray paint, and try it for yourself.   Yes, do it.  Right now – go buy a gas mask and spray paint (if you’re under 18, use parental supervision – duh).

When you open up your new (or should we say – old) gas mask, you’ll notice a very strong smell.  That, my friends, is the smell of rubber.  It’s funny how something can still have a weird odor after sitting 50 years in a cold warehouse halfway across the world.

Look at how the gas mask is made.  Kinda cool, huh?  Of course it is!  It was designed to protect your lungs against polluted air – for example, the kind that gets created when you have to take the trash out or scrub the toilet.

After you finish painting the mask, it looks beautiful at first.  A clean, glossy coat of slick color.  But looks are deceiving, because as soon as you put it on, your hard work cracks and flakes off because dry spray paint isn’t as stretchable as rubber.  Since spray paint doesn’t work, what do we do?  Go eat ice cream and call it a day?

No!

Well, take that back.  YES for ice cream, but NO to giving up!

I started digging around the costume shop and stumbled on some yellow, oil-based face makeup.  It’s the same stuff clowns use to make their goofy faces.  It also happens to be used in sci-fi movies to paint alien masks that are made out of latex rubber.

Alien masks…rubber…Wait a sec, rubber gas masks are made out of rubber, too! Eureka!  So I take the yellow face paint, which comes in a tube that looks like a giant piece of lipstick, and smear it all over the gas mask.

Behold, we now have a yellow gas mask.  When the makeup dries, it doesn’t crack like spray paint but becomes flexible and stretches with the mask.  Perfect!  Add a breathing filter painted like an orange-and-yellow candy cane, and we’re good to go.  Mask ready.

Problem #2:  Why in the world would someone want a bright yellow gas mask?

We’d love to tell you, but we can’t for now – you’ll have to wait until the show comes out.

By the way, if you haven’t voted for your favorite logo yet, there’s only a few days left.  So go vote now!